2009 F1 cars: which looks best? (Poll)

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It’s beauty contest time. The 2009 F1 cars are a strange looking bunch but there’s no mistaking some are better looking than others.

Which is the fairest of them all? Vote and check out pictures of each of the cars below.

Which is the best-looking 2009 F1 car?

  • None of them (2%)
  • Williams FW31 (9%)
  • Toyota TF109 (1%)
  • Toro Rosso STR4 (5%)
  • Renault R29 (4%)
  • Red Bull RB5 (17%)
  • Mclaren MP4-24 (21%)
  • Force India VJM02 (2%)
  • Ferrari F60 (20%)
  • Brawn GP BGP 001 (14%)
  • BMW F1.09 (5%)

Total Voters: 2,685

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BMW F1.09

BMW F1.09 - 2009 F1 car

BMW F1.09 pictures

Brawn GP BGP 001

BGP 001

Ferrari F60

Ferrari F60 - 2009 Formula 1 car - first test

Ferrari F60 pictures

Force India VJM02

Force India F1 VJM02 - 2009 F1 car

Force India VJM02 pictures

McLaren MP4-24

McLaren-Mercedes MP4-24, 2009

McLaren MP4/24 pictures

Red Bull RB5

Red Bull RB5 - 2009 F1 car

Red Bull RB5 pictures

Renault R29

Renault R29 - 2009 F1 car

Renault R29 pictures

Toro Rosso STR4

Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4 - 2009 F1 car

Toro Rosso STR4 pictures

Toyota TF109

Toyota TF109

Toyota TF109 pictures

Williams FW31

Williams FW31 livery - official pictures

Williams FW31 pictures

Title picture via the F1 Fanatic drop.io courtesy of IDR. Other images (C) BMW ag, Brawn GP, Ferrari spa, Force India F1 Team, McLaren .com, Getty images, Renault / LAT, Getty images, Toyota F1 World and Williams / LAT

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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74 comments on “2009 F1 cars: which looks best? (Poll)”

  1. That’s quite a touch one. I like the Brawn and the McLaren, but the Red Bull, too. But I voted for the Williams.

  2. Ferrari forever..I love its color

  3. Red bull for sure… but i like force india too for being a little different than the usual f1 cars..

  4. Despite I have voted for MP4-24, I must say, as “rights owner” of the pic shown in this poll, that in fact my favorite ones are, Williams, Ferrari and McLaren.

    At the end I’ve voted for McLaren because not only the car design but a fabulous livery also.

    On the other hand, I’ve seen in the results of this poll, two people voting for Renault.

    I would appreciate a lot an explanation of their reasons for considering Renault design the best look for this season. One never knows if there is something arround that I cannot appreciate!!! :-)))

    1. I’d been trying to find a note of who made it! Have added you in the credits :-)

      I would appreciate a lot an explanation of their reasons for considering Renault design the best look for this season.

      Perhaps the ballot was confusing?

  5. StrFerrari4Ever
    9th March 2009, 8:15

    well me i’m going to be very biased and go for Toro Rosso the livery is just more attractive and looks fierce and that nose also looks interesting on it wonder if Newey put some experimental bits on it :)

  6. Obviously everyone who voted for Renault was joking.

    1. 25 votes/people joking???

      Nice to see a good shape in this blog!!! :-)

  7. I’ve voted Brawn GP BGP001 – I probably biased, but to me it looks like a fantastic car – I only hope it goes as well as it looks!! (I’ve even warmed to the interim testing livery – though reports over on RHF1 – now RBGP – suggest the final livery will be somewhat different…)

    1. The BGP001 is the best looking, because it’s there, despite all the rumours and speculation, it’s there and I hope it does well!!!

  8. The renault does have the ‘its so weird i can’t stop looking at it’ factor, which to me puts it above some others (im not one who voted for it however) I actually find mclaren’s livery a bit sterile, the silver is so mechanical.

  9. The BMW, Toyota, and Williams are boring. The Renault looks like vomit! As does the Force India offering. The Brawn reminds me of a plain-Jane, no style stepchild….just ugly as can be! Torro Roso and Red Bull survived, as did Ferrari. The McClaren is the queen of the 2009 ball (but I’m pulling for the Ferrari boys :D).

