Ranking the best and worst liveries of the 2024 F1 season

The 2024 F1 grid has got some polarizing design. However, a few liveries have been loved by fans.

Ranking the best and worst liveries of the 2024 F1 season

The VCARB01 (Via: VisaCashAppRB/X)

The 2024 F1 season is right around the corner. F1 teams have started to reveal their challengers for the upcoming season just before the pre-season test. F1 liveries are perhaps the most exciting part of the pre-season with this year being no different.

However, 2024 has seen an infamous trend of exposed carbon as teams try to reduce the weight of their car to the absolute minimum. Certainly, this has made designs less appealing in some instances which has faced backlash from fans including the Alpine A524.

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Unfortunately, only a couple of teams are likely going to stay away from this trend. Max Verstappen has already signaled that the 2024 Red Bull livery will be the same as last season. As the Milton Keynes considers its matte design as a modern classic which it has run since 2016.

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Nevertheless, fans remain excited to witness the new color schemes and designs of F1 teams this year including the driver overalls. This article ranks the best and worst liveries of the 2024 F1 season so far with four teams left to break cover.

Here is the ranking of the best and worst liveries of the 2024 F1 season

6. Stake F1 team

The Sauber-run outfit has given fans some of the best designs in recent years. The Swiss team’s partnership with Alfa Romeo brought some iconic designs which paid homage to the Italian carmaker. So much so, that the 2023 Italian GP livery was ranked as the best one-off livery of the year. As such, expectations were high on Sauber under the new guise of the Stake F1 team.

Stake C44
The Stake C44 (Via @StakeF1team/X)

Unfortunately, the Stake partnership brought in a polarizing new design. The C44 was revealed with a neon green and carbon color scheme which divided opinions from the get-go. The front wing is entirely green while the nose abruptly breaks into exposed carbon. Moreover, the massive KICK logo seems out of place in this design.

Additionally, the rear wing is entirely in green except for the DRS section which seems more like an afterthought. The Stake F1 livery follows the green and carbon theme on the side profile as well. The C44 has a radical green stripe on the engine cover and sidepod which follows no particular direction. While Sauber has even brought in a stripe on the bottom end of the car similar to Mercedes and Aston Martin.

5. Alpine

Alpine’s F1 liveries have been praised by fans over the years, particularly its first design under the new branding in 2021. However, in the past two seasons, the French team became synonymous with its blue and pink color scheme courtesy of title sponsor BWT. However, the recent trend of saving weight by reducing paint on the car has been followed by the Enstone-based team.

Alpine A524
The Alpine A524 (Via Autosport)

The Alpine A524 was revealed with a bold livery with most of the car left in exposed carbon fiber. The Renault-works team decided to barely paint the car in blue and pink despite introducing an attractive design pattern. Every last bit of the car was left exposed including the tiniest bits on the front wing in between the BWT branding.

The Alpine livery had a lot of potential considering the new design pattern which incorporates multiple shades of blue and pink. However, it was implemented in a disastrous manner which will take time to grow on fans. The design in front of the driver cockpit seems an eyesore with different blue shades along with BWT branding in blue. Fans were far from happy with this design.

The BWT pink version of the livery fills in all blue sections with pink and does seem like a better overall design. However, Alpine failed to live up to the potential due to the excessive exposed carbon fiber.

4. Haas F1 team

The Haas F1 team has had a variety of designs in its short F1 history. The American team has relied mostly on sponsors for its color palette in recent years including the 2019 Rich Energy design and the 2021 Uralkali design. In 2024, Haas will once again bring in the colors of title sponsor Moneygram to the grid.

The Haas VF-24
The Haas VF-24 (Via Haas F1 team)

The Haas VF-24 livery is an evolution of its predecessor. The team has continued its black, red, and white approach. However, the American team has drastically reduced the white elements on the front nose, now limited to the cockpit. Once again, the increased exposed carbon can be attributed to the weight concerns. Fans had mixed views on this livery.

However, the Haas design seems complete despite the exposed carbon fiber. The darker theme does not make viewers criticize the lack of painted elements as much as the Alpine or Stake cars. Moreover, the Moneygram logo on the engine cover grabs the attention of on-lookers. The oversized Haas logo on the sidepod further adds to the design.

3. Williams

Williams Racing has gone through a period of transition in recent years after Dorilton acquired the team. In 2022, the Grove-based team introduced a new livery design that set the identity of the squad for the coming seasons. The 2024 livery will once again follow the same approach as its last two cars in F1.

Williams FW46 livery reveal
Williams FW46 livery reveal (via Autosport.com).

The Williams FW46 livery is another evolution of a design on the grid. However, the British team has adopted two contrasting shades of blue to add more character to the livery. The white and red pinstriping try to bring the livery together. Although, the clever Duracell integration on the car seems like an odd fit on this blue car yet again.

Williams has even paid homage to its late founder Frank Williams by incorporating the old Frank Williams Racing Cars logo on the engine cover. Certainly, the FW46 livery is one of the better designs on the grid with limited exposed bits to reduce weight.

2. McLaren

McLaren shocked the F1 paddock by revealing its livery without any prior notice. The Woking-based team has launched ‘papaya’ cars since 2018 and the 2024 follows the team’s identity. However, the British team has subtly paid tribute to its historic days with its new livery.

The McLaren MCL38 livery (Via @McLarenF1/X)
The McLaren MCL38 livery (Via @McLarenF1/X)

The MCL38 livery has a papaya orange and black color scheme. The nose of the car continues in McLaren’s iconic papaya shade on the top. However, the sides of the nose are left unpainted to save weight. Moreover, the rear of the car has a streak of orange which mimics the team’s old Marlboro liveries, albeit in different colors. This element is similar to its Triple Crown livery of 2023.

Additionally, the sidepod and the engine have been left unpainted for the most part. Although a small portion has been painted in papaya to make it seem that the MCL38 has a similar design to the old Marlboro liveries, perhaps to pay homage to the team’s legacy. Moreover, the chrome numbering further enhances the visual appeal.

1. VisaCashAppRB

VisaCashAppRB might be the most hated team name in F1. However, the Italian team’s design has certainly been met positively by fans. The Red Bull sister team is perhaps the only team after Williams to not blatantly leave parts unpainted to save weight.

The VCARB01
The VCARB01 (Via @VisaCashAppRB/X)

The VCARB01 has a metallic blue shade which is similar to the Toro Rosso designs of 2017 and 2018. The silver bull and VISA branding certainly enhance the overall design. Moreover, the addition of white and red stripes brings the design together and differentiates itself from its past.

Certainly, the VCARB livery showcases that a team can run a good design without compromising on weight. As the car has some clever unpainted bits which are not noticed by on-lookers. Additionally, the red highlights the design while the silver and blue certainly go well together. As such, there is no doubt that the VisaCashAppRB livery is the best one on the 2024 grid.

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