Formula 1 2024 Liveries Explained – The Era of Carbon Fiber
The start of a Formula 1 season is one of the most exciting periods for fans of the sport. With new sponsors and design changes, anticipating the reveal of a livery is often an experience that is as exciting as a season’s first race. This has held true for decades. However, ever since the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, a new trend began to develop. One that threatens bold expressions in F1. Paint. The 2022 regulations for Formula 1 cars saw their weight increase significantly. With a minimum weight enforced, teams had to compromise on stylistic expression. This change resulted in most liveries being majority carbon fiber instead of unique team colors.
Carbon Fiber Is A Great Material, Right?
It provides a strong base without compromising on weight. It’s the ideal balance in a series where speed is key. Carbon Fiber has been a part of F1 since 1981, yet it has only recently began to affect designs this much. Is it finally time to advance the dialogue on weight saving? Is this practice worth losing some of that magical charm?
Liveries are an undeniable part of this sport’s legacy. A relevant example is Ferrari’s iconic red car. Everyone knows what the red car looks like. We’ve seen it for years, and it has never failed us. Yet in the past two years, the Ferrari liveries have sported an uncomfortably large amount of black mixed with red. This change is something that makes it a bit difficult to gauge how the regulations are helping F1.
From the data available, an F1 car weighs 798 kg. Meanwhile, according to Stake Sporting Director, Beat Zehnder, car paint usually weighs 6 kg if it’s applied all over the chassis. This implies that most Formula 1 teams tend to save weight by avoiding detailed liveries. Instead opting for a largely carbon fiber look. Paint saving has been a nice strategy to have around, but opinions are quickly swaying against this practice.
So, what can change?
Well, a few voices have been outspoken against this practice. For example, Charles Leclerc liked an Instagram post making fun of the largely lifeless liveries during the week.
Meanwhile, commentator Martin Brundle suggested that teams should receive a weight allowance if they are able to design vibrant and complete liveries.
A few teams have managed to avoid this growing trend. One that comes to mind is VCARB. With a strong blue and white livery reminiscent of their Toro Rosso days, they have one of the best-looking cars on today’s grid.
At its core, the carbon fiber trend stems from the size of modern cars. These larger cars are made this way due to safety. However, there are ways to create safe F1 cars without compromising on the entire experience. Apart from liveries, large F1 cars have affected the allure of certain tracks. Monaco is one that stands out. With less opportunities for overtakes, it’s getting harder to justify these regulations.
So far, there are plans to reduce the weight of F1 cars. The 2026 regulations are expected to reduce the weight of cars by 50 kg. This change will result in designs that are shorter and a lot narrower. Ultimately, we might finally get to see a resurgence in creative liveries.