Renault became the final team to reveal its definitive looks for the 2020 F1 season earlier today.
Which means it’s time to ask the least important and most superficial question of the new season: Whose car looks best?
Compare all 10 below, vote for your pick of the pack, and see which cars were named the winners of previous seasons.
Mercedes
The world champions have produced a car which is outwardly a clear evolution of its hugely successful predecessors – why would they do anything else? – with a slight livery update this year to incorporate the addition of a major new sponsor.
Ferrari
Similarly, Ferrari are sticking with what’s worked. Expect the Mission Winnow logos to vanish at most races, starting with this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, as happened did last year.
Red Bull
The livery is familiar but Red Bull’s RB16 sports a novel nose with several unusual elements at the tip, making for a strikingly distinctive car.
McLaren
McLaren are the latest team to follow the trend for weight-saving matte paint. Greater expanses of the car are also left unpainted – a change which began in the middle of last season. Other than that, the MCL35 looks like a more taut version of last year’s successful design.
Renault
Renault presented its definitive livery for the first time today, the RS20 having run in black during pre-season testing. They’ve also gone down the ‘slim nose’ route.
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AlphaTauri
The biggest change on the grid for this year comes at the team formerly known as Toro Rosso. For its first car, styled similarly to sister team Red Bull’s RB16, AlphaTauri have adopted a white and dark blue colour scheme which looks like it belongs to a BMW-powered Williams or Brabham.
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Racing Point
Racing Point’s second F1 car will be its last before it becomes Aston Martin next year. It looks pink, fast and a lot like last year’s Mercedes, a detail which has caused some consternation in the paddock.
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Alfa Romeo
The name says ‘Alfa Romeo’ but the vast expanses of white on the car’s livery screams ‘Sauber’. The Ferrari customer team have persisted with a development of one of the grid’s most distinctive designs, particularly around the nose tip and airbox.
Haas
It’s back to classic Haas colours – well, grey and a splash of red – following last year’s Rich Energy debacle.
Williams
For the second year in a row Williams has refreshed its look, but after their disastrous 2019 campaign the team will be hoping the differences to last year’s car are more than just skin deep.
You say
Which F1 car design for 2020 is your favourite? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
Which team has the best-looking F1 car for 2020?
- Williams (10%)
- Haas (3%)
- Alfa Romeo (5%)
- Racing Point (4%)
- AlphaTauri (25%)
- Renault (24%)
- McLaren (14%)
- Red Bull (3%)
- Ferrari (4%)
- Mercedes (8%)
Total Voters: 311
A RaceFans account is required in order to vote. If you do not have one, register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.
Previous winners
Here are the 10 previous winners of the poll:
McLaren MCL33
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Adam (@rocketpanda)
11th March 2020, 10:14
For me it’s the Alpha Tauri. Really nice blue, clean, good design. I’m not generally a fan of mostly white cars but it’s a really nice look. The Haas looks pretty good too. Most of the others are largely unchanged, design wise.
The Williams has to look the worst though – the colours just clash and the design looks messy.
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
11th March 2020, 11:04
Alpha Tauri for me too
GongTong (@gongtong)
11th March 2020, 12:04
@rocketpanda I was really surprised at the positive response that Williams got when they unveiled. It’s hideous.
GeeMac (@geemac)
11th March 2020, 13:38
Agreed, and that’s coming from a lifelong Williams fan.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
11th March 2020, 17:50
I don’t think the williams is the best, but I crtainly think it looks better and more intresting than most. Maybe not many do then.
Watertower (@watertower)
11th March 2020, 20:01
Agreed, the Alpha Tauri looks simple and sophisticated at the same time. Really well done.
I have no idea why the Renault gets so many votes it’s rather boring (same goes for the frontrunners)
RB13
11th March 2020, 10:16
Rename this a livery poll in future because looking at the past winners it’s clear that the actual car design was not taken into account whatsoever.
Look at the schnoz on that 2014 Williams! Uft.
Andy (@andycz)
11th March 2020, 10:59
Well 2014 was really difficult year for voting.
RB13
11th March 2020, 12:31
@andycz the Mercedes was by far and away the nicest shape and only car resembling a normal nose but had a boring livery so lost the livery poll as it should be called.
Destian
11th March 2020, 13:19
The only car that has a furutistic livery is the Mercedes.
anon
11th March 2020, 22:32
RB13, you do have a point that, in previous votes, it seemed that people did focus quite heavily on the livery in comparison to the shape of the chassis itself – as, indeed, comments here suggest they are now.
The success of the SF15-T in 2015, for example, is a little surprising – I recall quite a few posters at the time saying that they thought the nosecone, which protruded quite far forward, looked quite awkward and made the car look a bit ugly from the side or from an angled view from the front.
Alonso (@alonshow)
12th March 2020, 16:03
Actually, the nose of the Racing Point has exactly the same shape as the nose of the Mercedes. It’s just the livery that is ugly. And I don’t see anything wrong in the nose of the Renault. It’s just the classic shape, which makes it the most beautiful of them all.