  10. I voted for Ferrari; very clean car and great colour scheme. And mainly; because I support the team.

    But Keith; when you say Best looking car: You mean in terms of livery or in terms of aerodynamic and mechanical design ?

    Also; time for the end-of-the-testing-season “who will you support poll too” ! !

    1. Scott Joslin
      9th March 2009, 9:32

      “when you say Best looking car: You mean in terms of livery or in terms of aerodynamic and mechanical design ?”

      Would you care what colour swimming costume they wear in the Miss World competition? Lol

  11. Scott Joslin
    9th March 2009, 9:33

    I am going for the Ferrari, initially when it came out I was not too impressed, but I never had anything to compare it too. Yes there are some nice cars out there, the Red Bull is well designed from a technical perspective, but I don’t find it appealing on the eye. The Mclaren too is a nice car but I find myself uncomfortable with the elephant trunk type nose.

    I agree with Sumedh, it is a classic simple design with nothing gimmicky. The lines are simple from the front and the side.

  12. I would have said the RB5… until I saw the RB5 painted in the Toro Rosso livery this morning.

    So for me, the winner is the STR4.

  13. Roger Carballo AKA Architrion
    9th March 2009, 9:42

    I think you have missed the right one…..
    I vote NONE.

    Please, Keith, add this one to the options available

    1. Added just for you Roger 8-)

  14. I always think the Toro Rosso livery looks fine when stationary but when the car’s moving it looks too ussy.

    I like the RB5 best. It looks like an aggressive design, and they’ve refined the Red Bull livery to the point where it looks quite stylish too. The F60’s nice too.

    I still think the R29 is an improvement over last year (they got rid of the blue at least) but it’ll still a complete dog’s breakfast.

    Oh, and the Williams is OK but it looked much better in the interim livery.

    1. I think the Renault would be much better if they did the livery better. I found the “how to design an F1 car livery” in F1 racing quite ironic!

      Would the R29 not look waaay better if they cut the white and just made it all yellow/orange/red?

    2. I think the Renault would be much better if they did the livery better. I found the “how to design an F1 car livery” in F1 racing quite ironic!

      Would the R29 not look waaay better if they cut the white and just made it all yellow/orange/red?

      [sorry if this has double-posted!]

  15. Incredible how different the noses look. Just goes to show what new regulations can do – makes everyone think a little differently.

    1. …until they all start copying the person who got it right.

    2. Agree entirely. Hopefully, this will happen bit less with the testing ban as it will be more difficult for the teams to work out if copying is going to be any quicker.

    3. Scott Joslin
      9th March 2009, 10:09

      Lets hope and prey that Renault nose is not the way to go, I would hate to see 20 cars looking like that!

    4. If you painted that Renault white with black splodges, I think you’d find it hard to tell that it wasn’t actually a cow.

  16. Surprised the Force India isn’t doing better I like it much more than last year’s.

    1. talking about Force India(as usual), did anyone notice they have actually changed their logo?

  17. Its a very close fight b/w mclaren & red bull & and of course its photocopy toro rosso. I would on any day give more importance to aero detailing over livery. On that terms rbr & str score over mclaren. So kudos to adrian newey & his windtunnel for the hardwork.

  18. Roger Carballo AKA Architrion
    9th March 2009, 11:05

    Hey Keith, thank you, bro

    It seems I’m not the only one who thinks the whole grid is an ugly collection of something someone is trying to sell us as Formula 1 cars (you know, the fastests and most edged machines ever built….) Maybe we can win this poll, even starting with so much delay. :-)

    1. I’m seeing it as a “If you HAD to choose one of the 2009 cars, which would you choose?” rather than foregoing the option altogether.

      Yes there have been better looking F1 cars, but some of these are shaping up really nicely.

  19. aparently, there are a few die-hard Renault fans who really voted for the yellow submarine that hit the reef nose-first :-) … or a few of Flavio’s (former) girlfriends who’ve only seen the designs from the years before he got married :-)

  20. the Ferrari P4 is the best looking followed by the Ford GT 40….. oh , sorry you mean F1 car lol…… none of them

  21. This is an unfair poll as its very hard to choose with some so closely matched lol. You should have asked to vote for top three cars…

  22. I voted for the Williams but I also think the Brawn looks fantastic. Maybe with a decent racing livery it could in fact be the best looking car.

