LONDON -- Tuesday marked something brand new for Formula 1. For the first time ever, the series hosted all ten teams in one place, on one night, putting on a launch event that would appeal to every F1 fan on the planet regardless of which outfit they support.
The event, F1 75 Live, a title paying homage to the series' 75th anniversary season, was one of the few things that was in fact new at the O2 Arena in London, though. Only one team introduced a truly brand-new livery for 2025, with many teams introducing variations of what they ran with last season -- and in a number of cases, what look to be identical paint schemes apart from a few changes in sponsors.
So which liveries stood above the rest? And which should have their design teams heading back to the drawing board ahead of next week's preseason tests in Bahrain? Select members of ESPN's F1 content team voted on this year's best and worst, creating the 2025 livery Power Rankings, and Laurence Edmondson detailed the highlights (and lowlights) of all 10 looks.
1. RB
The only team to make a genuine livery change for the 2025 season. The all white might not be to everyone's taste, but it will stand out on the grid. There's no doubt who's paying the bills, with the Red Bull logos standing out in red and yellow for the first time on the energy drink giant's junior team, but at least it adds a splash of colour.
2. Ferrari
White on the Ferrari? Who had that on their F1 75 bingo card? OK, the main theme is still very much red -- and this year it's a slightly darker tone with its roots in the 1980s and 1990s -- but the influence of title sponsor HP is truly felt with white acting as the background to its round blue logos. There are nine HP logos in total, which will no doubt upset purists, but it's worth remembering it's the title sponsor. IBM also makes its debut on the rear wing.
3. Sauber
It wasn't clear what we were going to get when a sinister voice bellowed "when darkness falls across this land" during Sauber's presentation, but the final reveal was in line with expectations. A variation on a theme, sure, but the car was always going to be green and black to fit title sponsor Stake. Perhaps it was best summed up when COO Mattia Binotto asked a packed O2 arena, "Do you like the livery?" and was met with silence. This is the last year of the Stake deal before Sauber goes full corporate and becomes Audi, so if you are a fan of lurid green then make the most of it now.
4. Alpine
After several years of switching between different shades of the team's primary colours, Alpine appears to have opted for big splashes of both pink and blue across the car. The team has dropped the large swathes of black that covered the 2024 model and the result is a more garish, more colourful livery that should stand out nicely across the grid this year.
5. Mercedes
The 2025 season seemed like the perfect opportunity for Mercedes to break from the past, with Lewis Hamilton departing the team after 12 seasons, but instead it played it safe with a continuation on a theme. Black and silver broken up by the green of title sponsor Petronas will be familiar to anyone who watched the team in 2024. The absence of Ineos' red on the airbox is notable, but the team insisted this week that the chemical giant remains as a 33% shareholder.
6. McLaren
Why change a winning formula? At least that seems to be McLaren's logic for keeping with a near replica of its 2024 orange-and-black livery in 2025. Whatever you thought of it last year, you'll likely think the same again this year, but for those livery nerds out there, it seems the papaya is now a gloss finish rather than matte.
7. Aston Martin
Aston Martin has one of the strongest and most iconic brand identities on the current grid, but the smooth and clear look of last year has given way to a bit more colour -- notably, a white smudge on top of the airbox. It's hard to dislike British Racing Green, and luckily for fans, the majority of that has remained on the car this year, but this year's edition looks a bit scruffier.
8. Haas
Haas has stuck close to the white, black and red colours of last year, but it has shifted the ordering around for 2025. There's a speck of white on the nose of the car, while the side pods have given way to a white background -- as a result, the white "Haas" lettering of last year has inverted to black, giving the car a more striking look side on.
9. Red Bull
What did you expect? Red Bull Racing's strong corporate identity has resulted in the most minor changes to its livery for the past eight years -- usually to accommodate new sponsors. The result is unmistakable on track but uninspiring every time the covers come off at a launch event.
10. Williams
A slightly lighter blue to show off new title sponsor Atlassian and a white pinstripe around the nose to keep things looking tidy. The highlight remains the Duracell-themed airbox, but even that was nothing new. Smart but far from spectacular.