JC Case (@jccase)
11th March 2020, 15:54
I would have loved to see Renault return to their classic yellow/white/black livery, but if so, the demands for Wins might get higher so.. I find their currant livery quite dull to be honest. I do like the IndyCar-esque livery on the HAAS though (which got my vote), but from a pure design point of view: the Red Bull RB16.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
11th March 2020, 19:32
The RB that year did a very good job at hiding an already decent 2014-nosejob. That car ultimately looked the most normal on-track IMO
ColdFly (@)
11th March 2020, 10:16
Renault; I like the rounded nose.
RB13
11th March 2020, 10:18
@coldfly +1
In black the design looked properly old skool, in a good way. And reminiscent of some of the JPS on modern car concepts floating around on Twitter.
Antz (@antznz)
12th March 2020, 1:24
Totally agree. Alpha Tauri also really nice. Red Bull is very underrated so far in this poll. I guess everyone’s skipped it due to continuity and same same look. I would put the williams 3rd, it’s refreshingly different.
Nitzo (@webtel)
11th March 2020, 10:30
I will go with Alpha Tauri. They have tried something significantly different. Points for the effort.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
11th March 2020, 10:55
I would go with Renault simply in terms of design, the livery blends with this year’s car much better. However, I gave my vote to Williams because of their bravery with new look and the fact that the new livery is already a modern classic for me. Hope the results will improve as the aesthetics did.
Qeki (@qeki)
11th March 2020, 11:04
After a couple of years that 2016 Renault looks like it was stung by a bee. The whole RS16 looks kinda odd.
I would say Renault (cleary the best desing) if it would be black. Mclaren and Alfa Romeo have the best liveries but I have to say Mclaren
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
11th March 2020, 20:44
I would like Renault to go back to either the 2016 (mostly yellow) or the testing (mostly black) livery. This half-way job doesn’t really work – it doesn’t know whether it’s Arthur or Martha.
RocketTankski
11th March 2020, 11:26
The top picture (that’s all blacked out) is a livery that was only seen behind closed doors by the FIA.
Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
11th March 2020, 16:13
It’s ok, they’ve come to an agreement with the FIA not to have to reveal their livery.
DonSmee (@david-beau)
11th March 2020, 11:45
Gave it to Alpha tauri. Looks fashionable.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
11th March 2020, 12:03
Renault. And it’s probably the only thing they’ll win all year…
Kurik
11th March 2020, 13:10
It’s a toss up for me between the Renault and the Mclaren….I would say they are a tie in my head.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th March 2020, 14:03
I voted for Williams.
hellothere
11th March 2020, 16:02
For me its RBR, i like the thinner nose and also no one ever mentions this but has the better and less tubular looking halo( i don’t like the halo) but anyway is less ugly than others.
Chris Lloyd (@chrisr1718)
11th March 2020, 16:17
The halo’s are manufactured by three approved external manufacturers chosen by the FIA and is the same specification for all vehicles.
hellothere
12th March 2020, 0:59
are you blind dude? the halo of RBR and haas are different to the rest, yes they have the same spec but the design is different open your eyes
socksolid (@socksolid)
11th March 2020, 16:07
I voted williams. It is colorful, new and stands out.
rob91
11th March 2020, 16:25
They all look awful. Can’t believe how good looking the cars from 10 years ago are compared to now, and they never really looked good. Every year they just get uglier.
rob91
11th March 2020, 16:30
To be completely serious, this is one of the reasons that is making F1 not so appealing anymore. It might be just a very small problem, but small problems do add up.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
11th March 2020, 20:47
Agree. The safety first, Todt Thong, killed sleek open cockpit racing cars. However, the massive single seat stretch limo designs do match the industrial safety protection motif.
Next season the cars will be even heavier. And probably uglier. Seems F1 won’t be fully satisfied until the cars have more road relevance – catering to the look and possibly weight, of the bulbous SUV segment.
anon
11th March 2020, 22:26
@jimmi-cynic and yet, interestingly, people still comment positively on IndyCars despite the fact that they are over 5.1m in length – curiously, people seem to think of those cars as being relatively compact when, in reality, they are extremely long in their own right (especially by historical standards).
Jon Bee
11th March 2020, 16:28
All of the previous results proved beauty is only skin deep.
Dantes (@dantes)
11th March 2020, 21:04
I guess when Mercedes wins this one they will loose the Championship….
bull mello (@bullmello)
12th March 2020, 0:40
Best:
Renault
Alfa Romeo
McLaren
Worst:
Racing Point – tired of it
Ferrari – The M car has so many M logos (probably over 20). Too Many MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
12th March 2020, 1:09
Renault that yellow looks sick on a car, and its unique
rpiian (@rpiian)
12th March 2020, 4:00
I love the Alfa Romeo. The metallic burgundy with white does t for me. Surprised it’s so low in the standings, but the other Alphas a looker as well, so I get it.