    Also I don’t see the obcession with the McLaren, it’s one of the worst looking cars this year.

  23. Its not easy selecting the best looking car as they are obviously set up in different configurations. Outside of a teams particular paint scheme, I believe the way, Williams and Toyota have designed their rear wing end plates, helps mask how ugly they look from certain angles.
    The Renault is looking very good until u get to the rear wings.
    So I’ll give the best looking car to the Williams, and Toyota a very close second.

  24. Hugo Bourgeois
    9th March 2009, 13:19

    I wonder what a poll would look like where you can give your top 3. (as in: your n°1 gets 3 points, n°2 gets 2; n°3 gets 1.

    I voted Mclaren because of the livery, but it would be like this:

    1. Mclaren (3)
    2. Williams (2)
    3. STR (1)

  25. I made my decision on the overall appearance of the cars, the physical shape of the car and the livery combined. So I voted for the McLaren.
    If I had to rank the cars the order would be

    McLaren
    Williams
    Ferrari
    Force India
    Red Bull
    Toro Rosso
    BMW
    Toyota
    Renault

    I haven’t ranked the Brawn GP as we haven’t seen the final livery yet, but if it is good it would easily make my top three.

    The current silver/red livery of the McLaren would probably make it into my top 5 favourite liveries of the modern era.

    Any car which still has extra aero pieces such as the deflectors in front of the side pods are marked down in the looks department for me, which is one the main reason I choose the McLaren. Also my personal preference is for the car’s nose to be low and wide, so if the Brawn car gets a decent livery it may be my new favourite.

    If the Ferrari didn’t have the side pod deflectors, and if the front and rear wings were black like they were on the Ferraris in the late 1980s It would have been a hard choice between the McLaren and the Ferrari.

    1. If the Ferrari didn’t have the side pod deflectors, and if the front and rear wings were black like they were on the Ferraris in the late 1980s It would have been a hard choice between the McLaren and the Ferrari.

      Now you’re talking my language! 8-)

  26. The votes for Red Bull and Torro Rosso should be added together, as they are the same one car.
    And so that car [combined] has got the most points. And although it’s not my fave, I like it a lot.

    I picked Brawn as my favourite – because of the low nose it looks best. My 2nd choice would be Toyota, as the car has the best proportions, which is quite important seeing that most other cars look like they were designed through a distorting mirror :/

    The Renault is so hideous it’s not even funny…

  27. The Brawn…for now. I like the look of the unsponsored car. The color is bland, but it has a simple and clean look.

  28. Mouse_Nightshirt
    9th March 2009, 14:05

    I’ve just noticed how “Walrus” nosed the Toyota is in this picture. It’s really not too dissimilar from that odd front nose that the Williams had.

  29. By the end of the Aussie GP – about 6.45 pm (maybe later, we’re due another Melbourne pile-up) – we might all be glad that:

    a) the Brawn has yellow flashes on, and
    b) most of the cars are different shapes

    What will the light be like, that late in the day – will it be like the Ferrari shot above?

    1. Daylight savings has been extended as of this year, so apparently there won’t be an issue with light. My personal opinion, however, is that I hope it’s not overcast! In that case we could have an F1 farce in round 1. So early?

  30. “if the front and rear wings were black like they were on the Ferraris in the late 1980s”
    – And 1990s. They were black until 1996. And yes – they SHOULD be black!
    They were still mostly black in 1997-99, when only the vertical side plates got painted red. So in the frontal view, the wings were still black (with “Marlboro” on the rear wing).

  31. HOW’S THE MCLAREN WINNING???

    IT HORRID!

  32. Despite my Ferrari bias, it’s hands down Red Bull – that skinny nose just does it for me. Now let’s hope nobody convinces Adrian Newey to ditch the new horrible shark fin . . .

  33. Oops! And by “nobody” I mean “somebody.” That fin is terrible.

  34. The Renault it´s by now the worst but I think that coult depent on the results…if the car wins some races will look much beautifull, last year the R28 at the beginning looks to me like a roller stone but at the end looks like a really beautiful race car.

  35. The Renault got 39 votes? Did that many people makes mistakes and click on the wrong option? :)

  36. KingHamilton
    9th March 2009, 17:53

    I voted for the Mclaren. although the Williams is a nice peice of ‘kit’ aswell.

