F1 livery launches in 2022: see the new-look cars for the new season

Before the cars take to the track for testing, there’s one thing that Formula 1 fans always look forward to: livery launches.

Every team gets a moment in the spotlight as they reveal their colours and design for the new season. Of course, in 2022, there’s much more to dissect, with the new regulations forcing teams back to the drawing board with a blank slate.

With the 2022 F1 calendar set to be the longest ever, we’ll be seeing plenty of the newly-designed cars on track at this season’s 23 races. So the pressure is really on for teams to nail that new look (or not…)

As teams head to the testing tracks, check out the hits and misses of 2022’s crop below.

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Every Formula 1 team’s livery design for 2022

Haas

The American team were the first out of the blocks to reveal their 2022 paint job. But once again, the red, white and blue look does not necessarily reflect the Stars and Stripes of Haas HQ. Having struggled for funding in recent years, Russian chemical product company Uralkali stamped their mark as a livery that resembled the Russian flag appeared. This caused controversy given Nikita Mazepin – son of one of the company’s chairmen Dmitry Mazepin – would be racing for the team, but unable to fly the Russian flag due to an international sporting ban.

My ride everyone! @HaasF1Team pic.twitter.com/vpwIBRRq8P
— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) February 4, 2022

There was little indication that the team would be making any radical changes to the look for the new era. It features the same colours, a very similar but slightly sleeker design. The team will be hoping to showcase the design closer to the midfield in 2022, having spent the majority of last year planted at the rear of the pack.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin returned to Formula 1 in 2021, following a rebrand of the Racing Point team. Pink was out, racing green was back.

And this year, the team has revealed a more striking car. The green is a brighter, beaming shade that will stand out even more on track. With sponsor BWT leaving the team for Alpine, the pink swooshes have been replaced by a more on-brand lime green. New partners Aramco do bring a dash of blue to the car, but that’s more conspicuously placed on the rear wing. An all-around improvement by a team technically in their sophomore year.

The greener Aston Martin F1 car at the launch in Silverstone.

Red Bull Racing

What more did you expect? Red Bull races in Formula 1 as part of an almighty marketing campaign. And given brand recognition is one of the fundamentals of marketing, it’s no surprise their livery has hardly changed since it joined the sport.

Introducing the lean, mean, #RB18 #F1 pic.twitter.com/8RldKjT4cE
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 9, 2022

Other than a looooong yellow nose and placements of its new sponsors (including $100million-a-year title sponsors Oracle and $50million-a-year sponsor Bybit) the biggest difference is likely to be the number 1 replacing Verstappen’s trademark 33 on the nose and sharkfin.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, eh?

McLaren

McLaren’s special Gulf Oil livery at Monaco went down an absolute treat in 2021. A throwback to the timeless design of the team’s car that finished 2nd in the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team brought back baby-blue as the predominant colour of the car.

In 2022, McLaren are jumping on its popularity by opting for the lighter shade to contrast its now-iconic papaya look.

A perfect view. pic.twitter.com/JCiNsW8YB6
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 11, 2022

It’s a theme the team will carry across several of its racing teams, with splashes of blue on the Extreme E and Indycar machines for the forthcoming season.

AlphaTauri

AlphaTauri brought a bold new look to F1 in 2020, which would be what you’d expect for a team named after Red Bull’s fashion brand. Aiming to create another iconic Red Bull look following the awesome Torro Rosso looks of the past, its smart pinstripe look is back for 2022.

The team’s designers have utilised the bulging sidepods to brand the car up, but the effect of its huge logo across the engine cover has been lost with the new livery.

What’s more, it looks like the car’s white rims are out for 2022. F1 has introduced wheel covers for the new season, but at present, the team has presented boring old black covers, which is sad.

Williams

Williams has had quite an identity crisis over the last few years. Since the departure of Martini as a sponsor, Williams has struggled to find a look that’s memorable for the right reasons – and doesn’t resemble a tube of toothpaste.

They’ve taken a totally different approach to design this season. It’s extremely rare for a Williams car not to feature any white, but this year the Oxfordshire team has opted for an all-blue look.

The team reintroduced yellow elements into the car last season – a throwback to the Camel livery of the early 90s. But this year, flashes of red adorn the car as a symbol of Britain where their factory is based.

Ferrari

Well, well, well. Haven’t Ferrari done well?

It’s fair to say that their recent creations have been nothing short of monstrous. From 2019 to 2021, the team has featured a huge Mission Winnow logo atop its engine cover, and even dared to colour it green last year. But with tobacco firm Philip Morris dropping sponsorship of the Scuderia for the first time since 1973 – it appears that Maranello’s designers have had more creative freedom.

It’s finally here

Introducing our 2022 fighter, F1-75 #essereFerrari pic.twitter.com/v6Uw8YE87q
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 17, 2022

With a dark feature red between the black front and rear wings, it resembles the look of its 1991 livery. Ferrari finished third that season, but will better fortunes lie ahead for the modern team desperately in need of a return to the front of the grid.

Mercedes

Last season, Mercedes went back to black after changing to a sleek look in support of equality and injustice. But for the new era, the team are returning to old threads as the Silver Arrows stay true to their name.

Like Red Bull, it’s a livery that has served the team well through the years and will always be associated with its many successes. The only drops of colour come from the team’s sponsors: the teal of Petronas and the red of Ineos.

F1 2022 starts here. ?? pic.twitter.com/ouFogErXxB
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 18, 2022

Whether it’s a classic or dated look is a matter of opinion, but there’s no denying it’s an iconic outfit. Whether we’ll see the Silver back on top of the podium throughout the new era remains to be seen.