Why F1 fans might not recognise over HALF of the grid at the US GP

If you tune into the United States Grand Prix this weekend and don’t recognise half of the F1 grid, don’t worry! Your favourite sport hasn’t been taken over by IndyCar.

No. Instead several F1 teams have used Austin as the perfect opportunity to pick up a fresh lick of paint for their cars – it is difficult to just 'pop into' Wickes on a 24 race schedule after all.

Six teams have unveiled their new liveries for the US GP, some of which are impressive, others less so (I’ll let you decide which), but all of them livening up the grid this weekend under the scorching Texan sun.

McLaren, Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Alpine have all shared different designs, with nods to their racing heritage and sponsors. Here’s our take on them all.

Williams stun as Racing Bulls confuse (well, me anyway)

Stubborn as a mule, recently crowned constructors’ championships McLaren have only added a lick of silver to their still primarily papaya car, all in aid of sponsor Google Gemini.

To be fair, the design adds extra sparkle to the McLaren and it's not just reserved for Texas, but will also feature during the Mexican GP the following weekend.

Racing Bulls have delivered the most dramatic – and divisive – transformation, which I originally thought was torn up pieces of a letter being burnt by a spurned lover. But actually it is…a tortoiseshell pattern!

Rather than enjoying a paid partnership with the Galapagos Islands, it is actually a nod to sponsor Cash App and its tortoise prepaid Visa debit card. Yep, this is the first time I’ve heard of that too.

Moving swiftly on, Aston Martin have opted for a more deep and philosophical interpretation of their usual racing green livery. Decorated with mathematical formulas, the classy squad are celebrating the ‘invisible science’ of F1, or as we like to call it, the doodles from Adrian Newey’s favourite pencil.

Elsewhere, Alpine have also added a splash of yellow in an attempt to distract us from the fact they are last in the constructors’ championship. Bad news folks. It won’t. Nice stripe though!

Perhaps the most stunning of the revised liveries is Williams’, which features a classy blue and white paint job that pays tribute to their 2002 car driven by Juan Pablo Montoya. I just can’t be snarky about this livery, it's simply sublime, which is perhaps the greatest compliment I could deliver.

Finally, Haas have gone full 'MURICA and plastered gigantic stars on their sidepods, because we’re in Texas innit?

For me personally, it's a step down from last year’s patriotic paint-fest which included more red, white and blue, plus an eagle! Still, you can practically hear this year’s livery chanting "U.S.A.", which gets a gold star in my book.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Silverstone (@silverstonecircuit)

F1 HEADLINES: Horner in Ferrari 'talks' as no confidence vote given to team boss Vasseur

F1 RESULTS: Lando Norris sends HUGE championship statement as Ferrari face United States GP nightmare

READ MORE: F1 broadcaster waves goodbye after EIGHT YEARS on TV

F1 COMMENTATORS: Meet the Sky Sports and Channel 4 teams including Martin Brundle, Naomi Schiff and Danica Patrick

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 News Today: Max Verstappen stunned as FIA announce Mercedes penalty decision

• 3 hours ago

F1 Results Today: Australian Grand Prix positions and times for 2026 season opener in Melbourne

• 3 hours ago

'Where the hell?' - Lewis Hamilton stunned by Mercedes pace at Australian Grand Prix

• Yesterday 21:57

F1 star Valtteri Bottas is a proper Aussie now: New home, meat pies and doing a 'U-ey'

• Yesterday 20:58

F1 Race Today: Australian Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream

• Yesterday 19:58

F1’s new cars in 2026 are how much slower? Australian Grand Prix confirms the sad truth

• Yesterday 18:56