Method One enters a brand new period in 2026 with bringing in all-new automobiles in addition to a few new groups. With the brand new machines having taken to the observe in three testing periods, it’s time to sift by means of the best-looking automobiles on the grid, from worst to greatest.
11. Cadillac CA01
The brand new American crew are prone to be propping up the remainder of the grid for the season and these rankings mirror that. I don’t consider there’s a genuinely horrible livery this season, however this one feels essentially the most low-effort.
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The half-and-half facet deserves some credit score (although it makes half of the entrance wing look invisible) however when the colors you’re coping with are black and white, there’s solely a lot you are able to do, wanting making the automobile appear like a zebra or mint humbug. What do you get in the event you combine black and white? Gray. Simplicity could be good (see later entries) however the CA01 ought to have been bolder.
The Cadillac CA01 is hardly inspiring – Cadillac
10. Williams FW48
Williams’ pre-season has been messy and their livery is simply too. Its greatest angle is unquestionably the chook’s-eye view, however once you start to take a look at it from the facet it begins to collapse. The Barclays blue clashes with the deeper shade on the remainder of the automobile. The white/blue branding of the Komatsu sponsor is just not nice both, making it look much more confused.
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The Duracell battery branding over the air-box was a enjoyable novelty as soon as… however not. Nonetheless, going from the place they have been financially, they need to be grateful that they must accommodate so many sponsors.
Williams FW48 mixes its blues badly – Williams
9. McLaren MCL40
No dramatic change for world champions McLaren this yr. I’m nonetheless not satisfied that this quantity of black is important however there’s much less of it than up to now few years. Maybe in just a few years the automobile is likely to be virtually all papaya?
Their air-box is cumbersome, and virtually ovoid. After just a few years, the Google Chrome wheel shrouds are beginning to really feel proper. Nearly. Both manner, there are nonetheless slight shades of the appalling McLaren MCL32 from 2017. Nonetheless, for the crew it’s about much less what it seems like than how briskly it’s.
The appalling MCL32 from 2017 haunts the 2026 McLaren mannequin – Joe Portlock/Getty Photos
8. Ferrari SF-26
I nonetheless consider that the 1991 Ferrari is someplace close to the height of each F1 automobile and livery design. The 2022-2024 fashions from the Scuderia recalled a few of that heritage as predominantly red-and-black machines, however they’ve seemed to a special a part of their historical past in 2025 and now once more in 2026. Does this livery, although, really evoke the 312T that the likes of Niki Lauda and Gilles Villeneuve drove? Or is it, once more, merely a necessity to find the blue of title sponsors HP with out it wanting ghastly?
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The blue of HP’s brand is the place the automobile suffers. It simply doesn’t work with Ferrari, any Ferrari, whether or not on the drivers’ race fits or on the automobile. The yellow of Shell works effectively as a result of it’s a part of Ferrari’s visible identification. Blue is just not: it doesn’t work on the facet of the automobile, nor on the predominantly black rear wing. The try is best than final yr’s, although, which positioned on the backside of our listing.
The blue of HP’s brand hurts the Ferrari SF-26’s livery – Ferrari
7. Mercedes W17
After some experimentation within the final decade, Mercedes have caught with their black and silver livery for one more season. I’d argue that it was in all probability time to deliver again an all-silver automobile. They’re slowly getting there, with a bit extra of the color added to the highest of the sidepods, diminishing the quantity of black.
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What does this depart us with? A good-looking automobile from the entrance however an unpleasant, confused one from the facet. The motive force numbers must be in daring textual content relatively than define, too.
Mercedes W17 might do with much more silver – Mercedes
6. Crimson Bull RB22
After years of utilizing matte paint for his or her automobiles, Crimson Bull have returned to a gloss end for 2026. That’s welcome. There has by no means been an excessive amount of visible variation on a Crimson Bull F1 automobile, so this yr’s RB22 is one other line-and-length effort however with just a few good touches.
They’re the black and contrasting shark fin, the complementary blue trim across the wheel shrouds and the design for the automobile numbering, particularly on the entrance. I’ve at all times been a fan of the halo in a “pure” black relatively than one which blends in with the remainder of the automobile. The light, sloping nose-cone can also be a bonus, in contrast with a few of the others which might be extra raised.
Crimson Bull have returned to a gloss end for 2026 which is a welcome sight – Joe Portlock/Getty Photos
5. Alpine A526
For my part essentially the most elegant automobiles are those with easier liveries and color schemes. The issue nowadays is that automobiles are so plastered with sponsors from entrance wing to rear wing that any energy of the livery could be diluted.
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What works for the Alpine A526, regardless of this situation, is that it’s primarily two colors with a contact of white. Secondly, pink is a color not on another automobile on the grid. It ranked second final yr and reaches the highest half this yr.
Simplicity and a splash of pink have helped the Alpine stand out – Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photos
4. Haas VF-26
Haas have taken their technical partnership with Toyota and run with it in terms of the livery. A purple nose-cone would have amped this up just a little additional. The “GR” (Gazoo Racing) behind the air-box might be the standout function. It seems like a customized livery you’ll discover on Gran Turismo.
Distinction works effectively in a livery and Haas has luggage of it. You can not go too far incorrect with purple, white and black, both. Tough to get too enthusiastic about it, however nothing too displeasing both.
This yr’s Haas exhibits you can’t go too far incorrect with purple, white and black – Sona Maleterova/Getty Photos
3. Aston Martin AMR26
As I’ve talked about above, the difficulty with trendy F1 liveries is that there’s an excessive amount of occurring and it finally ends up wanting like a multitude. Aston Martin have gone for the tried and examined once more in 2026 with their model of racing inexperienced allied with fluorescent yellow accents and a flick of azure on the rear wing.
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Aerodynamically, it’s an Adrian Newey automobile, so it’s at all times prone to be attention-grabbing. The vents between the sidepods and the air-box are properly accomplished and the entrance profile of the nose-cone and entrance wing is the cleanest on the grid.
Aston Martin have gone for the tried and examined once more – Joe Portlock/Getty Photos
2. Racing Bulls VCARB 03
Final yr’s VCARB 02 topped our listing and this yr’s effort has superior additional. From the facet it’s definitely one of many best-looking, with the navy blue section from the rear wing to the sidepod a pointy addition. There may be maybe an excessive amount of darkish blue, nevertheless.
Among the best issues about new rules is that we see some divergence from the strictures of the earlier set of rules – in essence the entire automobiles wanting the identical. The very first thing you discover within the Racing Bulls automobile is the big air-box. It’s in all probability thrice as giant as Ferrari’s. It seems like a basking shark’s mouth. It’s uncommon, sure, although just a little ugly. Nonetheless, a robust effort.
The Racing Bulls VCARB seems greatest from the facet – Joe Portlock/Getty Photos
1. Audi R26
I’ve seen some criticism of this automobile as primarily livery that’s too primary. I perceive that. It’s not advanced or thrilling. However that’s the reason it really works so effectively. In some methods it seems like a cut-and-shut from the early 2010s – the entrance two-thirds a Mercedes and the rear third an HRT. But all of it knits collectively fantastically.
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In sure lights, although, the similarities with one other automobile return even additional because the silver turns into virtually bronze. In the event you squint, the livery has shades of the Jordan 196 of 30 years in the past because the metallic mixes with black and purple. I can’t consider many causes to mark it down. Even the unusually squished sidepods appear becoming for a brand new period of F1.
The Audi R26 is our No 1 – Audi
