98% of People Can't Identify These F1 Cars from an Image. Can You?

By: Robin Tyler
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
98% of People Can't Identify These F1 Cars from an Image. Can You?
Image: Darren via Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

Without a doubt, Formula One is the pinnacle of competitive motorsport. Why? Well, take Ferrari for example. This classic car brand uses Formula One as a way to show their expertise, not only in chassis building but in producing incredible performance engines as well. 

And they have been part of Formula One since its inception in 1950.

But there are so many manufacturers that have contributed to the sport. Some were a flash in the pan. Like the champions from 2008. The team literally lasted for one year, won the championship and then was sold. Others have had massive periods where they have dominated the sport, winning titles year in and year out.

And although the driver is an important part of a winning package, ultimately, it comes down to the car itself. In the beginning, speed was perhaps more important than handling. Now, however, aerodynamics mean that the cars that can negotiate corners the fastest are usually those that win. After all, a Formula One track is not an oval!

And I am sure you would certainly agree, the vehicles from the 1950's look positively ancient compared with today's machines, while the Formula One cars of today sometimes look like flying machines more than cars.

Now the question is, can you identify these cars from a single image. Not only the modern ones but those of yesteryear as well.

Good luck! 

Ferrari F2004
By Wyteoh2000, from Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2004
One of the most dominating cars ever built in Formula 1 history, the F2004 helped Michael Schumacher to 12 wins in the first 13 races of the season. He went on to win his seventh world championship by the end of the season.
Red Bull R9
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
McLaren MP4/4
Sebastien Vettel  Red Bull R9
Malte Niehuis via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2004
Red Bull R9
The last of the V8 engined cars in Formula 1, the Red Bull R9 helped Sebastian Vettel to the overall crown. The German won 13 of the 19 races he entered.
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
McLaren MP4/4
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
By Dave Jefferys, via Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2004
Red Bull R9
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
The Mercedes W07 Hybrid dominated Formula 1 in 2016 winning 19 out of 21 races and seeing Nico Rosberg become world champion. This is one of the most dominant Formula 1 car ever, in terms of the ratio of wins to races entered.
McLaren MP4/4

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McLaren MP4-4
Midx1004, via Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2004
Red Bull R9
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
McLaren MP4/4
The MP4/4 is possibly the greatest Formula 1 car ever built. It won 15 out of 16 races in 1988, giving Ayrton Senna his first world title.
Benetton B194
Hugh Llewelyn via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
McLaren MP4/4
Benetton B194
In 1995, Michael Schumacher won his first championship behind the wheel of Benetton B194. It wasn't all plain sailing, however, as he had to fight off Damon Hill driving a Williams.
Ferrari F2002
Red Bull R9
Brawn BGP 001
Supermac1961 from CHAFFORD HUNDRED, England via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
McLaren MP4/4
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Benetton B194
Brawn BGP 001
One of the world's modern sport fairytales as Brawn, essentially the Honda team from the year before, stunned the Formula 1 world by winning in their first and only season in the sport. After Jenson Button won six out of seven races to start the season, Brawn held on for Button to become world champion.

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Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler
By Alf van Beem, from Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Tyrrell P34
The Tyrrell was the only car with six-wheels ever to race in Formula 1. It did so in the 1976 and 1977 season and even won a race.
Brawn BGP 001
Ferrari F2002
Renault RS01
Ferrari 641
Neil via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Red Bull RB8
Tyrrell P34
Ferrari 641
Driven by Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell in 1990, this Formula 1 car won six races. Prost was in contention to win the title until he ended up in the sand trap with Ayrton Senna's McLaren at the first corner of the Japanese Grand Prix, handing Senna the title.
McLaren MP4/4
Renault R26
espinya via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Brawn BGP 001
Ferrari 641
Renault R26
The R26 saw Fernando Alonso win his second world championship in a row. Reliability and speed were its strength and Alonso won 7 races in 2006.
Red Bull R9

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Lancia-Ferrari D50
tonylanciabeta via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Renault R26
Red Bull R8
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Lancia-Ferrari D50
The Lancia-Ferrari D50 contested the 1956 Formula 1 championship. And even these cars, that looked so simple in design feature ideas that helped them aerodynamically. In the D50's case, the engine was offset to aid aerodynamics.
Ferrari 156
Neil via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Lancia-Ferrari D50
Ferrari 156
In 1961, engine displacement on Formula 1 cars was lowered from 2.5 liters to 1.5 liters. The Ferrari 156 was the best car that year and took Phil Hill to the championship, the only American driver to ever win it.
Tyrrell P34
Brawn BGP 001
McLaren M23
Bahnfrend via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari 156
Red Bull R9
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
McLaren M23
The title went to James Hunt in 1976 driving a McLaren M23. It was a closely fought contest with Hunt winning at the last race of the year after Niki Lauda withdrew because of weather conditions.

