Items20The creator’s order
  1. 1John BarnardJohn BarnardBorn May 4, 1946Look up McLaren’s MP4/2 from 1984. Barnard carried lessons from the interim MP4/1E into a more integrated design around the TAG-Porsche turbo engine. Its carbon-fiber monocoque carried forward a chassis construction Barnard had introduced on the original MP4/1. Niki Lauda won the drivers’…0
  2. 2Colin ChapmanColin ChapmanBorn May 19, 1928Team Lotus’s 1978 Lotus 79 is the car to look up. Chapman led the team that developed it, working with engineers including Peter Wright and Tony Rudd on the ground-effect program that began with the 78. The 79 made better use of the airflow underneath, and Mario Andretti took the drivers’ title…0
  3. 3Norbert SingerNorbert SingerStart with the Porsche 956 and its first season in 1982. Singer helped develop a car for the new Group C fuel rules and worked on getting downforce from the shape underneath it. Porsche filled the podium at Le Mans and took the manufacturers’ title that year. Compare the underside with the earlier…0
  4. 4Sergio LimoneSergio LimoneBorn Jul 24, 1948Look up the Lancia Rally 037 that helped win the 1983 manufacturers’ title. Limone led the project, and the car drew on work across Abarth, Lancia, and Dallara. Its rear-wheel-drive layout makes it an interesting comparison with the four-wheel-drive Audi. The championship result belonged to Lancia,…0
  5. 5Gordon MurrayGordon MurrayBorn Jun 18, 1946Start with the 1983 Brabham BT52. Murray made its BMW-powered layout modular so the crew could work on it and rebuild it more easily. The car’s narrow front and compact rear are easy to pick out in a side view. Nelson Piquet won the drivers’ title, with Brabham’s crew and BMW’s engine program both…0
  6. 6Patrick HeadPatrick HeadBorn Jun 5, 1946The 1992 Williams FW14B shows Head’s work as technical director alongside designer Adrian Newey. It adapted the previous FW14 around an active suspension system that controlled how the car rode. Nigel Mansell won the drivers’ title and Williams won the constructors’ championship. Look at the car in…0
  7. 7Gérard DucarougeGérard DucarougeBorn Oct 3, 1941The Matra MS80 carried Jackie Stewart to his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship in 1969. Ducarouge worked on the chassis with Bernard Boyer, while the team used the Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. Follow the car through that season if you want an example where chassis, engine, and the team running the…0
  8. 8Hans MezgerHans MezgerPorsche’s 917 gives you a way into Mezger’s engineering work through its flat-12 engine. The 917K took Porsche’s first overall win at Le Mans in 1970, part of the season in which Porsche won the International Championship for Makes. Look at the engine alongside the changes the racing teams made to…0
  9. 9Adrian NeweyAdrian NeweyBorn Dec 26, 1958Start with Red Bull’s 2010 RB6, which brought the team its first constructors’ title and Sebastian Vettel his first drivers’ championship. Newey led the technical team. Look at the exhaust outlet and diffuser together to see one of the ways the engineers used airflow at the back of the car.0
  10. 10Rory ByrneRory ByrneBorn Jan 10, 1944Try Ferrari’s F2002 for Byrne’s contribution as chief designer. The car was a team effort under technical director Ross Brawn, with Paolo Martinelli leading the engine work. Look at the compact rear of the car for an example of how the chassis and engine groups’ decisions met in one place. Ferrari…0