Most astoundingly creative development

[Genespleen]

Okay, a new thread:

Which teams have developed the most gee-whiz creative leaps in F1 in the last several decades?

Is there a single, clear-cut winner?

Have these sorts of exponential leaps forward been ruled out by modern techno-regs?

[Chinny]

Over all it would be Lotus without doubt, I may be wrong with some of these but off the top of my head they introduced, monocoque, rather than space tube chassis, the engine as a stressed component of the car, wings, sidepods as opposed to a radiator in the nose. Other notables would be Cooper with Mid engine cars, McLaren with the MP4, Tyrell with a raised nose, Renault with turbo engines

[Pezza]

For my own contribution, Williams 1992 FW14. First car to really perfect downforce effects. Gave birth to modern F1 car through this car. The FW14B had active suspension as well.

Lotus 88 was the first full ground effect car. The whole car was basically a wing, with active skirts.

i can't say what I would say was the most creative design though, Don't know enough about the early years...
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Pezza

[White Lightning]

Recently:

Sauber and (I think) Sergio Rinland with the "twin-keel" chassis design in 2001.

See also: McLaren's "zero-keel" design.

[RawSpeed]

Even though these innovations didn't last long before they were banned, I was amazed by McLaren's brake-steer system introduced in 1997 and their "boost" system that they had for the first race of 1998.
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The secret of success is to do common things uncommonly well.

[Algy]

Most outrageous, I think, goes to the Brabham fan car. A nice bit of lateral thinking (although I can't remember if they got it from Chaparral or it was vice versa).
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When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it. (A A Milne)

[D-Type]

If Benz and hadn't got there first, it would have to be Auto Union with rear engines which were re-invented postwar by Cooper. The same applies to a lot of ideas that were really successful evolutions of previously unsuccessful ideas.

Apart from that, there is the trick suspension that gave legal ground clearance in the pits but allowed the car to belower on track with honourable mentions to 'total loss brake cooling water' systems and the Brabham fan car.

But on reflection, I think the award must go to Renault for introducing turbocharging to Grand prix racing. This was most definitely not anticipated by the rule makers but complied with the rules as written.
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The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

[Jon]

[gsmanzi]

Cooper, Chapman and Renault in order of appearance. Ferrari took all this innovations and improved them. Also Michelin with the development of first generation of radial tyres. Now the F-1 looks like a sandwich between new regulations and the engineers' developments, so the cars looks very similar, but not on track. There's a great gap between, for example Renault and Super Auguri, but not for the eyes. Twenty or more years ago we can saw a lot of concept differences betwen a Ferrari 312 T-2, Tyrrell P-34, Lotus 78, Renault RS1, etc...But there`s not great differences on track.

[bowman]

Renault: the Turbo engines.
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[slowly trying to return]

[D-Type]

[gsmanzi]

It's simply...open mind, open and plain rules, they produce heterogeneity, differents ways to reach the same goal. In the other hand, silly people, and strictly regulations they produced homogeneity, and same way to reach different results.

[Red Five]

For me it has to be Colin Chapman. He started the revolution in modern day F1 design by proving that power was not all consuming and that shape had a huge part to play as well. The fastest car in a straight line was not always the one that led at the end of the lap. When you look into current day leaders of design and trace back the tutors inevitably you will find some contact with Chapman

[francisn]

The truth is there are so many who have contributed it is very hard to put one on a pedstal above all others.

One of my favourites is John Barnard who we can thank for the carbon fibre monocoque and the semi auto gear change.

Incidentally I was just reading an article on John Barnard written in 1996 -

"He would like more freedom in chassis design and feels that engine technology should be regulated to the same level as the chassis. The cars are fairly similar in performance today, with engines and drivers being the principal differentiators. Restrictions on engine technology, and particularly RPM, would bring down costs and bring the racing closer together."

Sound familiar to what Max is saying and doing 10 years later?

[abulafia]