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Cooper T51
Bahnfrend via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
McLaren M23
Cooper T51
In 1959, the Cooper T51 became the first rear engined car to win the world championship with Jack Brabham crowned champion.
Lancia-Ferrari D50
Red Bull R9
Williams FW07D
Thesupermat via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2004
Cooper T51
Williams FW07D
It takes a second or two before you realize the 1981 Williams FW07D had four wheels at the rear. Other teams like Ferrari had experimented with this but Williams took it further. Formula 1's governing body sadly, put the idea to rest and banned these cars.
Red Bull R9
March 711
Morio via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Williams FW07D
Tyrrell P34
March 711
Aerodynamics have proved the difference between winning and losing in Formula 1. In 1971, March introduced a new looking front wing. Looking at it, you can see why it was called the tea tray.
Ferrari F2002

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Renault RS01
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95472204@N03/ via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Renault RS01
The Renault RS01 is a classic Formula 1 car and the first to have a turbo engine. Consequently, it blew up... many times.
March 711
Red Bull R9
Ferrari 641
Lotus 88
Takayuki Suzuki from Kanagawa, Japan via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Renault RS01
Lancia-Ferrari D50
Lotus 88
A very interesting design, the Lotus 88 had no wings for downforce. Instead, it had a seperate chassis for the bodywork and another for the suspension. Sadly, it never raced due to complaints from other teams.
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Brabham BT26
Lothar Spurzem via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2002
Lotus 88
March 711
Brabham BT26
In the 1960s, Formula 1 cars were cylindrical bullets. Teams started implementing wing designs to generate more downforce. This was Brabham's early attempts. Pretty ugly, don't you think? It was quickly banned.

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Alfa Romeo 158 Guiseppi Farina
Arnaud 25 via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Williams FW07D
Brabham BT26
Alfa Romeo 158
Introduced in 1950, the Alfa Romeo 158 won every race it was entered into that year and 47 of the 54 races it contested in its lifetime.
Williams FW07D
Tyrrell 25
Spike's Vintage Crash Video's via youtube
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Tyrrell 25
Tyrrell were the first manufacturers to use side wings. Not only did it look a little strange, it never caught on.
Alfa Romeo 158
Ferrari 156
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Mercedes F1 W05
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Red Bull R9
Tyrrell 25
Ferrari F2004
Mercedes F1 W05
- In 2014, Formula 1 switched from V8 engines to V6 turbo hybrid engines. Mercedes were the most successful in this regard, which handed the world championship to Lewis Hamilton who won 11 out of 19 races he entered.

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Williams FW26
Rick Dikeman via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Mercedes F1 W05
Williams FW26
Known as the Walrus, the Williams FW26 was very different to other team designs in 2004. With its two vertical pillars connecting to a short nose, you can see how it got its name. The fact that Williams dared to be different makes this a classic in our eyes.
Brawn B0001
Ferrari 641
eifelland type 21
Lothar Spurzem via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Renault RS01
Lotus 88
Williams FW26
Eifelland Type 21
Certainly a very radical design, the 1972 didn't win anything, in fact it was quite slow. But it's a classic, just for those smooth looks.
Brabham BT46b
edvvc via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari 2004
Eifelland Type 21
Red Bull R8
Brabham BT46b
The 'fan car' this novel design won all the races it entered - only one. Because the fan-created massive downforce, the Brabham BT46b was quickly banned.

