Greatest designer of all time

Its worth remembering that most modern designers dont do it all themselves, Newey &Co have huge support from many other "experts" in their respective field.

The guru should be the person who can pull it all together....like Todt

What about Design break throughs like high nose concept by HP or carbon fibre technology from Barnard.

 

To me, mauro as got a big advantage over the others, he designed both the car and the engine!!! I don´t remenber anyone else doing that and wining as often as he did!!!
The entire 312t series were grat cars..(if we forget the t5)...and the first 312b and the 312b3 were also very good cars. Plus he designed things like the P4....and don´t forget, the first turbo engine to win a WCC was his!!!....but i think the guy i admire the most is gordon Murray, he wa he newey of his time but a lot more involved in race strategy...the retur to tefueling was his idea and everyone folowed...he was briliant. Betwen Rory and Newy it´hard....Chapman was also briliant but i don´t think all the others are in the same lague as the ones i mentioned

 

I also think you forgot Dereck gardner, who designed the first Tyrrels...the guy was also very, very good.

 

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You are correct. the current F-1 designer is really a misnomer... there is not one guy who draws the whole car... its a team of 10 20 people who work on various parts with the technicial "designer" who sets the parameters... Newey is one of the old school guys but cant do it any more with all the electronics and technical regs out there.

Most of the design is down to cost - so i like the ideal of limited the spend on the car or team and then open the rule book for mulit cylinder engines various size limits..1.2 L v16 vs 3L 4 cyl... turbo, non turbo, turbine electric? who knows what else can be used. but until you alow creativity back in F-1 its really just a spec series with some fringe aero design... in the 60's - 80's you really had freedom to think it thru... and innovate.

Gordon Murray was i think also one of the most forward thinkers of all time...his triangular design system and narrow track cars were successful from the 70's to the 90's...

 

+1.


Onno

 

And he brought Ford in, first with the twin-cam head built for the Ford four-cylinder, then as the main push for the most successful Grand Prix engine of all time, the Cosworth DFV.

I voted for Gordon Murray. Most open-minded designer listed...

 

+1

Chapman was brilliant. Murray gave us among other cars the super low line Brabham BT55 (IMO one of the most beautiful F1 cars) and heavily influenced the design of the all-conquering McLaren MP4/4.

 

Discussing Colin Chapman ...

Actually Bruce McLaren got Ford into F1 first with the destroked Indy engine which was a failure. While Bruce worked hard on that project with Ford USA, Chapman kicked a goal with Ford England or Europe ... the rest is history.

If Bruce had lived longer I honestly believe we would talk about him like we do Colin.
Pete

 

Which is why Barnard should have been on this list. Great car.
Pete

 

I was under the impression that Nichols was Mclaren´s head designer at the time of the MP4/4.

+1 Barnard should have been on the list. He even persuaded Ferrari to setup the design office in England

 

You are right, but the first MP4 and first carbon chassis for McLaren was a Barnard design:

Before Barnard, McLaren were not the force we talk about today. Yes they had won 2 WDCs but were somewhat lost since Bruce's death and needed a change. Along came Ron Dennis and Barnard ...

Barnard, like him or not, had a huge influence on modern F1.
Pete

 

John, Prost very nearly won with the beautiful 641, but yes his second stint at Ferrari when Alesi and Berger were the drivers produced rubbish. But personally sticking with the heavy, higher cooling requirements and thirsty v12 engine was partly to blame.

Note Barnard also designed Benetton's 1991 and 1992. I wonder how much these cars influenced the (B1)94 car?
Pete

 

, if you say so.

I like Barnard myself, far more that Gordan "I am bloody brilliant" Murray. Well that is the way Murray comes across to me.
Pete

 

You're not the only one. Guy comes off as a total cock.

Listening to him blather on about how great the McLaren F1 is to this day is nauseating.

 

Yep i agree with that too, his BS when he said Ferrari didnt have to copy him when his McLaren F1 supecar car was based on the 365P 3 seater!!

 

+1