  37. Oh I forgot to vote, but of course I can vote different from my narrative.

  38. The Williams was shaping up to be a beautiful car, until they put the race livery on it. It doesn’t look as good as last year, and I’m not keen on the lighter blue.

    The worry for me at this point, both aesthetically and as a supporter, is that it appears to have a totally different nose from the FW31 launch/shakedown, and I’ve noticed their times aren’t too hot since this has been applied.

    I’m hoping for the sandbags to be dropped in Melbourne, much as the many, many McLaren supporters must be.

  39. Voted for the RB5. It just looks good.

  40. tonight’s finalists:
    ferrari, williams and brawnda.

    not making it past the first round:
    toro rojo and renault

    my opinion is based only on the liveries. apart from a few distinctive features, i’d have to see the cars in person to perceive most differences.

  41. Clive has sold me on the BMW. The RBR would be the runner up.

  42. The RBR (and the TR by extension) has to be the ugly duckling of this years crop. Only due to the “kink” in the nose above the front wheels. Looks like the CAD engineer fell asleep at the mouse when creating those bumps. I’m sure it serves a vital aero function but it looks almost as bad Renaults ponderous nose.

  43. of course…ferrari is best looking

  44. The good:
    The Ferrari has great curves and a beautiful red colour. The Brawn looks very nice, and the Williams is mouth-wateringly beautiful. The Red Bull and Torro Rosso are lithe, lean and muscular. It’s gonna be hard to choose. :)

    And now, the bad:
    The Mclaren, I think, looks too lardy and blunt. The livery and Aero bits are nice, though. The Force India looks like a bland ’90s ripoff. The BMW looks like its designers were playing with Lego when they drew it up, and the Renault – need I say more? ;)

    After much debate with myself, I think I’ll have to choose the Brawn. I just scroll up to the picture and look at it. Even if it doesn’t win any races, it’s still perhaps the best looking car in the field. :D

  45. Its a close tie between the STR and RB5 for first and second

    The Williams did look class in its interim livery, now it looks boring.

    I’d give Ferrari and Brawn a tie at 3rd

  46. there all massive piles of *****! Cheers Max..

  47. Mussolini's Pet Cat
    11th March 2009, 19:42

    from the side they all look great, but then you see them head-on….ugh. The Ferrari looks the worst head-on.

  48. The best out of the pictures provided is the Ferrari but that is because its a dark photo, maybe all the races should be night races this year in a attempt to cover up the hideousness that is this years grid.

  49. McLaren Still The Best,
    Hamilton Still The Best,
    2009 Will be World Champion Again…

  50. i voted the RB5! has anyone seen how agressive those lines are up the nose? about halfway between the nose and cockpit! those 2 rises on either side remind me of shoulder blades on some sorta wild cat(cheetah maybe) that is about to attack… its my favourite part of any car! and lets face it! the redbull livery is always just so sexy!

  51. Ferrari could, again!, be a little cleaner and they’d be right up there, but McLaren have had the best looking car for 4 straight years. C’mon everybody(F1 teams) figure it out and what’s with Renault’s McDonalds paint scheme and F India’s Circus nightmare cars? Are they having a competition for the ugliest cars ever? They are both winning if thats the case.

  52. how do i vote? cause i want to vote for bmw cause its a beautiful ar and i love its bold looks like how its more squared and sharper.

    1. Sorry Colin this poll has finished!

  53. i hope a Renault wins this year

  54. Winner Kubica and Championship in the world 2009

  55. does anyone else think the renault looks like a boat? just a thought.

    you never know, it could fast in the wet haha!!

  56. BIG mclaren fan, have been for years. But i dont think im alone when i say that they will have the worst looking car on the grid in Melbourne, its rank!!!
    Both red bull’s look awesom!
    Brawn, Williams, Ferrari, BMW all looking good also.
    The renault looks like the first ever amfibius f1 car, maybe they’ve fond a loophole in the regulations which allows for short-cuts across water…lol…!

  57. Impressive!!!!
    Raikkonen has no chance to show up his skill!!
    But i believe he is The best, The gret one, And Undeafeated.
    Bravo Ferrari!!!!!!!!!!!

  58. Great pictures, good to use as desktop wallpaper…more high resolution pictures please=]

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