Formula One logo
faces a design backlash and legal battle

When Formula One owners Liberty Media decided to put their stamp on the F1 logo, which hadn’t been updated for 23 years, they probably thought it was due a change.

Agency Wieden + Kennedy created the sleek new design, which launched at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi, instantly sparking an online buzz.

Despite the thousands of people offering their opinion, creative feedback and even their own concepts, the launch of the new F1 logo wasn’t a complete success.

F1 fans didn’t hold anything back when it came to criticising the logo calling it ‘amateurish’ and comparing it to a leaky tap. Even F1 champion Lewis Hamilton reportedly ‘liked the old one better’.

A huge blow to the logo design is Post-It note famed 3M claiming that the F1 logo infringes on their copyright.

3M’s flight compression tights, Futuro Tights, share very similar branding, featuring the forward-slanting ‘F’ constructed out of two rectangular curved panels. 3M have said they will be ‘looking into this further’.

Whatever the outcome, it’s hard to name many logos which have lasted 23 years before getting a rebrand, so it’s fair to say the old F1 logo was going to be a tough act to follow. Check out the new 2019 F1 opening titles above (and the older intro below). We love the new dynamic colourway of the 2019 version, and the techy, edgier design elements. It just highlights no matter how good the original, even the most established logos can benefit from a refresh!