– In Formula 1 nowadays, it is quite normal for a team not to run with the same design throughout the entire year. In the modern premier class, many racing teams like to use a special livery on certain occasions – some even several times per season.
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In our photo gallery, however, we deliberately do not look at special designs, but at teams that have sustainably changed their livery over the course of a year. One example is Cadillac, which started the 2026 season with an asymmetrical design.
“We introduced the asymmetrical livery during the Super Bowl halftime show because we thought it was another way to show that the team wants to approach Formula 1 a bit differently,” explains team principal Graeme Lowdon.
Meanwhile, the US racing team has moved away from this and now starts with a completely ordinary black and white design. Cadillac is by no means the first team in the history of the premier class to have taken this step.
Photo gallery: Formula 1 teams that changed their design during the season
The reasons for a radical design change can vary. Often, for example, sponsors have a hand in it, who like to see “their” colors on the car. And in a special case in our photo gallery, even the FIA intervened in the planned design of a car.
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One example that caused a stir was Jordan’s decision to change its car design during the 1996 season. Starting the year with a yellow car, the Jordan 196 later received a gold livery – before reverting back in 1997.
Although there should actually be no connection between a car’s design and sporting success, it is noticeable that many cars in our photo gallery are not overly successful. The Jordan 196 is more of an exception with its fifth place in the championship.
Other cars on our list sometimes did not score a single championship point – regardless of whether with the old or the new design.
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