🏁 F1 Liveries- El Box de Franco

30 days before the season begins, the first real look at F1 2026 identity, far more than just paint

Published

03 Feb 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

⏳ Only 30 days to go until F1 2026 gets underway

When did it all go by so fast?

Temporada 2026

Inicia el 6 de Marzo

Now let's get down to business...

Thank you for voting and being part of this decision. The name chosen by the community for this new section is “El Box de Franco”, which won with 44.5% of the votes. From now on, this will be the space where we break F1 down from the inside, step by step and alongside Franco, every Tuesday until Australia.

Let’s talk liveries

Before we talk about performance, there’s something that defines how we recognise every team in this new era: how they look on track. Pre-season is already underway, the new cars are starting to run, and this week we’ll get the final look at every team’s livery. With that, the 2026 grid will be visually complete for the first time. In F1 terms, a livery is the paint, decals, logos and patterns that cover the car, identifying both the team and its sponsors. It’s the visual uniform for the season.

But no: a livery is not just paint

Formula 1 liveries are a mix of identity, regulations, history, sponsors and, perhaps surprisingly, performance decisions. All of that comes together in something that flashes past at over 300 km/h. And in a year like 2026, with completely new cars, the exterior design tells a story of its own.

🏎️ New cars, new visual identity

The 2026 cars are smaller, lighter and more demanding to drive. They feature: - A shorter wheelbase. - Narrower overall width. - Slimmer tyres. - Lower overall weight. - Simpler floors, without the long ground-effect tunnels. - A higher ride height.

All of this doesn’t just change how the cars drive, it also affects how they are visually designed. Less surface area, less paint, more exposed carbon fibre. Every decision matters.

Active aerodynamics and design

In 2026, the cars introduce active aerodynamics, meaning certain parts of the car can change position depending on what’s happening on track. In corners, the car generates more downforce for grip. On the straights, that downforce is reduced to cut drag. This replaces DRS and means the car’s design is no longer purely aesthetic, it now responds in real time to how and where it is racing.

👉 The rules behind the design

Even though they look creative, liveries are regulated by the FIA: - Cars must be clearly distinguishable from one another. - Both cars from the same team must look almost identical. - The driver number (43, or the driver’s number) must be clearly visible, high-contrast and fixed for the entire season. - The driver’s nationality must appear, usually as a small flag 🇦🇷.

And yes… the FIA can reject a livery

Completely banned designs:

- Tobacco. - Recreational drugs. - Political or religious messages. - Offensive or discriminatory imagery.

Restricted depending on the country:

- Alcohol. - Gambling.

That’s why logos sometimes disappear from one race to the next. It’s not a mistake or oversight, it’s down to local regulations and also explains some of the sponsor changes we’ve seen across teams.

👀 Livery facts you might not know

Nothing is random: - Black often means unpainted carbon fibre. - Less paint = less weight = more speed. - Some teams save up to 1 kg, which can be worth around 0.03s per lap. - Matte vs gloss finishes can have a tiny impact on airflow. - Some liveries are subtly adjusted between night and day races. - Teams also run special liveries for pre-season tests, sponsor launches, home races and major anniversaries.

During testing (like last week’s Barcelona Shakedown) it’s common to see camouflaged liveries designed to hide aerodynamic details. It’s not about looks: it’s strategy.

To finish, we want to know:

Which livery worn by Franco has been your favourite so far?

Vota tu cambio de livery favorito de Franco

Elige el livery que más te ha gustado en la carrera de Franco

Votar ahora

Because in F1, nothing is accidental: not how you race, and not how you look 🩵

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