Midfield Surprise: Seven-Time Champion Dominates Scuderia Livery Review

F1 launch steeped in 75 years of history | 02:49

Launch season is normally all about waiting for the top teams to show their hands and then being disappointed when they launch an obviously old show car with a subtly tweaked paint scheme.

But to celebrate 75 years of Formula 1, all 10 teams went all-in on a single night of car launches with a simple premise: it would be all show and no racing substance.

And what a show.

Over two hours the 10 constructors got their time in the spotlight, their variously new or rehashed colour schemes offered up to the crowd for approval. Some teams took the opportunity to launch fresh looks. Others stuck with what they knew.

Watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

It was a well-executed spectacular, but not every team nailed their designs.

SAUBER C45

Livery: ★★★★☆

Anticipation for 2026: ★★★★★

Sauber’s C45 (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)Source: AFP

This era of the Sauber team will surely go down as the most forgettable in its history. Not only have results declined precipitously, but the mess of branding via its sponsors — an online casino in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and a controversial streaming service — has left it with a barely memorable identity.

Still, at least it’s leaned into the chaos with some colourful liveries, and while last year’s blocky design missed the mark, a green-to-black fade on this year’s model is more pleasing on the eye.

You could almost think of it as a metaphor for this chapter in the team’s history fading away into the seriousness of Audi’s official F1 entry on 1 January 2026, for which the clock is certainly ticking.

Do say: one year to go.

Don’t say: anything about the title sponsor’s gambling licence in the UK.

WILLIAMS FW47

Livery: ★★★☆☆

Enthusiasm: ★★★★★

Williams’s FW47 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

There’s a new air of enthusiasm at Williams, the historic team that slumped to second-last on the 2024 championship table ahead of only the beleaguered Sauber.

But it’s the downturn the team had to have. Team boss James Vowles has made a big deal about his painstaking efforts to modernise Williams, which he revealed had previously run its entire car development process on one big Excel spreadsheet before he arrived.

While there’s still growing pain to come, there’s confidence that everything from here is looking up, and with Carlos Sainz inducted alongside Alex Albon, there’s optimism too that the team can maximise on its opportunities.

It’ll do so with a subtly revised design that fades from its classic navy colour scheme to the lighter blue of new title sponsor Atlassian, the Australian software company.

It’s not breaking any ground for creativity, but its suitably understated in that particular good old-fashioned English way.

Do say: Vowles.

Don’t say: vowels.

RACING BULLS VCARB 02

Livery: ★★★★★

Originality: ☆☆☆☆☆

The Racing Bulls VCARB 02 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Team principal Laurent Mekies revealed at the F1 launch event that Racing Bulls’ internal slogan is “no blame, no nonsense”, yet the team is still insisting everyone identify it with the acronym VCARB, nonsense for which someone must surely take the blame.

Of course last year that stood for Visa Cash App RB — that is, 75 per cent of the words were sponsors.

This year the name’s been changed to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, only marginally improving the situation by fractionally reducing the aforementioned nonsense.

Pleasingly, however, the car has been repainted in honour of the new name. It now stands out comfortably on a grid of dark-hued cars by being mostly white bar some navy on the back of the engine cover and the obligatory Red Bull logos.

It’s a combination that both looks great and will leave you with no trouble identifying it on the track this year — just look for the car that appears identical to the 2022 Red Bull Racing car fielded at that year’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Do say: Racing Bulls.

Don’t say: VCARB.

HAAS VF-25

Livery: ★★★★☆

Accent diversity: ★★★★☆

The Haas VF-25 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Haas’s launch video package leaned heavily into the team’s status as the only American squad in Formula 1 — a claim it may as well make while it can, with Cadillac set to join the sport next season.

That said, while Haas is licenced in the US and runs some administrative operations from there, the race team is based in the UK and the car is designed in Italy.

The accents on display at launch was similarly varied. Japanese engineer Ayao Komatsu is team boss, who introduced French veteran Esteban Ocon and English rookie Oliver Bearman, whose accent has been through the ringer of racing overseas from a young age and is now practically indecipherable. At least he’s quick.

The livery is a pleasing evolution of Haas’s traditionally simple black-white-red design. It’s not setting the world alight, but you can’t really fault it, either — much like the team itself.

Do say: It’s an all-American team.

Don’t say: Based in the UK and Italy.

ALPINE A525

Livery: ★★★★★

Weight saving: ★★★★☆

Alpine’s A525 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Alpine has been in a muddle with liveries recently. It’s had its traditional French blue design on some weekends and a sponsor-based pink on others, but mostly it’s been black carbon fibre to save weight.

Weight was a massive problem for the team early last year and a major contributor to its lack of performance. Much of its progress late in the year was down to shedding kilos.

If this year’s livery is anything to go by, its weight loss journey had been a great success.