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Ferrari 312T
By Nic Redhead from Birmingham, UK (Ferrari 312TUploaded by Sporti) , via Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari 312T
Incredibly, this Ferrari was used in Formula 1 from 1975 to 1980 with minor upgrades each year. It won 27 races, three driver's crowns and four constructors championships. Not only a classic but a phenomenal winner.
Brabham BT46b
Red Bull R9
March 711
Maserati 250F
By Lothar Spurzem, from Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Red Bull R9
Ferrari 312T
Maserati 250F
Like all the Formula 1 cars in the '50s, the Maserati 250 had a cylindrical shape. Don't be fooled, however, this was a monster. In fact, at the 1957 German Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio, driving a 250F was 48 seconds behind the leader with 22 laps left. He caught him and won the race!
Eifelland Type 21
Renault R25
By TMWolf (8R-1), via Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Maserati 250F
Mercedes F1 W05
Red Bull R8
Renault R25
The car that broke Ferrari's five-year dominance in the sport, the Renault R25 took Fernando Alonso to the title in 2005. It was the last of the V10 engine cars to do so.

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Ferrari F2002
Morio via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Maserati 250F
Renault R25
March 711
Ferrari F2002
Incredibly, the F2002 won all but one of the races it was entered into in 2002. It even was used the beginning of the 2003 season and won there as well. In the hands of Michael Schumacher, it was extremely hard to beat.
McLaren MP4_13
Darren via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2002
McLaren MP4/13
In 1998, the McLaren MP4/13 was the fastest car in Formula 1 and won 9 out of 13 races with Mika Hakkinen becoming world champion.
Brawn B0001
Renault R25
Lotus 25
Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Lotus 25
The first Formula 1 car to feature a fully-stressed monocoque chassis, the Lotus 25 dominated the championship in 1963 winning seven out of 10 races and taking Jim Clarke to the title.
Red Bull R9
McLaren MP4/13
Lancia-Ferrari D50

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Brabham BT19
Bahnfrend via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Red Bull R8
Lotus 25
Brabham BT19
The first and only time a driver has won a world championship in a car that bore his name was in 1966 when Jack Brabham and his BT19 won the world championship.
Cooper T51
Ferrari F1-2000
ozz13x via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Brabham BT19
Renault R25
Ferrari F1-2000
The car that gave Michael Schumacher his third world championship and Ferrari their first world champion since 1979, the F1-2000 goes down as a true classic in the Formula 1 world.
Mercedes-Benz W196
Youtube
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F1-2000
Mercedes-Benz W196
In the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio, the Mercedes-Benz W196 was a formidable car and saw the Argentine become world champion in 1955.
Red Bull R8
Maserati 250F

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Lotus 49B
Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari 156
Mercedes-Benz W196
Eifelland Type 21
Lotus 49B
In 1968, Lotus introduced the 49B. Not only did it win a world championship for Graham Hill but it was the first Formula 1 car to feature wings.
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Youtube via DTrockstar1
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Lotus 49B
Red Bull R9
Ferrari Dino 246
The Ferrari Dino 245 (named after Enzo Ferrari's son) became the first V-6 powered car to win a grand prix and a world championship, making Mike Hawthorn Britain's first world champion.
Lotus 25
Matra MS80
Brian Snelson via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari Dino 246
Brabham BT19
Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid
Matra MS80
The second car other than Ferrari that was built outside of Great Britain to win the world championship, the Matra MS80 also featured small wings. It was driven by the great Jacky Stewart.

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Lotus 72C - Formula One
Tuclahal via Youtube
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Matra MS80
Lotus 72C
Until the Lotus 72C appeared in 1970, Formula 1 cars were fairly bulky. The 72c was far more aerodynamic thanks to its wedge shape. Jochen Rindt became the only driver to win the Formula 1 championship posthumously after he died in a race before the end of the season.
Eifelland Type 21
Brawn B0001
Red Bull RB8
Bull-Doser via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Lotus 72C
Williams FW26
Tyrrel 25
Red Bull RB8
Although there were 7 different winners from the first 7 races of the season in 2012, the Red Bull RB8 was good enough to see Sebastien Vettel to four wins in the final races of the season to secure the world championship.
Haas  VF-18
Artes Max from Spain via Wiki Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari F2002
Red Bull RB8
Haas VF-18
Hass are in their third season of F1 racing. An American team with a rich open-wheel racing pedigree, they are still searching for their first win in F1.
Lotus 25

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Ferrari 158
By Graham O'Keeffe, via Wikimedia Commons
What F1 car is shown in this image?
Ferrari 158
In 1964 Ferrari gave John Surtees the chance to win a rare double. Already a 500 cc motorcycle world champion on four occasions, Surtees drove the Ferrari 158 in the championship and duly became world champion. This feat is likely to never be repeated again.
McLaren MP4/13
Williams FW26
Eifelland Type 21
You Got:
/40
Darren via Wiki Commons