By Ryan Wu
With all of this year’s F1 liveries finally unveiled at F1 75, it’s time for a ranking. I’ll be scoring each design based on the following criteria, with each category rated out of 10:
• Difference compared to last year
• Boldness
• Use of color across different parts of the car
• Integration of sponsor colors
Note: This ranking focuses purely on aesthetics and does not consider technical components, as all teams are currently concealing key design changes. These will likely be revealed during preseason testing in Bahrain this week.
Alpine
Pure class from the French-based team. The bold use of blue along the body, complemented by pink accents on the nose, front wing, and halo, is a fantastic touch. Aesthetically, Alpine has made a significant improvement over last year, ditching the dull black elements in favor of a striking, eye-catching design.
- Difference compared to last year: 10/10
- Boldness: 10/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 9/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 9/10
- Total Score: 38
Racing Bulls
After years of hoping Red Bull’s main team would adopt the white Honda RA 272 full-time, my wish has finally come true—though it’s the Red Bull junior team that’s making it happen. In my opinion, they’ve unveiled the best-looking livery on the grid this year.
- Difference compared to last year: 10/10
- Boldness: 10/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 7/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 8/10
- Total Score: 35
Mercedes
I thought last year’s W15 was already one of the best-looking cars on the grid, and with the W16, Mercedes has stuck to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. The removal of red from the airbox behind the driver, replaced with a sleek silver accent, adds a touch of refinement and improves the car’s overall cohesion. Once again, Mercedes seamlessly blends silver and black, creating a sharp and polished look.
- Difference compared to last year: 6/10
- Boldness: 7/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 9/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 9/10
- Total Score: 33
Haas
This year’s Haas, the VF-25, features a much-improved balance of white, red, and black. The white side pods with the black Haas logo create a cleaner, more refined look compared to last year’s predominantly black design. It’s a definite step up in terms of visual appeal.
- Difference compared to last year: 8/10
- Boldness: 8/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 7/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 7/10
- Total Score: 30
Ferrari
In case you didn’t know, HP is now a Ferrari sponsor! Jokes aside, this is a pretty average livery from the Prancing Horse. The white stripe on the engine cover is a nice touch, and the white rear wing looks fantastic. However, my biggest gripe is the maroonish shade of red used for the body—rather than the bright Ferrari red I’ve come to expect. It just doesn’t feel quite right.
- Difference compared to last year: 8/10
- Boldness: 7/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 8/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 5/10
- Total Score: 28
McLaren
It genuinely took me 15 minutes to spot any differences from last year’s car—but to be fair, last year’s design was already solid. I do wish they had used more orange on the side pods, as the black lines create a somewhat awkward look. That said, the Google Chrome wheel covers are still one of the coolest details on the grid.
- Difference compared to last year: 5/10
- Boldness: 6/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 8/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 8/10
- Total Score: 27
Red Bull
This isn’t a bad livery by any means, but I’m just tired of seeing the same design year after year—especially when the team clearly has creative minds working behind the scenes. Just look at the Racing Bulls cars for proof. At the end of the day, though, they’d probably rather just wave their multiple world championships in our faces than shake things up.
- Difference compared to last year: 5/10
- Boldness: 5/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 9/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 6/10
- Total Score: 26
Stake F1
I think this car will be the most divisive on the grid. Yes, it only uses two colors, but the gradient effect between them is fantastic. In a sea of dark blue and brown, the lime green really pops and makes a bold statement. I also love the different colors for the front and rear wheels—a small but unique touch.
- Difference compared to last year: 7/10
- Boldness: 8/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 4/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 5/10
- Total Score: 24
Aston Martin
I feel like this car would look better if there was more green than black. It also removed some of the yellow accent lines compared to last year across the side pod. Overall nothing to write home about for me but nothing too offensive either.
- Difference compared to last year: 6/10
- Boldness: 5/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 5/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 5/10
- Total Score: 21
Williams
This to me was the least inspiring livery out of all 10 teams, which is a shame given the hype around Carlos Sainz joining the team. In my opinion, there’s just not enough contrast—it would look amazing with more white. That said, the Duracell-branded airbox is a super cool touch.
- Difference compared to last year: 5/10
- Boldness: 3/10
- Use of color across different parts of the car: 5/10
- Integration of sponsor colors: 7/10
- Total Score: 20
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