Ranking the 2026 F1 liveries so far - a designer's verdict

A leading F1 designer has ranked the seven 2026 liveries revealed so far, with Haas claiming the top spot for its elegant and cohesive design, while Alpine's lack of evolution sees it at the bottom of a strong field. The rankings highlight a year of significant visual improvement, partly driven by new F1 regulations requiring teams to paint more of their car's surface.

Why it matters:

Liveries are a team's primary visual identity and a crucial commercial asset, signaling new eras, partnerships, and design philosophies to fans and sponsors alike. In a season of major technical change, these designs set the tone for 2026 and reflect how teams balance heritage, brand identity, and sponsor demands.

The details:

The evaluation by The Race's Creative Lead, Oliver Card, places the liveries in the following order, from seventh to first:

• 7. Alpine: Ranked last for being a near copy-paste of its acclaimed 2025 design. While the pink and blue scheme still works, it feels like a missed opportunity to evolve for the new era, suggesting the team's focus is elsewhere.
• 6. Audi: Features a stark, minimalist tri-tone design dominated by a titanium silver. Its geometric color blocking is a deliberate commercial choice to represent the luxury automotive brand, though its vibrant "lava red" accent can be tricky for cameras to capture consistently.
• 5. Mercedes: Builds on its silver arrow heritage with a new "shockwave" graphic that ripples into a black base. The design is busy but eye-catching, with increased black areas improving sponsor visibility for partners like Microsoft.
• 4. Ferrari: Returns to a glossier red with a larger white section on the engine cover, which finally gives the prominent HP logo room to breathe. The design is a marked improvement over 2025, though the full blue rear wing panel for IBM is noted as a slightly awkward accent.
• 3. Racing Bulls: Successfully builds on its 2025 identity with a sleek, predominantly white base accented by dynamic detailing. It's a handsome, cohesive package that arguably threatens to steal the spotlight from its senior team.
• 2. Red Bull: Undergoes its first major overhaul in nearly a decade, ditching the dark matte look for a glossy racing blue and white. The new scheme signals the Ford partnership era and incorporates a pixel-glitch texture, making the brand feel more energetic and joyful.
• 1. Haas: Praised as an "elegant modern classic" that perfectly utilizes the new car shapes. The design is minimal yet dynamic, with the title sponsor Gazoo Racing's (GR) logo expertly integrated into the shark fin, showcasing a flexible and effective brand partnership.

What's next:

Four more teams are yet to reveal their 2026 challengers before pre-season testing in Bahrain. This strong initial set of liveries, bolstered by new paint rules, raises the bar for the remaining reveals from McLaren, Aston Martin, Williams, and Kick Sauber. The final grid will provide a complete picture of F1's visual direction for the new regulatory era.