It’s that time… Formula 1 is back! Not only have the teams been busy revealing their contenders for this year, but the cars have actually been hitting the track in Barcelona. Off the back of the first day of winter testing, we’re going to take a look at the top five liveries of the 2020 Formula 1 season.
5. Racing Point
So… I’m fairly sure that I’ll be in the minority here, but there’s something about the Pink Panther this year that really takes my fancy. While the colours and branding have mostly remained the same, there have been a few little tweaks that have really brought this livery to life.
The main change is the styling of the BWT logo, now laying on a diagonal slant rather than just being slapped on the sidepod. Gone is the slightly out of place blue that occupied the air duct, now featuring a neat white sash, segmenting the light pink colour that covers the majority of the car.
It’s a very neat, slick design. While the big, blue BWT logo could do with being a little less ‘in your face’, it certainly doesn’t take too much away from this beautiful livery.
4. Mercedes
Again, this could be another controversial one as F1 Twitter exploded upon the reveal of the BRAND NEW Mercedes livery for 2020…
Fans were quick to point out that it was rather similar, once again, to the season before. This is partly true, a large amount of the livery does appear to be the same as it was last year, but there have been some subtle tweaks that continue to make it one of the better looking cars on the grid.
I mean… just look at the way the stars seem to explode outwards from the singular red star, once again on the car in memory of Niki Lauda. Such a small touch but so impactful. While some don’t like the hints of red that have been added to the car… I am personally a fan, I think it meshes well with the slightly darker overall tone of the car this year.
It’s a winner for me.
3. Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo had one of the best looking liveries on the grid last season and they’ll be carrying that same level of beauty into 2020, after refining what was already a beautiful design and making some very neat improvements.
Last season the red and white colours were rather… hard. They were slightly blocky and separated by a slightly thick black/brown line. It looked nice… but the neat integration of the two colours this year makes for one hell of a beautiful car.
2. Alpha Tauri
Fans cried at the announcement that Toro Rosso was to be rebranded and relaunched as ‘Alpha Tauri’ in line with the launch of Red Bull’s new clothing brand. We all knew that this meant we would be seeing a redesign of what was most likely the most appealing liveries in the entire sport. Little did we know that not only would they redesign the fantastic Toro Rosso livery… they would improve upon it.
Going from the deep blue and red that we have become familiar with over the past few seasons, Alpha Tauri will be debuting with a much more understated black and white livery. The only thing that detracts from this absolutely beautiful design is the slightly out of place red Honda logo towards the bottom of the sidepod.
1. McLaren
What. A. Beauty.
The MCL35 is an absolute stunner, an improvement on what was already one of my favourite cars on the grid. The orange (papaya) and blue combo was a hit last season as McLaren saw a surge up the grid, however some fantastic little changes have made this car appear even more beautiful.
The addition of blue on the sidepods and the top of the car really compliments the front and rear wings. But neither of those things are what really pushed this livery up the list.
The matte finish, while it’s something we can see on a number of cars this season, really takes the MCL35 to another level. The shade of orange and blue that the design team have used are just perfect for the finish, it truly is a stunning car. Hopefully McLaren can make another leap this season and perhaps we’ll see them occupy this spot at the end of a race.
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