The Fchat greatest F1 car poll!......

Here we go......

As with the driver thread, if you feel I've left anything out, please go ahead and "vote" for it in your response - but I do think we've got the bases reasonably well covered.

I'm actually looking forward to this one more than the driver poll; Should be less "emotional baggage" involved. As before, the results are "public", so all can see who voted for what..... More than 5 will be frowned upon!

Just vote for your (up to) 5 greatest cars of the F1 era. I think pix of all are in the pre-poll thread, or Google Images is your friend.

Cheers,
Ian

 

WEll, here goes nothing...i would put the 1961 sharknose, 156...it's a beauty and a winner, and one of the most iconic cars ever built.......i wa sgoing to say the 312t and t4 but they are covered in the 312 series...although i think you should split the first 312 series from the second....the second starting with the 1974 312b3.

 

Dayum! Completely forgot the Sharknose! [Surprised it didn't get nominated - even by me - was my first slotcar & certainly a fine looking, and "iconic" F1 car]

It'll be out of sequence, but I'll try and edit "A.N.Other" - Don't/can't re-edit the whole mess!

Understood about splitting the 312 series, but where do you stop?

Cheers,
Ian

 

Seems I can't edit the list.

So, executive decision; the last choice becomes "Ferrari 156"..... If you want to nominate anything else, please post it in your response, thanks!

Cheers,
Ian

 

Oki doki....about the 312, i would say from 66 to 73 and the second group....from 74(312b3 to 80(312t5).....

 

You should get a good spanking for forgeting it!! ...i'll send one of the Kardashian girls to carry on!!!

 

You're absolutely right! I ****ed that one up!

I can't do it, but maybe a "tolerant" mod could split the 312 as you suggest & add the 156 too?

Neuro.... You busy?....

Cheers,
Ian

 

Seems everyone else did too would be my "defense"!

Although, one of them there Kardashian girls could work.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Once you see that list, it becomes clear which cars were standouts. My bad for not mentioning the Tyrell 003...at a time when F1 was super-dangerous and cutting edge, it was a pretty dependable set of wheels.

Really though, (even though I didn't vote the Merc W05/06) it's F2002, Red Bulls, MP 4/4, Mercs and "pick one" among other great cars (sad my BT46 didn't make the list, but it doesn't stand up to the others anyway). Brawn, FW14b, '70's 312 series, any of the ground-breaking Lotus cars...this one will be a lot more spread out than the driver's poll. I think F2002 and MP4/4 will have strong numbers, but there will be much division beyond them.

 

One race!

I agree it was *awesome*!.... But not among the GOAT's. I almost excluded the P34 for the same reason(s) - But, as noted, it did achieve some success.....

+1

Should be fun.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Mods these days are dangerous persons...they're banning everyone!!!

 

I suggest splitting the 312 into B and T series cars; 312B and B2 are close and can be considered one type: B3(both versions) are quite a bit different than the earlier cars; 312T of 1975 is a design from a clean sheet of paper(and my favorite F1 car of all). My 2 cents.

 

I LOL'd.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Ian: I assume for your Alfa Romeo 58/59 you are referring to the Alfetta 158 and 159 Grand Prix car.

I have made my selections based on what they brought that was new to Grand Prix or F1 racing.

The Alfetta produced a stellar record by producing tremendous power from the 1.5 l. supercharged straight 8....a pinnacle of engine development of the era.

The Maserati 250F showed the way with the asymmetrical re positioning of the engine and lowering the driver by having the drive shaft pass next to them. A beautiful example of form following function which was copied until mid engined cars arrived. I assume the development of the "new era" mid engined cars is why you included the Cooper T51....could have also credited the Lotus 18. Even though this was a tremendous development and change in design philosophy, it had been done previously with the Auto Unions in the Pre war Grand Prix era, so was not entirely a new idea.

The 312 series could be subdivided, but tremendous development went on with the first 312 being a V configuration of incredible beauty and ended with the flat 12 with transverse gearbox increasing mass centralization and lowered polar moment. To do this while taking on and sometimes beating the ubiquitous Cosworth DFV was no small feat.

The Lotus 78 brought us into the era of aerodynamic ground effects.

The Williams 14b was the most extensive use of computer control of vehicle dynamics by bringing active suspension, traction control, ABS and engine management into being. The Renault engine also brought pneumatic valve actuation.

Each of these cars was a successful "high water mark" for the era.

 

Ferrari 126c2

 

Anything Jack made was brilliant along with anything Italian ................ not a fan of the garagisti

 

That's as good a set of criteria as any!

Although, how can you not like some of the stuff Colin did? Garagisti maybe, but a true great there IMO.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Indeed. My source had "Alfetta" in brackets after that name; I figured we don't need no stinkin' brackets!

Another fine set of criteria!

*Great* reasoning & post, thanks!

[This is more fun than bickering about Elton etc, right? ]

Cheers,
Ian

 

Thanks!....and yes 100% better.

 

The Brawn - a car so good that it won a championship despite the team that designed it pulling out of F1. It even won with an engine that wasn't designed to fit in the car in the first place. The circumstances of it the car, say, surviving an abortion, make it remarkable enough in a list of remarkable cars, to get my one and only vote.

 

Great picks, love all of those and they do define several eras....especialy the 78 who in fact introduces ground efect and the fw14 with active suspension and all the gadgets....even mansell couldn't lose with it!!!
Ps: By the way, does the air around here seems cleaner these days...i can even hear the birds sing...Elton who???

 

Good one!

+1

Seems the "harsh" moderating is paying dividends - Good job the mods!

Cheers,
Ian

 

Something I was thinking about while looking at the list.....

While the McLaren MP4/4 is listed (has garnered a lot of votes), and it was a truly dominant car of the period, the McLaren MP4/1 was the first F1 car to use a Carbon Fiber tub. The development of Carbon fiber for use in racing is a milestone of development as it is now ubiquitous from tubs, bodywork, gearbox housings, suspension arms, brakes and steering wheels. This was a major shift in technology for the time.

 

It was certainly a huge technological move forward.

But it wasn't that successful (6 wins from 46 races per Wiki); Doesn't really put it among the GOAT's IMO.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Oh, I agree. In many respects it is the grandfather of the MP4/4. While the MP4/1 wasn't immediately successful, its creation was the beginning of a sea change in the technique of building race cars and its further development has had a monumental and successful impact on the sport in terms of safety strength and lightness.

I bring it up, not to say the MP4/1 should have been included, but I had been thinking about those big technology change points within Formula 1 and Carbon is certainly one of them. Tube frame to stressed skin to aluminum monocoque to carbon tub has certainly followed the faster-stronger-lighter path.