Top Gear’s Top 9: Formula One game-changers

[jonwat 422]

Only one team gets two entries     

[exeterjeep 64]

Can't we make it 3 with Colin Chapman's involvement with vanwall?

[Neal H 864]

I’m surprised that the first ground effect car from 1977 doesn’t get an entry. That was certainly a game changer.

[LotusLeftLotusRight 1,224]

And that would make it a more sensible Top 10.

What about the 2009 Brawn? Came from nowhere with an orthodox engine and completely demolished the big budget teams with their new fanged KERS systems straight from pre-season testing right through until the Constructors’ championship was as good as over. The car Button called a ‘Monster’ with its blown diffuser.

Edited Tuesday at 12:55 by LotusLeftLotusRight

[Bravo73 1,285]

I think that Lotus have a fair claim to no. 6 as well (first carbon F1 car):

“on the 23rd February 1981, without any fanfare, Elio De Angelis changed F1 forever, by driving the latest in a long and illustrious line of Team Lotus innovation, which happened to be the first composite chassis F1 car to take to the track.”

 

 

1 hour ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

What about the 2009 Brawn? Came from Honda.

EFA. 

Honda spent huge amounts of money on that car before deciding to pull out of F1 at relatively short notice. Brawn’s major input was getting the Mercedes engine to work in place of the Honda powerplant.