Which F1 teams have the best 2026 livery? Our writers decide
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
With all 11 F1 teams having unveiled their 2026 liveries, our writers decide which outfits have the most eye-catching designs to mark the start of a new era for the sport.
Haas: Simple and sleek never looked better — Meghana Sree
Their launch event might have been a quiet affair with a digital reveal, but their livery definitely made quite the statement, setting the early standard for liveries of Formula One’s new era.
The American team took to incorporating their signature colours of red, white and black into a sleek new livery that commemorates their freshly inked partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing ahead of the new season.
Their 2026 livery notably features more surface area in pearly white, a departure from their designs in the recent past that exposed more carbon fibre while being a nod to liveries from their first few years on the grid. With elegant red accents that bring the whole look to life and sponsor logos that seamlessly blend into the design, this glossy livery is not only one of Haas' best liveries in their history, but also easily the best on the 2026 grid.
Haas enters their second year with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman as the driver pairing, and with Jack Doohan recently announced as their reserve driver, the team will be eager to build upon their 2025 progress under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership to deliver results that place them at the head of the mid-field.
Williams: Perfect way to bring in a new era — Maham Mir
Although 2026 perhaps did not get off to the best start for Williams after the announcement that their car wouldn’t be ready for the Barcelona shakedown, things have since taken a turn for the better especially with their new look.
For their first season as Atlassian Williams F1 Team, the brief for the livery seems to have been blending their historically successful past and the hopes for their optimistic future. The range of blues, including the blue belonging to one of their new sponsors Barclays, matches their new team name well. Another new addition to the livery are the purple highlights, especially on the front wing and wheel covers.
Paired with the new look also comes their new array of sponsors, a clear shift from the team’s more meagre list of sponsors from only a few seasons ago. With new names joining Williams, the statement of intent moving into the new regulations could not be clearer.
Hoping to build on the success of 2025 with the same driver line-up of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the project led by James Vowles will be hoping to come into full fruition in 2026. There’s no doubt that Williams have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and their new look on track sits at the heart of their new image.
Cadillac: Less is more — Jason Sharp
It’s been 10 years since we’ve had a brand new team introduced to F1, so this was always going to be a special moment. Cadillac is a very welcome addition to our sport, and there is already much expected anticipation about them.
Truly representing American participation in F1, they took the opportunity to announce themselves and their livery during the advertisements at the coveted Super Bowl LX — in front of an estimated audience of 130 million.
Moments after the ad, a replica of the car and its livery was uncovered in Times Square, New York. A bold, split, two-tone livery of black and white was revealed.
The livery is incredibly refreshing, not just because it’s the first time we’ve seen a split livery since BAR Honda in 1999, but because teams often have an identity crisis in creating a livery that caters to multiple sponsors and their own brand, causing a clash of too many unmatching colours.
Cadillac has cleanly used just two colours to showcase its identity, and has done so brilliantly. The car will stand out on the grid as a dark horse, which is what they will be this season, starting from the ground up.
Bringing back Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, this will be the most experienced line-up of all teams. This pair of multiple race winners will be crucial for feedback and extracting the maximum out of the car. Time will soon tell us how they cement themselves, and if they are truly ready to make a longstanding mark in F1.
Red Bull: A shiny start to a new age of F1 — Mia Wallace
As the first team to reveal their 2026 season livery, there was no shortage of pressure on the Red Bull F1 team to come out with a bang when rolling out their 2026 challenger.
While revealing a livery that stayed true to its traditional colours of blue, red and yellow, Red Bull succeeded in shock factor by transitioning to a glossy exterior reminiscent of Sebastian Vettel’s championship-winning era. The reflective finish immediately set the RB26 apart under the lights, signalling a deliberate nod to the team’s past dominance while embracing a new future.
By ditching the matte finish worn by the car in years prior, Red Bull has acknowledged the arrival of a new regulatory era in F1. The visual shift also mirrors the birth of a new partnership, as the team prepares to debut its Red Bull Ford Powertrains hybrid unit.
This season marks Red Bull’s first with Ford following the conclusion of a long and successful relationship with Honda, who powered the team through multiple championship campaigns.
However, it isn’t just the livery and the engine that’s new. Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen will be joined by new teammate Isack Hadjar, the 2025 “Rookie of the Year”. Pairing an established title contender with one of the sport’s most promising young talents sets the stage for a compelling and closely watched season at Red Bull Racing.
Racing Bulls: A similar look that pays homage to Ford Racing — Chloe Buckley
In a joint live event with Red Bull in Detroit, Michigan, Racing Bulls (RB) revealed their 2026 livery. They were the second team to launch their 2026 livery and they did so in a way that represents them to a tee.
Following Red Bull’s launch, RB took the time to present a trendy pre-made video to tell a bit more about what RB aims for as a team and brand. It was a well done segment to hype up fans for the big reveal.
The livery is a simple design with a similar all-white look to last year’s VCARB 02, but this year, there are added blue accents along the chassis that represents their new partnership with Ford. Overall, is it a sleek look that will no doubt stand out on the grid.
As F1 enters a new era in 2026, RB will be fielding an updated lineup. Liam Lawson remains with the team as Arvid Lindblad joins the grid for his F1 debut. After a more positive year compared to the previous ones, the team will be looking to improve even further as the new era of F1 gets underway.
