NASCAR's feature F1 should adopt for the Monaco Grand Prix

Verstappen during FP2 in Monaco — Photo: © IMAGO

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NASCAR's feature F1 should adopt for the Monaco Grand Prix

F1 could learn from NASCAR after last race weekend at Darlington

Sheona Mountford

Monday 7 April 2025 18:00

NASCAR’s annual throwback weekend has taken place at Darlington Raceway since 2015, and it is a feature Formula 1 should consider adopting themselves.

‘Throwback weekend' allows drivers and teams in the Cup Series garage to adopt designs that hark back to legends of motorsport, with this year’s iteration at Darlington paying homage a variety of legends, from Jimmie Johnson to F1 champion Jim Clark.

NASCAR drivers, such as Ryan Blaney, have heralded the importance of this weekend, and how they love to deliver creative liveries that pay tribute to legends of motorsport.

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Which got us thinking? Should Formula 1 adopt their own throwback weekend, and which circuit would hold the annual livery changes?

The Monaco Grand Prix would be the most obvious option, with the Monaco Historique already taking place in the principality, which sees owners of old F1 machinery take to the track in a series of races.

If F1 did decide to host a throwback weekend, then GPFans have decided which liveries each F1 team should run during the race.

Should F1 hold its own throwback weekend?

McLaren - McLaren MP4/4

McLaren's MP4/4 is one of the team's most iconic liveries, with the red and white colour scheme driven by team-mates and fierce rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

The Brazilian claimed the championship in 1988 as the MP4/4 won all but one race that season, becoming one of the most dominant F1 cars in the history of the sport.

Ferrari - Ferrari 312T2

Whilst a Schumacher-era Ferrari may be the obvious option for a historic livery, it would be interesting to see Ferrari run a design from a completely different period.

Driven by Niki Lauda at the height of his rivalry with James Hunt in 1976, the Ferrari 312T2 not only features their iconic scarlet but also the white and green of the Italian flag.

Red Bull - 2015 RB11 test livery

When Red Bull's camouflage livery first debuted during testing in 2015 it was immediately popular with F1 fans, who would have been content if it was used as their full design.

Unfortunately, it was never adopted for a full season, but it could be perfect for a one off return for a heritage-themed race.

Mercedes - Mercedes-Benz W196

The simple silver design of the W196 takes Mercedes back to the beginning of their F1 story, with the machinery in which Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss won nine out of 12 races from 1954 until 1955.

The Mercedes W196 also became the most expensive grand prix racing car sold at auction earlier this year, fetching the price of £42.6m.

Aston Martin - Jordan 191

Following the passing of former F1 boss Eddie Jordan, there were calls for Aston Martin to honour the legend's legacy with a one-off Jordan design similar to the iconic 191.

Aston Martin's F1 team origins lie in Jordan who first raced in 1991, until the team was eventually sold to Midland Group in 2005 since becoming Spyker F1, Force India, Racing Point and now Aston Martin.

Alpine - Renault R26

Fernando Alonso's 2006 championship winning Renault R26 is one of the best looking F1 liveries of all time, with the blue and yellow design synonymous with the team's success in the mid 2000's.

Pat Symonds oversaw the design and production of the car, and the livery marks a turning point in F1 history, as it was the last year of the team's deal with tobacco brand Mild Seven. Cigarette advertising would be banned by the end of the 2006 season, after the likes of Rothmans and Marlboro adorned iconic F1 cars.

Haas - Haas VF-19

Haas' gold and black livery not only pays homage to their own history in F1, but the 2019 livery also harked back to another legendary team - Lotus.

Lotus flirted with a black and gold design throughout their competitive years, with the Lotus 56B and 98T sporting their most memorable designs and were driven by greats such as Ronnie Peterson and Senna.

Racing Bulls - Toro Rosso STR12

Before there was Racing Bulls, there was Alpha Tauri. And before there was Alpha Tauri, there was Toro Rosso.

Red Bull's sister team ran their best livery in 2017, and whilst the shining red and blue design may not have been a championship winner, it certainly stood out on the F1 grid.

Williams - Williams FW14

Williams boasts a rich history of F1 designs to choose from should they run a heritage livery, but the blue, white and yellow of the FW14 is certainly the most iconic.

Designed by Adrian Newey and responsible for Nigel Mansell's drivers' championship, the livery symbolises the high point of Williams' F1 success.

Sauber - Sauber C24

Sauber have partnered with several iconic car brands, from BMW to Alfa Romeo, but their partnership with Red Bull in the early 2000's yielded a turquoise, blue and yellow design that would be perfect for a historic-themed livery.

The former Red Bull branding would probably be missing from Sauber's re-creation of the C24, but emulating the vibrant colour theme would be enough to take their car back to 2005.

Ryan Blaney Monaco Grand Prix Jimmie Johnson Darlington Raceway