Three F1 teams have released special liveries for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, with more potentially on the way once practice starts Thursday night. Here's where each one lands.
We'll update this post as more liveries drop throughout the weekend.
1. Racing Bulls -- A
The Racing Bulls livery is the best of the group and it's not close. Dubbed the "Spring Edition," it was designed in collaboration with Japanese calligrapher Bisen Aoyagi and inspired by the Red Bull Spring Edition can. The car goes heavy on white and red -- the colors Japan is known for -- and the result is something that actually looks different on track.
That's the whole point of a special livery. When you're watching on TV and a car comes through that makes you stop and say "that's not the same car," the livery did its job. This one does that. It commits to the theme without overthinking it.
Images via Formula1.com
Grade: A
2. Haas -- B
Haas isn't usually a team that gets praised for aesthetics, but the Japanese GP livery is solid. The car features a Godzilla collaboration with Toho Co -- the Japanese entertainment company behind the franchise -- making it the first entertainment IP partnership in Haas history. The Toyota Gazoo Racing connection makes the Japanese tie-in feel natural.
The Godzilla touch is fun, and the white and red work with the theme. The issue is there's still too much black on the car. It holds the livery back from fully committing to the Japanese GP look.
Images via Formula1.com
Grade: B
3. Mercedes -- B-
Mercedes went with a wolf-inspired design under the tagline "Unleashing the Beast." The front wing is the highlight -- a grey wolf with piercing yellow eyes that looks genuinely aggressive. It's a cool detail on George Russell and Kimi Antonelli's W17.
The problem is that's about where the special livery ends. The rest of the car stays close to the standard Silver Arrows look with the usual black, silver, and Petronas green. If you're not paying close attention, you might not notice it's a one-off at all. The front wing does the heavy lifting, and the rest of the car doesn't follow through.
Images via Formula1.com
Grade: B-
The Verdict
Racing Bulls wins the weekend. They went the furthest with the concept and it shows on the car. Haas had a fun idea with Godzilla but didn't push the color scheme far enough. Mercedes put all their effort into the front wing and called it a day.
These are the first special liveries of the 2026 season, with more one-off designs expected throughout the 22-race calendar. We'll update this post if any more teams drop something before lights out at Suzuka.