Senna and Prost Won 15 of 16 F1 Races in the Same Car — F1 Car Evolution 1950–2025

The McLaren MP4/4 started sixteen races in 1988 and won fifteen of them. No Formula 1 car has come close before or since. This F1 car evolution starts with the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158, winner of the very first world championship, and ends with the 2025 McLaren MCL39. Every machine in the evolution of F1 cars below marks a turning point: sponsor colours on the bodywork of the Lotus 49B, ground effect under the floor of the Lotus 79, a paddle where the gear lever used to be on the Ferrari 640, active suspension on the Williams FW14B, and the hybrid V6 that made the Mercedes W05 unbeatable — plus the turbo years the Ferrari 126C2 and McLaren MP4/2 fought through. Every F1 car in this timeline 1950 Alfa Romeo 158 · 1951 Ferrari 375 F1 · 1954 Mercedes W196 1955 Mercedes W196 Streamliner · 1957 Maserati 250F 1961 Ferrari 156 Sharknose · 1967 Lotus 49 · 1968 Lotus 49B 1970 Lotus 72 · 1975 Ferrari 312T · 1976 McLaren M23 · 1978 Lotus 79 1982 Ferrari 126C2 · 1984 McLaren MP4/2 · 1988 McLaren MP4/4 1989 Ferrari 640 · 1991 Williams FW14 · 1992 Williams FW14B 1994 Benetton B194 · 1996 Williams FW18 · 1998 McLaren MP4/13 2000 Ferrari F1-2000 · 2002 Ferrari F2002 · 2004 Ferrari F2004 2005 Renault R25 · 2006 Renault R26 · 2008 McLaren MP4-23 2009 Brawn BGP 001 · 2010 Red Bull RB6 · 2011 Red Bull RB7 2014 Mercedes W05 · 2016 Mercedes W07 · 2020 Mercedes W11 2023 Red Bull RB19 · 2025 McLaren MCL39 Chapters 00:00 The First Championships and the Front-Engine Cars (1950–1961) 00:30 Cosworth Power, Sponsors and Ground Effect (1967–1978) 01:02 Turbochargers and the McLaren MP4/4 (1982–1989) 01:23 Active Suspension and Schumacher's First Title (1991–1998) 01:49 Ferrari's Five Years and Hamilton's Debut Season (2000–2008) 02:20 Brawn, Red Bull and the Hybrid Era (2009–2025) Sources · McLaren MP4/4, 1988 season — 15 wins from 16 races · Lotus 49B, 1968 — first commercial sponsorship livery in Formula 1 ▶ Next: BMW 3 Series 1975–2034 →    • To Go Racing, BMW Had to Build 5,000 Road ...   ▶ Then: Ferrari 1947 to 2042 →    • Enzo Ferrari Was Banned From Using His Own...   #Formula1 #F1 #Motorsport