What are testing liveries and why do F1 teams use them?

With the Barcelona Shakedown underway, a number of teams have sent their 2026 cars out on track for the first time – and some are sporting a special livery for the occasion. But why do teams do this? F1.com provides the answers to that question and more below…

What is a livery?

A livery is the design and colour scheme that adorns an F1 car. Liveries represent a team’s identity; for example, certain colours are often associated with particular squads, such as Ferrari’s iconic red.

The car’s livery also usually showcases the team’s sponsors, while it can also be used to celebrate particular milestones or occasions during the season.

Why do teams use special liveries at testing?

It is not unusual to see F1 teams sporting a special livery when pre-season testing takes place. This can sometimes take the form of a camouflage design, which is often used to disguise aerodynamic details on the car.

Camouflage liveries have been seen on various occasions in the past, with this style famously covering Red Bull’s new challenger during testing ahead of the 2015 season.

For others, the use of a special livery at testing may be down to the fact that they have not yet revealed their design for the season; for example, some teams participating in the Barcelona Shakedown prior to the 2026 campaign are yet to host their respective launch events, meaning that they might want to delay revealing their full-time liveries until then.

Which teams are running special liveries at the Barcelona Shakedown?

Cadillac were one of the first to confirm that they would run a one-off livery during the Barcelona Shakedown, which is taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from January 26-30.

F1’s newest team are sporting a monochrome concept with geometric pattern in a gloss and matte sequence, ahead of unveiling the livery that their car will sport during the outfit’s maiden season on February 8.

McLaren – who will host their launch event on February 9 – are also set to use a special design in Barcelona.

When will we see the liveries for the 2026 season?

As touched on above, some teams will reveal their liveries for the 2026 campaign when they hold their launch events during early February.

Others have already done so, with Red Bull and Racing Bulls the first to unveil their designs during a joint event in Detroit on January 15. Haas, Audi, Mercedes, Alpine and Ferrari have also all showcased their liveries.

Why do teams use special liveries during the season?

While special liveries are frequently seen during pre-season testing, teams often use one-off designs during the season, too.

This is often to mark a particular occasion; for example, it might be a milestone event for the team, or a special design could be used as a nod to the venue. Races like Monaco and Las Vegas, for instance, frequently see a range of one-off liveries reflecting the venue.