The reveal of each F1 team\u2019s livery is always a much-anticipated moment at the start of every season. Certain designs have particularly caught the eye over the years, earning an iconic status amongst fans of the sport.<\/p>\n
This got us thinking \u2013 which retro liveries would we love to see make a return on modern-day Formula 1 cars?<\/p>\n
From the famous green 7Up design that adorned the Jordan 191, to the stunning metallic shimmer of the Toro Rosso STR12, we\u2019ve rounded up 10 liveries from the past that would be our lead candidates for a comeback\u2026<\/p>\n
Renault R26<\/p>\n
We begin with a livery that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades since it experienced championship success for the team now known as Alpine<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Renault R26 sported a striking blue and yellow colour scheme, one that became a regular sight at the chequered flag as the squad racked up eight wins on their way to clinching both the Teams\u2019 and Drivers\u2019 Championship for a second consecutive season in 2006.<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso<\/a> claimed the latter title and, while the Spaniard now races for Aston Martin, it would be a great nostalgic moment to see the popular livery make its return on the Alpine 20 years on.<\/p>\n Jordan 191<\/p>\n Speaking of Aston Martin<\/a>, the history of the British squad can actually be traced back to the Jordan outfit. Founded by former racing driver Eddie Jordan, the team made their F1 debut back in 1991.<\/p>\n In later years, Jordan would become known for running a bright yellow livery (more on which later) \u2013 but for their maiden campaign, the predominant colour on the Jordan 191 was green, while the car also memorably featured the logo of sponsor 7Up on the chassis.<\/p>\n As well as becoming a fan favourite design \u2013 and one that would certainly look impressive on the current-day Aston Martin \u2013 Jordan\u2019s maiden challenger has also become historic thanks to being the first F1 car driven by a certain Michael Schumacher<\/a> on his debut at Belgium\u2019s Spa-Francorchamps.<\/p>\n McLaren MP4-23<\/p>\n In recent years, McLaren<\/a> have returned to their roots by resurrecting the papaya orange colour scheme that first appeared on their cars in the late 1960s, but the team have gone through various other identities across the decades.<\/p>\n One that is often heralded as a particularly iconic look is the silver livery that adorned the MP4-23, the 2008 challenger that Lewis Hamilton<\/a> clinched his first World Championship with.<\/p>\n The chrome and red design \u2013 that prominently displayed the logo of sponsor Vodafone \u2013 also holds a special place in McLaren\u2019s history statistics-wise, with the car being the last that the team claimed a Drivers\u2019 title with prior to Lando Norris<\/a>\u2019 victory in 2025.<\/p>\n Williams FW14B<\/p>\n Like McLaren, Williams<\/a> are a team with a long history in Formula 1, meaning that they too have been through different iterations in the years since their debut in 1978.<\/p>\n That means that there are plenty of famous liveries to choose from when it comes to designs we would like to see return, but we\u2019re going to opt for the FW14B, a car that matched its striking appearance with stunning performances on the track.<\/p>\n Driven by Nigel Mansell<\/a> to championship success in 1992, the blue, yellow and white colour scheme on the title-winning challenger looked even better with the addition of the #5 in red on the nosecone.<\/p>\n Brawn BGP 001<\/p>\n The story of Brawn GP\u2019s one and only F1 season remains one of the sport\u2019s greatest fairytales, with the squad \u2013 borne out of the former Honda outfit after the Japanese manufacturer\u2019s sudden exit at the end of 2008 \u2013 achieving championship glory that few would have predicted.<\/p>\n A simple but effective design adorned the BGP 001, with the mostly white car featuring touches of a distinctive fluorescent yellow.<\/p>\n After their triumphant 2009 campaign, Brawn GP became Mercedes<\/a> in 2010 following the Silver Arrows\u2019 buyout of the squad \u2013 and while the Brackley-based outfit are known for the colours of that nickname, it would be fun to see the BGP 001 livery make its return on one of the team\u2019s modern cars.<\/p>\n Benetton B186<\/p>\n In contrast to the simplicity of Brawn GP\u2019s look, Benetton made a dazzling use of colour on the B186, their challenger for the 1986 campaign.<\/p>\n For the team\u2019s first season under their new name \u2013 with the Benetton Group purchasing the former Toleman outfit at the end of 1985 \u2013 the car certainly caught the eye with its green livery that also featured splashes of bright colours across the chassis.<\/p>\n What made the design even more unique was that, on some occasions, the B186 also ran multi-coloured tyres that had been painted on the sides (see second image below). With the Benetton team going on to become Renault \u2013 and now Alpine \u2013 this livery definitely makes our list for those that we would like to make a comeback on today\u2019s grid.<\/p>\n Toro Rosso STR12<\/p>\n Next up is a livery that became a fan favourite back in 2017. The Toro Rosso team \u2013 now known as Racing Bulls<\/a> \u2013 caught the eye when they unveiled the STR12, with it featuring a noticeable evolution from the squad\u2019s previous colour scheme.<\/p>\n Swapping the navy of old for a vivid royal blue \u2013 teamed with shades of red, silver and purple \u2013 the shimmering new look certainly stood out when Carlos Sainz<\/a> and Daniil Kyvat<\/a> took to the track.<\/p>\n The Red Bull sister team have showcased some popular designs during their time in the sport \u2013 with the predominantly white livery of 2025 also well liked \u2013 but the STR12\u2019s colours are certainly something we would enjoy seeing again.<\/p>\n Jordan 198<\/p>\n As touched on earlier, Jordan were perhaps best known for their standout yellow colours throughout much of the team\u2019s stint in Formula 1, a hue they first adopted in 1996.<\/p>\n While the look took on various forms in the years that followed, one version that remains particularly popular is that sported by the Jordan 198. This featured the iconic \u2018Buzzin\u2019 Hornets\u2019 design, which included a striking black nosecone with a hornet pictured on the side.<\/p>\n The insect replaced a snake that had been a mainstay on the car\u2019s predecessor, the Jordan 197 \u2013 and while we\u2019re used to seeing the Prancing Horse on Ferrari<\/a>\u2019s challengers, we wouldn\u2019t be against more creatures popping up on modern-day liveries.<\/p>\n McLaren M23<\/p>\n We have already discussed the changing colour schemes used by McLaren over the years \u2013 and another look that became synonymous with the team was the red and white livery first launched in the 1970s.<\/p>\n It is a design that is perhaps most greatly associated with the era of Alain Prost<\/a> and Ayrton Senna<\/a>, when a fierce rivalry developed between the team mates as they fought for the World Championship during their shared time at the squad in 1988 and 1989.<\/p>\n But for the sake of nostalgia, our pick for the version that we would like to see a return of is the very first red and white McLaren. The M23 \u2013 which also featured a touch of gold \u2013 claimed the outfit\u2019s first championships in 1974, with Emerson Fittipaldi<\/a> at the wheel.<\/p>\n Red Bull RB11 (pre-season testing version)<\/p>\n