Formula 1’s new owner Liberty Media introduced its new logo at the 2017 season finale in Abu Dhabi last weekend, replacing the previous example, introduced by former F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone in 1994.

Created by a team led by Richard Turley at Wieden+Kennedy London, and overseen by Ellie Norman, Formula 1’s first Director of Marketing, the new logo design remains simple, featuring the F1 in solid red, and will be used from the start of the 2018 campaign.

Norman explains the logo change to Highsnobiety, “The existing logo is iconic and synonymous with the sport – but it was built for a different era. We want to get fans closer to the action and engage with them across lots of digital platforms that didn’t exist when this was created,” “The rebrand signals our ambition for a more open and inclusive sport that appeals to a much broader fan base, and hopefully becomes an iconic logo that more fans become familiar with,” he adds.

Since the announcement, the logo change has had fans debating whether it’s the right decision to change something that has been representing Formula 1 for the past 23 years, and has been regarded as one of the most recognisable in the sport. Some drivers are also not impressed by the new logo. “The old one was iconic, and the new one isn’t,” says Lewis Hamilton. “Imagine if Ferrari changed theirs.” Sebastian Vettel agreed by saying “I liked the old one better.”

While some of the fans and drivers are upset by the new logo, however, FIA’s president Jean Todt is confident that Liberty has done the right thing and does not think it will become a huge talking point in the future. “It is an evolution,” said Todt. “And incidentally the commercial rights holder can change the logo with the agreement of the FIA and they are very professional people.” If the result of the studies demonstrate that it is going in the interest of the development of F1, I think we should encourage that.”

Thoughts on the new logo?