Reject F1 Cars

[europeanminardi]

Gutless lump is overly nice to the engine, Arrows realised it was nothing more than a dead weight before they'd even put it in the car. According to the research I did on this particular season compared to its rival 12 cylinder engines it began the season 65HP down on the RA121E (715BHP, which finished the season putting out around 730BHP), 60 down on the Ferrari (710BHP) and 45 down on the Lambo (695BHP), not to mention it was the heaviest engine on the grid by about 40KG at a staggering 190KG, (the RA121E weighed 150KG) and overheated if you looked at it the wrong way. The engine they replaced it with, the DFR, output around 10HP less but weighed 45KG less(!)

sounds exactly like the typical early to mid-90ies Porsche, when the company was near bankruptcy because of outdated and overpriced products...

[Reverie Planetarian]

I would also like to nominate the Osella FA1L. Lived up to its name by failing to put its driver anywhere near the podium, failing to qualify anywhere close to competitively (and that's WHEN it qualified), and failing to finish little more than half its races in 1988. It didn't even look as cool as its rivals. Compared to cars like the McLarens, Ferraris and Williamses it looked like an unsophisticated holdover from the ground effect cars of a decade before it raced; a low-rent die cast scale model someone strapped for cash would give their children for Christmas after kinda-sorta-maybe remembering one liked F1.

[Bleu]

I would also like to nominate the Osella FA1L. Lived up to its name by failing to put its driver anywhere near the podium, failing to qualify anywhere close to competitively (and that's WHEN it qualified), and failing to finish little more than half its races in 1988. It didn't even look as cool as its rivals. Compared to cars like the McLarens, Ferraris and Williamses it looked like an unsophisticated holdover from the ground effect cars of a decade before it raced; a low-rent die cast scale model someone strapped for cash would give their children for Christmas after kinda-sorta-maybe remembering one liked F1.

The thing which should not be forgotten about that car is that it failed pre-event scrutineering in Imola.

[dr-baker]

This looks like a good place to park this question.

The Virgin VR-01 is, by all measures, an utterly rejectful car. The fuel tank debacle was the worst of its problems, but more technically-minded people pointed to the obvious signs of its first-attempt-at-an-all-CFD approach - which centred mainly on the plainness of the front wing and the shape of the intakes on the sidepods - two straight lines with a perfect semicircle between them, when even Hispania managed something more shapely. It was as if Virgin had been so busy designing that fluted shape of the mose so it looked Ferrari-esque that they forgot about the sidepods and had to knock them up on the back of a fag packet a day before the launch.

This picture has been on Wikipedia since midway through last season - listed as "Timo Glock's VR-01 on display at USTGlobal's office". It has sidepods that are very differently shaped to the plain design that we've all seen... everywhere else. I went back through Forix and looked at all the pictures of Timo Glock last season to see if this car was ever raced - even those from early in the season before the VR-01 had sprouted the shark fin or the Full Tilt Poker sponsorship. I couldn't find any - they were all with the regular sidepod design.

So where did this car come from? Does anyone have any clues? Could it be a design that didn't work, or even an early version that had been tarted up to make it look like the car from later in the season - and if so, how would that explain a transition to a sidepod design that was considerably more basic?

Those sidepods remind of an F1 car from the mid-2000's - possibly a McLaren? But definitely a copy...

[mario]

Those sidepods remind of an F1 car from the mid-2000's - possibly a McLaren? But definitely a copy...

I was thinking of something more recent - the Renault R29 and R30 have both had that same style of sidepod and intake profile, and it would not be surprising if they decided to copy design elements off recent cars.



It might be a bit harder to make out the R30's radiators due to the black paint, but hopefully you can see that the profile of the sidepod is similar to that of the image of the VR-01 you've linked to. Out of the two, I would say that it is more similar to the shape of the R30's sidepods, or at least what the R30 was like at launch.

As to where that car came from, I really do not know - it might just be, as you say, a one off car for that exhibition, but why they would go to the extent of changing the sidepods? Perhaps your suggestion of that particular design being one of the less successful prototypes that was re-used for promotional material is correct, but I cannot say.

[dinizintheoven]

As to where that car came from, I really do not know - it might just be, as you say, a one off car for that exhibition, but why they would go to the extent of changing the sidepods? Perhaps your suggestion of that particular design being one of the less successful prototypes that was re-used for promotional material is correct, but I cannot say.

Maybe now that the VR-01 is obsolete, if I contacted them, they might tell me... but then again, as they've used the same sidepod design on the MVR-02 instead of something that might be marginally more effective, maybe they won't...

I'll try and bribe the designers with a tray of Stanforth's pork pies.

[Pommy Barsteward]

I always thought that the Lambo was a remarkable looking car. Martin Brundle once said that a good looking car is rarely slow - whereas a slow car is often pig ugly (see Damon Hill's 1992 Brabham).

The Lambo was classy. I particularly like the sidepods.

Remember that Lola from 1997? That hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down.

[Pommy Barsteward]

I always thought that the Lambo was a remarkable looking car. Martin Brundle once said that a good looking car is rarely slow - whereas a slow car is often pig ugly (see Damon Hill's 1992 Brabham).

The Lambo was classy. I particularly like the sidepods.

Remember that Lola from 1997? That hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down.

