Some of the Formula 1 2022 liveries are superb, representing their teams to a tee. Others… not so much. Overall, it’s a pretty good bunch, but there are a couple of dissapointments. Lets take a look, now that all the cars have seen a few races.
Alfa Romeo
It’s nice to see this Italian constructor mix it up, seeing as they maintained what was essentially the same livery from 2018-2020. In 2021, the team did an exceptional job with the design and while not as good, the 2022 livery still impresses me. The livery is solid one, with a nice shade of red covering the majority of the car. Elsewhere there is a white section in the middle that prevents a blandness that you’ll find with a couple of the liveries this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhite is used for sponsors on red backgrounds and vice versa, showing how a minimal design in terms of colours used can work. My main complaint is the Orlen sponsor being a different shade of red to that covering the car. From certain angles the transition from red to white can look a little awkward. Otherwise, it’s a good addition to the grid.
7/10
AlphaTauri
Navy blue and white combine yet again to form this years’ AlphaTauri livery. From some angles the car is lovely. From the side for example, we can see a good balance of the two colours. A front view is also great because the rear wing is designed well and the halo blends into the livery effectively. I also like the differing fonts for Alpha and Tauri, something that differentiates the logo for the better.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnfortunately, the AlphaTauri image logo appears slanted on the sides but it’s quite minor. However, my big issue with the livery is its top-down view because it looks bland. No sponsors or variety in colour, especially since the navy blue is not massively vibrant. You will not see the car from a top-down view often so it’s easy to brush over. But just a little bit more colour could have put the AlphaTauri livery near the top. Also its one of the harder cars to find on the grid because it doesn’t stand out as much as others.
6.5/10
Alpine
I am not a big fan of this livery. In all fairness, combining blue and pink is a tough task, especially considering the limited time to make this happen, and – in all fairness – I was expecting worse. See, BWT is the main sponsor for the Alpine car, with a deal being agreed less than two weeks before the livery reveal. Even so, this feels quite rough. BWT are gaining a reputation for ruining liveries.
From the side, awkward is the best word to describe Alpine’s 2022 car. I think the pink and BWT logo under the Alpine blue could grow on me. For now, it’s still weird to see. That red block for the MAPFRE logo looks out of place, as does the Castrol logo. Additionally, I can live with the front wing but the rear wing fails to feel like part of the car.
Embed from Getty ImagesFrom the front it looks okay and I like the shade of blue a lot. While I appreciate the attempt at something new, small tweaks to the livery last year would have been more than enough to catch my eye, for the right reasons. At least its memorable and easy to spot.
5/10
Alpine (Bahrain and Saudi Arabia)
By no means is this the worst pink livery I’ve seen in F1; the 2019 Racing Point livery was horrible. While I think it looks strange from the sides (similar to the main Alpine livery), at all other angles I like it.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe blend from pink to the Alpine blue does not work, at all. Thus, its awkward placement brings this livery down. From other angles the almost fully pink livery is not too bad. It appears bland due to a lack of colour with any sponsor that is not BWT or MAPFRE, but it’s not offensive from most views. We have seen bad pink liveries in the past, but fortunately this is not at the bottom of that small group.
6/10
Aston Martin
In 2021, Aston Martin debuted with what was a nice car. While some disliked the pink line across the sides, I thought it was fine. However, the 2022 livery makes it clear that yellow combines with dark green much better.
Embed from Getty ImagesEverything about this livery is just wonderful! Plenty of sponsors subtly occupy the dark green base of the car, avoiding a sense of blandness. Like last year, the shade of dark green is sublime and makes it really feel like a slick racing car. While this has not been this case so far this season, at least the car is being driven with style.
9/10
Ferrari
This is a masterpiece! After a couple of sub-par liveries, Ferrari have their style back once again. White is a colour I often wish for on the Ferrari to accompany the red but for once, I wouldn’t change a thing.
With the strict limitations Ferrari bear, finding a way to innovate so effectively with the same base colour is impressive. The tone of red is darker than previous seasons but seeing the lighter, more vibrant red disappear is cause for celebration.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis Ferrari looks slick and fast; fortunately, Ferrari’s pace matches their style. It’s almost poetic to have a car that seems so menacing and quick be Ferrari’s first title-challenging car for a few years. Nothing tops the Ferrari livery this season, there is simply no other contender.
9.5/10
Haas
While the circumstances for the livery change are unfortunate, the car undoubtedly looks better for it. The original 2022 livery for Haas looked pretty lazy, with minimal changes at best and we don’t need a livery with a political context. Fortunately, Haas have done well with their new livery, in a simple yet effective job.
I quite like the red that goes along the sides of the car and unlike the Alfa Romeo livery, the Haas logo is actually the same shade! Its white base looks pretty clean and a good balance of sponsors helps to make the newest Haas livery pleasing to the eye.
Under the circumstances, this is a good livery. Overall though a bit more creativity would have provided more of an identity. It works, but is ultimately overshadowed by the likes of Alfa Romeo.
6/10
McLaren
McLaren’s 2022 livery has sparked much debate, dividing the fan base. On one hand it is a bold livery adding black into the mix. Conversely it seems a bit messy as the combination of orange, black and blue does not blend so well. From the front, it looks very nice; very vibrant. The papaya orange helps massively and black compliments it well. As for the light blue, does it work? On the nose its awkwardly placed. As for the sides is blends poorly, due to its sharp angles. The blue rear wing feels quite out of place too.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn previous years, McLaren have combined orange with a darker blue and have avoided sharp, awkward lines to allow it to blend better. This lighter blue just doesn’t work well and it drags what is otherwise a good livery down.
6.5/10
Mercedes
For the past two seasons Mercedes adopted a black livery in their message against racism. In 2022, the silver arrows once again present a silver livery and its great! The actual shade of silver is good although a chrome over matte silver could improve the design. Turquoise returns and contributes a certain slickness to the livery, espcially on the front and rear wings. Black is sparingly yet carefully used meanwhile red with the INEOS logo adds just enough variation to make this car one of the nicest-looking on the grid.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt is a bit overkill to have the Mercedes logo uses so many times towards the back of the car but otherwise, its spot on.
8.5/10
Red Bull
Same old, same old for Red Bull in 2022. Can you even be surprised anymore? To be fair, there are couple of changes to this year’s livery, just nothing too significant. Oracle’s sponsorship with Red Bull means they receive a lovely spot on the side-pods of the car and it’s a nice change. Nothing too spectacular but it slightly differentiates this year’s car. Elsewhere the same matte blue, red and yellow are the primary colours on show.
Embed from Getty ImagesI’m not sure why but the halo is distracting on this car. From some angles the touch of yellow occupying the nose is also a bit awkward but otherwise this is another fine livery from Red Bull.
7.5/10
Williams
I appreciate the bold design change this year from Williams. Perhaps it will represent a new era for the team. Combining shades of blue helps to make the car striking and memorable. Plus, its better than that… interesting livery Williams used last year.
Embed from Getty ImagesTouches of red here and there are mixed for me. While the red outline on the front wing is nice, it doesn’t fit with the car. Red elsewhere looks quite awkwardly placed, especially on the nose. Get rid of the most of the red accents and you have one of the best 2022 livery designs. Otherwise, I like this Williams livery.
7.5/10