Every year, F1 liveries are revealed to signal that the next season is tantalisingly close. While some teams copy and paste the previous season’s livery and add a few sponsors, others completely transform their designs. Ahead of the 2026 season, here are the top five liveries that stood out to me:
1 – Red Bull
Since 2016, Red Bull has been notorious for its Ctrl C + Ctrl V liveries. While they are slightly limited by overpowering Red Bull and Oracle branding, there has still been very little evolution. However, for 2026, Red Bull have changed things up completely. Shiny royal blue now features on the sidepods, emulating their gloss liveries from the 2010s. This feel, while retro, marks a new era for Red Bull. To me, the car looks fast while standing still. There has been some concern from fans, as the car doesn’t look as bright in Barcelona testing images as it does in the launch photos. Let’s hope this is just the lighting and the car ends up looking great on track come March.
2 – Williams
Williams’ liveries are always severely underrated in my opinion. F1 has way too many teams with blue as their primary colour, but Williams does it the best. This year they’ve incorporated a dual-tone design, with lighter blue to fit their sponsor Barclays, as well as their classic royal blue. A change for this year is the addition of white on the front wing and sidepods. This is the perfect example of simple but effective – it’s only three colours but it feels bold and distinct. Also, Williams always gets extra points from me for their creative Duracell sponsorship placement on the car’s airbox.
3 – Cadillac
Cadillac’s first-ever F1 livery is surprisingly pleasing. It looks quite simple, but has a different design on the left versus right side. This unique asymmetry is what puts it at the #3 spot on my list. The interesting white-on-one-side, black-on-the-other design has caused some concern, as F1 rules dictate that cars have to look “substantially similar on both sides.” But Cadillac have expressed confidently that they aren’t breaking any rules. I certainly hope not because this livery is a cool, new concept so it’d be a shame to see it fail to start any Grands Prix. I am a little disappointed in the simple colour scheme Cadillac went for. Some fans were hoping for bold colours like the yellow and red from the Cadillac logo, but it seems the Cadillac F1 team went for something sleeker.
Honourable mention: Haas
I am always a fan of Haas’ liveries and this year’s stands out immediately. In 2024, Haas ran a predominantly black car with lots of exposed carbon fibre. In 2025, there was a balance with white and black. By 2026, they fully committed to the white and also added more red. I always prefer colourful cars and Haas have done a great jobthis year. Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR logo fits perfectly with the Haas colour scheme, allowing for synergy between the car and its sponsors. Based on livery, Haas has been outdone by its new American competitor Cadillac, but perhaps on track they’ll fare a little better.