[Reverie Planetarian]

I would also like to nominate the Osella FA1L. Lived up to its name by failing to put its driver anywhere near the podium, failing to qualify anywhere close to competitively (and that's WHEN it qualified), and failing to finish little more than half its races in 1988. It didn't even look as cool as its rivals. Compared to cars like the McLarens, Ferraris and Williamses it looked like an unsophisticated holdover from the ground effect cars of a decade before it raced; a low-rent die cast scale model someone strapped for cash would give their children for Christmas after kinda-sorta-maybe remembering one liked F1.

The thing which should not be forgotten about that car is that it failed pre-event scrutineering in Imola.

Yeah, see? Even the facts I didn't remember make it even rejectier.

[David AGS]

Apparently what Porsche did was that they used their 1987 Turbo engines which were used by McLaren under the TAG name. They removed the Turbo system, and combines 2 units together. You can see where they have been jointed.

I wouldnt mind a F1 car in my garage, great to show your mates etc!

[watka]

I always thought that the Lambo was a remarkable looking car. Martin Brundle once said that a good looking car is rarely slow - whereas a slow car is often pig ugly (see Damon Hill's 1992 Brabham).

The Lambo was classy. I particularly like the sidepods.

Remember that Lola from 1997? That hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down.

With those colours and it's shape, the Lola looked like it was made from Lego. Wait, that's an insult to Lego. Ok, it looks like it was made from Mega Blocks.

[Reverie Planetarian]

I always thought that the Lambo was a remarkable looking car. Martin Brundle once said that a good looking car is rarely slow - whereas a slow car is often pig ugly (see Damon Hill's 1992 Brabham).

The Lambo was classy. I particularly like the sidepods.

Remember that Lola from 1997? That hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down.

With those colours and it's shape, the Lola looked like it was made from Lego. Wait, that's an insult to Lego. Ok, it looks like it was made from Mega Blocks.

Duplo, maybe?

[Faustus]

Apparently what Porsche did was that they used their 1987 Turbo engines which were used by McLaren under the TAG name. They removed the Turbo system, and combines 2 units together. You can see where they have been jointed.

I wouldnt mind a F1 car in my garage, great to show your mates etc!

Not true, I'm afraid.

[Pommy Barsteward]

I seem to recall I wrote in to the podcast to say that the Renault R29 looked like it had been made out of a cross between lego, modeling clay and a deckchair. Enoch actually thought it was a nice looking car. I hear the van with square wheels is on the way...

[S951]

One day guys we will all have enough money to buy the reject f1 car of our dreams lol we can have the 1st official F1 rejects championship in real life, maybe invite a few reject drivers to driver to haha

[S951]

m198

http://www.motorsport-sales.com/index.p ... 87d3218234

[Barbazza]

Gene and Badoer didn't drive that though did they? (or were they test drivers?)

Poor Esteban Tuero - forgotten again....

[Phoenix]

Gene and Badoer didn't drive that though did they? (or were they test drivers?)

Poor Esteban Tuero - forgotten again....

The information at the web page is wrong. Neither Gené nor Badoer had something to do with Minardi in 1998.

[David AGS]

I think the info was wrong, but Gene may have done a test late in the season with that car.

I think Laurent Redon was their official test driver at that time

[S951]

here is one for you David, got to say early 90s f1 cars so simple and nice looking. Lower teams did bring out some good looking (but slow) cars

[f1-gast]

I Want the DAMS from 1995 !!!

[Aerond]

[f1-gast]

hmmmmm

[tommykl]

That looks more like a carboard box than an F1 car.

[f1-gast]

It's the same as the lola T97/30 .
And don't forget this is the car lammers would drive in in 1996 !

[S951]

That looks more like a carboard box than an F1 car.

exactly what the team thought after they tested it lol

[David AGS]

I like the Jordan 191 livery too. 7UP.

Arrows A19 1998, Black.

Prost AP01 1998 as well, just Blue.

And this one I really like, very good livery for its time. Cutting edge!

1986 Benetton B186. With the Flying Colours literally flying off from the sidepod.

Speaking of a reject car: Those two: Prost and Arrows are both reject cars.

Hardly finished a race, and if they did they were normally off the pace. Both suffered gearbox problems: Prost made too many changes from their good 97 car, while Arrows went for a carbon fibre gearbox.

[midgrid]

That looks more like a carboard box than an F1 car.

Better than a paper bag! (c.f. Pacific PR01.)

I would have loved to see this car taking part in the 1995 season. I imagine it would have been in a pretty intense battle with the original-spec Forti FG01s.

[S951]

bbc4 just had a bit on that dodgy honda jo schlesser (sp) died in

[S951]

one of the best f1 cars ever up for sale again

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/other ... 1212pp.htm

edit - another awesome beast

http://www.racecarwarehouse.co.uk/car_details.php?id=34

[AdrianSutil]

one of the best f1 cars ever up for sale again

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/other ... 1212pp.htm

edit - another awesome beast

http://www.racecarwarehouse.co.uk/car_details.php?id=34

I always thought the PR-01 was a nice looking car, good colour scheme and good lines. I always wonder how it ended up being a dog of a car.

And that Forti, why is it decked in 1997 MCLaren colours?! Bit confused.

[midgrid]

The Forti also seems to have a modified nosecone.

[S951]

prob been repainted as a business attraction thing to the not so clever fan they will think wow f1 car whilst people in the know think shed