John Barnard

Barnard studied engineering at Brunel and Watford Technical Colleges. His early experience was gained with Lola and McLaren. He went on to become one of the founder directors of the revitalised McLaren International Grand Prix team and in 1986 he left to establish a new UK-based design studio for Ferrari. Barnard was later at Benetton but he left to rejoin Ferrari, with the task of establishing an advanced design and manufacturing centre. He launched B3 Technologies in 1996.

Barnard’s designs are characterised by his meticulous attention to detail, his confidence to fully exploit the properties of advanced materials and his ability to think beyond accepted manufacturing solutions. Highlight works include the striking Chaparral 2K, which won the 1980 Indianapolis 500, and F1’s first carbon fibre monocoque for McLaren, which spawned a succession of highly competitive machines. Barnard also pioneered a high-nose aerodynamic layout for Benetton and designed the Ferrari type 640, with its radical aerodynamics and revolutionary electro-hydraulic gearchange mechanism.