Formula 1 are on the verge of dropping the familiar and iconic logo, and replace it with a new version to be made public starting with the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Three trademark applications – as seen above – were last week registered by Formula One Licensing BV with the European Union Intellectual Property.
To understand as to why the logo was changed after the end of the 20th century, we have to dive back into the history of Formula 1. Through the seventies and eighties was becoming riding the wave of the global sporting boom, boosted by the advent of television coverage.
As Bernie Ecclestone took hold of Formula 1 in the nineties he started globalizing the sport and as the 20th century came to an end, F1 had become a worldwide business platform for major international corporations to promote their products and as a business-to-business networking opportunities.
And so it was decided that F1 needed a logo, which would signify the main ethos of the sport.
Thus modern F1 Logo was designed in early 2000 and ranks as one of the most iconic brands in sport. Cleverly incorporating the “F” in black, with the white number “1” sandwiched between the “F” and a bright red flash of “speed”.
This logo replaced one that referred to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in a squarish format.
The three new logos are relatively conservative and set to become the symbol of Formula 1 in the new Liberty Media era, which to a large extents means dismantling much of what Ecclestone built in his long reign over the sport.
F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches said earlier this year, “There are four real things I am going to focus on. One is the brand. The brand is the entry-point for any company, any brand, any sport. And we are going to work to understand the brand.”
“We are going to polish it, we are going to elevate it. It is going to be really central to what we do. That will allow us to enter new market places. It will allow us to take out of the market place what we should on the commercial side from sponsors, from rights holders, to promoters.”
Which of the three newly registered versions will become the official logo of Formula 1 is not yet known, but all should be revealed in the build-up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this week.
Big Question: Does Formula 1 need a new logo?