Yes, there’s still some bare black, but most of the car is now painted in brilliant metallic blue and pink. It’s a colour scheme that really pops and will be sure to stand it out from the field.

It might even be a little higher up the grid this year — good news for Jack Doohan.

Do say: The team scored two podiums in the last four races of 2024.

Don’t say: what James Vowles said about Franco Colapinto.

ASTON MARTIN AMR25

Livery: ★★★☆☆

Use of third-party intellectual property: ★★★★★

Aston Martin’s AMR25 (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)Source: AFP

What would Aston Martin be without James Bond?

After finishing an underwhelming fifth in last year’s constructors standings and spending the season way off the pace, the team really leaned into that old movie connection to give itself a boost, the Bond theme playing the car into the arena following a short video package with a Pierce Brosnan-era level of cringe.

But that’s where the fun stopped. The livery? It’s green. The drivers? They’re Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll — whose number graced the show car despite the Canadian finishing four places and 46 points behind his teammate in last year’s standings.

There’s nothing wrong with it, but billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll will be hoping his work recruiting an F1 super team behind the scenes will give Aston Martin more than old Bond tropes to shout about next season.

Do say: Adrian Newey.

Don’t say: Mike Krack.

MERCEDES W16

Livery: ★★★☆☆

Drivers with licences: ★★☆☆☆

The Mercedes W16 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

How young is Mercedes new recruit Andrea Kimi Antonelli? So young that pre-event discussion was dominated by talk of him getting his road car licence on his first attempt during the off-season.

It’s at least one win for the young Italian with a team that’s clearly working to finetune its expectations.

The vibe of Mercedes’s launch wasn’t so much champion in exile as it was aspiring team in the rebuild. Sure, it hopes it’s understood where it’s gone wrong for the last three years under these rules, but there’s clearly an eye on 2026.

Its livery gave away no added ambitions. It’s much the same as last year, a combination of chrome, black and sponsored turquoise.

By then Antonelli will have had plenty of F1 and road car experience to call on in a championship fight.

Do say: Lewis who?

Don’t say: Ferrari.

RED BULL RACING RB21

Livery: ★★★★☆

Evasiveness: ★★★★★

Red Bull Racing’s RB21 (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)Source: AFP

Red Bull Racing made a big song and dance about its pre-reveal video and its chicken-shop setting, but it all ended up being a convenient cover that meant there was no time in the schedule for reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen and new teammate Liam Lawson to speak to the ticket-buying public.

What the crowd did get was an introductory speech from Christian Horner — though they clearly weren’t into it, heartily booing the team boss as soon as he stood up.

Maybe it was for the best they didn’t have a chance to heckle Verstappen following his war of words with English home hero George Russell — and long-running rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.

The livery is at this stage a classic — or at least the strict Red Bull style guide is — meaning there was little to see in terms of design evolution to go with the nothing to see in terms of updates for 2025.

Do say: Boo-urns.

Don’t say: anything.

FERRARI SF-25

Livery: ★★★★★

Good publicity: ★★★★★

Ferrari’s SF-25 (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)Source: AFP

Was anyone at the O2 to see the Ferrari car? The SF-25 might go down in history as one of the historic team’s most important machines, but all anyone really wanted to see was Lewis Hamilton in his new Scuderia overalls.

Although he’s done it already for photo shoots and for private testing, there was an air of real significance about this moment, as though all the hype of the last 12 months since his defection announcement had finally come to fruition.

The seven-time champion and Ferrari are finally formally united.

Whether pleasure or pain are to follow this marriage is of course unclear today, but the car, livery and everything else were irrelevant standing beside the greatest driver coup of a generation.

Do say: HP Inc.

Don’t say: HP sauce (although it’s pretty much the same colour).

McLAREN MCL39

Livery: ★★★☆☆

Ambition: ★★★★★

McLaren’s MCL39 (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

It’s been a long time since McLaren was introduced as the reigning constructors champion, and the team brought a little bit of that history to its presentation, wheeling out some historic cars before taking the covers off its 2025 livery.

The colour scheme, according to principal Andrea Stella, is deliberately similar to last year’s paintwork — orange and black with some chrome and blue — in homage to its drought-breaker. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

The car, we’re promised, will be a revolution on last year’s design, but it’s nice to think this revival era will be linked by a defining colour palette after years of sometimes bizarre marketing choices.

But the pressure’s on this particular papaya car. Whereas last year the team’s aims were optimistic, this year they’re most certainly ambitious. A successful constructors championship defence is the minimum; winning the drivers title is now firmly in the team’s sights.

With Lando Norris part of the sport’s upper echelon and Oscar Piastri rising rapidly, the MCL39 has the potential to be remembered for a lot of good reasons and perhaps even some controversial ones.

Do say: free to race.

Don’t say: papaya rules. Ever.