Formula 1 and Design

Most of my friends know I have a bit of an obsession with Formula 1. This is at odds to my environmental beliefs, I know, but I just love it. (It's not exactly the most sustainable form of entertainment after all...) It's the only sport I'm really into. I just love all the technical side to it, the strategies, the competitiveness, the speeeed, of course. So, I watched today's Barcelona race, of course, and it reminded me how much I love the F1 logo:

Which I've taken down because apparently you can't use it without a license!

It's ridiculously simple, but I think it's one of, if not my absolute favourite logo around at the moment. It's so clever. Using the F and the red section (which is vaguely in the shape of a 1) to silhouette the shape of the 1... nicely hidden but it does jump out at you. Ah it's just so perfect. I really hope whoever designed it (f you know, please say, I can't find it anywhere) just stumbled upon this solution, after a bit of doodling. And the red spikes, well, you can't really say 'this is a fast and sometimes dangerous but pretty jolly exciting sport' any other way. I do prefer it without the 'Formula 1' type at the bottom though, when it's on your telly it doesn't have that and it looks slicker. It's just a good, clean design, which isn't too fancy for itself, hasn't got shiny vector glossy bits, and almost understates the multi-million dollar industry that F1 is. It says 'Hello, yes, you know what F1 is, we don't have to sell it much to you, we're good and that's that. Vrooooooom...'

There's all kinds of logos out there, good, bad and the boring, and I'm sure people can think of better ones than this. But for me, it's genius.

So while on the subject of F1, I also want to talk about Brawn GP. For those who don't know, they're a bit of a Phoenix-from-the-ashes; evolving from Arrows to Honda, almost dying over the winter then being reborn through Ross Brawn, of former Ferrari fame. And just look at them. They're proving to be the best in the field (although Red Bull aren't far behind), Ferrari and McLaren are mid-runners these days. It's mental, I love it. Who'd have thought?

But it's the look of the car that I love. Because of the speed at which they put the team together, they didn't have time to get any sponsors, aside from Virgin. This means the car is... well, virginal:

And look at the shape of that nose cone... it just feels magically retro and futuristic at the same time. Mmmm. Can I be a track girl?

It's so lovely. And refreshing. All other F1 cars look like adverts have thrown up on them. This one is sexual and clean and new. And the colour scheme... what genius. Black, white, and NEON yellow? Yes please. It's like some nu-rave indie kid has shown up at a high-class dinner party, eaten all the raspberry meringue, stuck his tongue out then sped off in a stream of neon and giggles. And the rest of the dinner party/teams are going '....Oh. I say. He's rather good, isn't he. Who invited him?'

So well done to Button and Barrichello today, getting 1st and 2nd. Legends. And Button so deserves it, he's been stuck in rubbish cars for so long, always too good for them. I'm a Hamilton fan all the way but Brawn have got my heart right now.

Here's an interesting proposition for the Brawn GP team, by Daniel Eatock. I highly recommend you read it, he's got some good points. And it would be an excellent use of the white space on the car... a white space that will no doubt be swallowed up by the beginning of the next season as sponsors clamour to throw up on it.

Which will be a shame, because it's so god damn pretty like it is.

Any thoughts? What's your favourite logo ever? Do you think Brawn should go with Eatock's idea?