The world of Formula 1 is a treasure trove of iconic designs, and the reveal of each team's livery is always a highly anticipated event. But what happens when we look back at the past and wonder which retro liveries would be perfect for a modern comeback? From the classic green 7Up Jordan 191 to the stunning metallic shimmer of the Toro Rosso STR12, there are some designs that just scream 'comeback!' Here's a look at 10 retro liveries we'd love to see make a return on modern-day Formula 1 cars, along with some personal commentary and analysis.
Renault R26
The Renault R26 is a livery that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades since it experienced championship success for the team now known as Alpine. The striking blue and yellow color scheme became a regular sight at the chequered flag as the squad racked up eight wins on their way to clinching both the Teams' and Drivers' Championship for a second consecutive season in 2006. Fernando Alonso claimed the latter title, and while the Spaniard now races for Aston Martin, it would be a great nostalgic moment to see the popular livery make its return on the Alpine 20 years on.
In my opinion, the Renault R26 is a classic design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The blue and yellow colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. Personally, I think it would be a great way to honor the team's history and celebrate the 20th anniversary of their championship win. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The R26 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans.
Jordan 191
Speaking of Aston Martin, the history of the British squad can actually be traced back to the Jordan outfit. Founded by former racing driver Eddie Jordan, the team made their F1 debut back in 1991. In later years, Jordan would become known for running a bright yellow livery, but for their maiden campaign, the predominant color on the Jordan 191 was green, while the car also memorably featured the logo of sponsor 7Up on the chassis. As well as becoming a fan favorite design, the Jordan 191 has also become historic thanks to being the first F1 car driven by a certain Michael Schumacher on his debut at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps.
From my perspective, the Jordan 191 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The green and yellow colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's early days. One thing that immediately stands out is the 7Up logo, which adds a touch of retro charm to the design. What many people don't realize is that the Jordan 191 was the first F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher, making it a historic design that would be a great addition to the grid. If you take a step back and think about it, the Jordan 191 is a design that would be a fantastic tribute to the team's early days and the driver who helped put them on the map.
McLaren MP4-23
In recent years, McLaren have returned to their roots by resurrecting the papaya orange color scheme that first appeared on their cars in the late 1960s, but the team have gone through various other identities across the decades. One that is often heralded as a particularly iconic look is the silver livery that adorned the MP4-23, the 2008 challenger that Lewis Hamilton clinched his first World Championship with. The chrome and red design – that prominently displayed the logo of sponsor Vodafone – also holds a special place in McLaren’s history statistics-wise, with the car being the last that the team claimed a Drivers' title with prior to Lando Norris' victory in 2025.
Personally, I think the McLaren MP4-23 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The silver and red colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The MP4-23 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Williams FW14B
Like McLaren, Williams are a team with a long history in Formula 1, meaning that they too have been through different iterations in the years since their debut in 1978. That means that there are plenty of famous liveries to choose from when it comes to designs we would like to see return, but we're going to opt for the FW14B, a car that matched its striking appearance with stunning performances on the track. Driven by Nigel Mansell to championship success in 1992, the blue, yellow and white color scheme on the title-winning challenger looked even better with the addition of the #5 in red on the nosecone.
In my opinion, the Williams FW14B is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The blue, yellow, and white colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The FW14B was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Brawn BGP 001
The story of Brawn GP’s one and only F1 season remains one of the sport’s greatest fairytales, with the squad – borne out of the former Honda outfit after the Japanese manufacturer’s sudden exit at the end of 2008 – achieving championship glory that few would have predicted. A simple but effective design adorned the BGP 001, with the mostly white car featuring touches of a distinctive fluorescent yellow.
From my perspective, the Brawn BGP 001 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The white and yellow colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The BGP 001 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Benetton B186
In contrast to the simplicity of Brawn GP’s look, Benetton made a dazzling use of color on the B186, their challenger for the 1986 campaign. For the team’s first season under their new name – with the Benetton Group purchasing the former Toleman outfit at the end of 1985 – the car certainly caught the eye with its green livery that also featured splashes of bright colors across the chassis. What made the design even more unique was that, on some occasions, the B186 also ran multi-colored tyres that had been painted on the sides.
Personally, I think the Benetton B186 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The green and bright colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The B186 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Toro Rosso STR12
Next up is a livery that became a fan favorite back in 2017. The Toro Rosso team – now known as Racing Bulls – caught the eye when they unveiled the STR12, with it featuring a noticeable evolution from the squad’s previous color scheme. Swapping the navy of old for a vivid royal blue – teamed with shades of red, silver and purple – the shimmering new look certainly stood out when Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kyvat took to the track.
In my opinion, the Toro Rosso STR12 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The royal blue and vibrant colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The STR12 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Jordan 198
As touched on earlier, Jordan were perhaps best known for their standout yellow colors throughout much of the team’s stint in Formula 1, a hue they first adopted in 1996. While the look took on various forms in the years that followed, one version that remains particularly popular is that sported by the Jordan 198. This featured the iconic ‘Buzzin’ Hornets’ design, which included a striking black nosecone with a hornet pictured on the side. The insect replaced a snake that had been a mainstay on the car’s predecessor, the Jordan 197 – and while we’re used to seeing the Prancing Horse on Ferrari’s challengers, we wouldn’t be against more creatures popping up on modern-day liveries.
From my perspective, the Jordan 198 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The yellow and black colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The 198 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
McLaren M23
We have already discussed the changing color schemes used by McLaren over the years – and another look that became synonymous with the team was the red and white livery first launched in the 1970s. It is a design that is perhaps most greatly associated with the era of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, when a fierce rivalry developed between the team mates as they fought for the World Championship during their shared time at the squad in 1988 and 1989. But for the sake of nostalgia, our pick for the version that we would like to see a return of is the very first red and white McLaren. The M23 – which also featured a touch of gold – claimed the outfit’s first championships in 1974, with Emerson Fittipaldi at the wheel.
In my opinion, the McLaren M23 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The red and white colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The M23 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
Red Bull RB11 (pre-season testing version)
And finally, while it never actually raced, we have to mention Red Bull’s famous testing livery from the 2015 pre-season. The Milton Keynes-based outfit got everybody talking when the RB11 emerged on the first day of testing in Jerez covered in a black and white camouflage design, a clever trick to hide any secrets of their new challenger. Red Bull have since used other iterations of the camouflage look during shakedowns in 2018 and 2019, but it would certainly be fun to see the livery run in anger on a race weekend.
From my perspective, the Red Bull RB11 is a design that would be a fantastic addition to the modern grid. The black and white camouflage colors are instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the team's successful era. What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the car's performance. The RB11 was a work of art, and its return would be a visual treat for fans. This raises a deeper question: how can we balance the nostalgia of retro designs with the need for modern innovation in Formula 1?
