The greatest cars in F1 history

Best cars ever in F1
Ferrari F2004 (2004)
Seven, heaven
Red Bull RB7 (2011)
18 pole positions
McLaren Mp4-4 (1988)
Senna won
Ferrari SF70H (2017)
Consistent
Red Bull RB18 (2022)
Back-to-back titles
Mercedes W11 (2020)
Beating the record
Red Bull RB19 (2023)
The best-ever
“The best Formula One car”
Best cars ever in F1

Formula 1 is home to some of the finest pieces of automotive machinery. We look at the best cars ever in the history of the sport.

Ferrari F2004 (2004)

In 2004, the Ferrari F2004 was near unstoppable, winning 15 of the 18 races on that season's calendar. The car had excellent handling properties and a top speed of 200MPH, with Michael Schumacher dominating the field.

Seven, heaven

Schumacher and Ferrari undoubtedly won the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships that season, and it was the car that won Schumacher his elusive seventh World Championship.

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Red Bull RB7 (2011)

With Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in the seats, Red Bull emerged as world title challengers in the early 2010s, with the Red Bull RB7 being the legendary piece of machinery that took them to world champion level.

18 pole positions

In the 2011 season, Red Bull had 18 of 19 pole positions and won 12 races. It was the second title of Vettel's domination of the sport between 2010 and 2013.

McLaren Mp4-4 (1988)

The McLaren Mp4-4 was the centerpiece in the rivalry of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, with their relationship being well documented on and off the track. The pair drove the MP4-4 for McLaren in 1988, winning 15 of 16 races between them.

Senna won

According to the Slash Gear website, the car had a smaller Honda V6 engine, resulting in a lighter-weight, ultra-streamlined car that landed Senna 13 of 16 poles. The Brazilian won the 1988 World Championship, with Prost finishing second.

Ferrari SF70H (2017)

The Ferrari SF70H is one of the greatest machines made in Formula One history, sporting a six-cylinder 1600-cc engine that provided up to 1000 horsepower.

Consistent

The Formula One website reports that Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel landed 20 podiums in as many races, finishing second in the Drivers' Championship and helping Ferrari finish second in the Constructors'.

Red Bull RB18 (2022)

Red Bull's first real dominant year after Mercedes had taken over the sport was in 2022, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez looking light years ahead of the pack in the RB18.

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Back-to-back titles

Adrian Newey was the mastermind behind the car, producing a machine with incredible downforce that meant the RB18 stuck to the track like glue. As a result, Verstappen won 15 of the 22 races and secured his second Drivers' Championship.

Mercedes W11 (2020)

Going into the 2020 season, Mercedes was starting to be put under pressure by an oncoming Red Bull, but the German manufacturer and Lewis Hamilton had different ideas, winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

Beating the record

The Mercedes V6 power unit, producing 1,025 horsepower, propelled the Mercedes team to 25 podiums, 13 wins, and nine fastest laps, with Valtteri Bottas coming second. The W11 helped Mercedes beat Ferrari's record six consecutive championships.

Red Bull RB19 (2023)

The 2023 season was the biggest landslide victory in Formula One history, with Max Verstappen being the perfect pilot for the Red Bull RB19 racing machine.

The best-ever

Verstappen won a record-breaking 19 races in 2023, with Red Bull winning 21 of 22 altogether. The Dutchman led for 1003 of 1325 laps in the 2023 season, making it the greatest season in F1 history.

“The best Formula One car”

According to CNN, F1 correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto said: "The RB19 is probably the best Formula One car that's ever been created, which is a pretty impressive feat considering we've seen some special projects over the last few decades."

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