Retro-inspired liveries have become a popular way for Formula 1® teams to pay tribute to their rich histories and iconic moments. Over recent seasons, several teams have embraced this trend, unveiling special paint schemes that celebrate milestones, legendary drivers, and historic partnerships. These designs often appear in one-off or limited events, offering fans a nostalgic glimpse into the sport’s past.
Among the standout examples is McLaren’s 1966-inspired white and green livery, which was featured at the 2026 British Grand Prix. This design honored the team’s founder and his first Formula 1® car. Similarly, Williams brought back a 2002 throwback livery at the 2025 United States Grand Prix, marking the founding year of their title partner Atlassian and recalling a strong season from that era.
Ferrari has also been active in this space, running a 1975-style livery at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix to honor Niki Lauda. This included retro driver numbers and wheel covers, although Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and sixth respectively. Earlier, at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari introduced a blue “Miami Blues” livery inspired by historic shades worn by Alberto Ascari and John Surtees, with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing in the top five. The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix saw Ferrari sporting a 1970s red and white livery celebrating their early successes in the United States, where Leclerc finished behind Max Verstappen.
McLaren has revisited several of its iconic liveries in recent years. The team revived its chrome and red design from 2006-2013 for the 2023 British Grand Prix, a weekend where Lando Norris secured his first home podium. The classic Gulf Oil blue and orange livery also made appearances, first at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix with McLaren and later briefly in 2025 with Williams at Sao Paulo.
Red Bull Racing paid tribute to Honda’s final Formula 1® season by running a white and red livery at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix and again at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Mercedes celebrated 125 years of motorsport and their 200th Formula 1® start with a heritage livery and period costumes at the 2019 German Grand Prix, although the race itself proved challenging for Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Renault also embraced its past with a black and gold Lotus tribute livery throughout the 2011 season, recalling the historic Lotus-Renault partnership. Drivers Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld scored podiums early in the season, finishing fifth overall by the end of the year. Ferrari marked its 1000th Grand Prix at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix with a burgundy SF1000 livery inspired by their first race car from 1947, where Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel finished eighth and tenth.
These retro liveries serve as visual celebrations of Formula 1® history, connecting past and present without necessarily influencing race outcomes. While some of these special designs coincided with strong performances, others accompanied more difficult weekends. They remain a fan-favourite way for teams to acknowledge their heritage and add variety to the racing spectacle.
