My Top 5 F1 Liveries

If you know me well, you know I like my liveries. And you will probably also know, I hate white cars. I’m not even using BMW as an exception here, I find the car bland, dull and unimaginative. I love original cars, and you will probably find that out later on. Before I start, this post was inspired by Lukeh at the brilliant Thoughts of a Trying Atheist blog. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend that you do. Well, here goes.

5: Shadow DN9

After a lot of browsing on the internet, I came across this. I can only describe it as brilliantly fantastic. How original is it? I have no idea what it is meant to resemble or how many races it was used for (I have noticed various liveries used for the DN9 car). But this strikes out to me. It isn’t sponsor endorsed (unless Satan Prints happened to be going at the time).

4: Renault R24

Many agreed that Renault had messed up after 2007, using a horrible paint scheme that shouldn’t work, and doesn’t. However since the team returned in 2002 till 2006, the team used a lovely red and yellow scheme, which worked fantastically. Probably best used in 2004 and the R24, it managed not to look busy sponsor wise, which is very hard to achieve. And it simply works. It is great.

3: Honda RA107

Okay, now you are thinking I have lost it. You are thinking this car was unbelievably ugly, and I, really cannot see how you can feel that way about this car. Sure, it was only used because Honda couldn’t get a big sponsor to fit on their car. But this is amazing and significantly better than the 2008 attempt or the ‘Stickers’ car. This captures my imagination, it is original. And after all, that is what I love in a F1 livery.

2: Spyker F8-VII

Well, for starters, it is orange. How many F1 cars do you see that is orange? And it sticks out like a sore thumb, except the car ain’t needing any treatment. There is nothing wrong with this car, it represents the colours of the Netherlands. What a shame Force India bought them out and produced such a drab and dull livery the next season.

1: Jaguar R3

If there is ever a livery better then this, then I must be in heaven. Jaguar can hold their heads high, they may not have done much in F1, but they did give us this. The R3 I say is the best, but it could have been any from five, they were all pretty much awesome. British Racing Green works on a car, especially a F1 car, it is gorgeous. Shame Aston Martin don’t get to be in F1, because we could be seeing that, without the white bits. Heaven.

And that concludes my top 5, honourable mentions go to the Jordan EJ11 (2001) especially down to the detail on the side of the nosecone with the teeth. And the yellow, surprisingly works. Also, the Williams FW28 (2006), just wishing they used a bit more blue.

Cars sadly these days lack any originality, with the exception of Toro Rosso, a car I love. Too much white and it must stop. Thankfully, BMW are pulling out so one less white car and Renault are losing ING, so here’s hoping a return to the fantastic blue and yellow. The rest should take a long hard look at themselves, before I send the lot of them an e-mail with my ideas.