Written by: Lindy Lehto
It feels like everybody is still talking about the controversial end to the 2021 season so I can hardly believe the 2022 car launch season is already here! We’ve all been waiting with bated breath to see what the teams reveal this year so here’s a look at my top 5 livery reveals.
Haas
Haas was the first Formula 1 team to unveil its car livery and design for the 2022 season. It isn’t too different from last year’s car which isn’t too exciting. However, after Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February, the Haas F1 Team announced that it will drop the team’s title sponsor Uralkali livery for the third day of preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona in Catalunya. Without that logo, the car will be all white. They’ve taken this decision as Uralkali is Dmitry Mazepin’s company and he is known as a close associate of President Vladimir Putin.
Image credit: www.formula1.com
Red Bull
Red Bull ‘s new title partner is American tech giant Oracle and the company’s name will be front and centre on its car this season.
Another notable change is the number one on the front of the car. Sebastian Vettel was the last reigning champion to carry the number on his car and now Max Verstappen will proudly display it this season.
Photo Credit: the-race.com
Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s new livery reveal had the internet talking. They opted for a shade of metallic green in the hope that it will make the car ‘pop’ on tv and stand out more than last year’s car. For the most part, it was well received but there were a few people who pointed out that it reminded them of the tracksuits worn in the Netflix hit Squid Game. While funny, I think that association is a little far fetched.
The pink highlights of the previous sponsor BWT will also be replaced with lime green stripes.
Photo Credit: gpblog.com
McLaren
McLaren’s livery reveal was mostly positive. The traditional papaya orange was paired with a new shade of blue and I think it’s a thing of beauty. It also looks really good as a Lego set and yes, I’ve already written my letter to Father Christmas.
Photo Credit: planetf1.com
Ferrari
Ferrari have opted for a darker shade of red this season and paired it with black. The fans are loving it. The general consensus is that it’s the best looking Ferrari since the Schumacher era. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said he loves the more aggressive look but will like it even more if it’s fast on the track. Carlos Sainz also gave the car his stamp of approval.
Photo Credit: africa.espn.com
Mercedes
Mercedes have gone back to their traditional silver livery for the 2022 season. Team Principal Toto Wolff explained the decision saying:
“The black livery was a clear intent and a clear demonstration of our mission to become a more diverse and inclusive team,”.
“It has become part of our DNA, but the silver colour of the Silver Arrows is as much our DNA, it’s our history. As a team we have grown from the Silver Arrows to slowly becoming a more diverse and inclusive team and therefore our colours going forward will be silver and black”. There have been a few bad jokes about how the silver is symbolic of Lewis Hamilton narrowly missing out on first place and the world championship title last season, but Lewis isn’t laughing.
Photo Credit: africa.espn.com
As a McLaren fan, my team’s car has already become my laptop’s wallpaper but no matter how pretty they look, it’s all about how they perform on the track.
