Red Bull proved that liveries do matter

Seldom in the modern Formula 1 pitlane have so many people stopped whatever vitally important tasks they were performing to do a double-take at the car that has just blasted past on its way out onto the track.

That's exactly what happened at Jerez during F1's pre-season testing kick-off when a dizzying blur of unrecognisable white-and-black shot past.

Having not caught sight of which garage it had emerged from, it took a split-second to work out what the imposter was. In the end, the Infiniti badges were the giveaway.

This was the new, camouflaged Red Bull RB11. And it looked mighty.

Having successfully kept the lid on not only its car design but its testing-livery concept in the build-up to Jerez, Red Bull certainly caused a stir when it unleashed its stunning visual conceit.

It's not very often that an F1 team ends up doing something that is a genuinely pleasant surprise. Twelve months ago the shock was about how terrible the 2014 noses looked when we first got a glimpse of them; now there was a bit of awe about Red Bull actually doing something that got people excited.

Jordan's 1991 7UP livery remains an all-time classic © LAT

Undoubtedly there will have been a technical motivation in running camouflage - the 'dazzle' colour scheme, first applied to shipping in World War I to conceal a vessel's range and heading, is frequently used by road-car manufacturers to frustrate covert photography of their new models, and it certainly made it harder to pick out fine details of the RB11.

Equally Red Bull's marketing people pulled a masterstroke in grabbing the publicity spotlight. The 'zebra' car became such a focal point because team liveries unveiled elsewhere on the grid have proved so disappointingly predictable.

It's all too easy to underestimate the importance of an evocative, memorable colour scheme for stirring all of us who follow the sport. If you doubt that proposition, just take a look at some of the imaginative livery ideas that artistically inclined fans have been posting on the internet and social media in recent weeks.

When we think back to some of the memorable and best-looking cars of the past, what comes to mind? We don't recall the marvels of a front-wing design, an aggressively packaged rear end or a beautifully integrated front suspension layout.

We hark back to the black-and-gold JPS Lotus. We think of those red-and-white Marlboro McLarens from the 1970s through to the '90s. We recall Nigel Mansell in the yellow-blue-and-white Canon Williams. And we remember one of the best looking cars ever - Gary Anderson's Jordan 191 in the 7-Up branding.

When word emerged that Martini was returning to F1 as title sponsor of Williams, it caused tremendous excitement for everyone. That enthusiasm had nothing to do with the onset of cocktail hour, and everything to do with the allure of those famous dark blue, light blue and red stripes, triggering a rich and pleasing flow of historic associations - from Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep's thunderous Porsche 917 to Juha Kankkunen in maximum-attack mode aboard a Lancia Delta HF Integrale.

Liveries are important because they can help stir the soul. They provide identity, and they are part of the emotional link between fans and the team they follow.

That's why there was such a frenzy of excitement ahead of the McLaren-Honda launch this year, as its followers speculated about what colour the new car would be.

Many hoped McLaren might return to red and white © LAT

It explains, too, that while the team raved about the ultra-tight packaging and how impressive the MP4-30 was under the skin, onlookers experienced a frisson of disappointment as they regarded its familiar colour scheme. Critics suggested the team should have done more with the opportunity to break visually with its recent Mercedes past.

Even if, as has been mooted, the arrival of new sponsors may bring on a change for the season opener, why not revert to that famous orange testing branding that got fans excited in 1997, '98, and as recently as 2005?

In recent years, as F1 has become more corporate, so too its liveries have become just that little bit less exciting. This has happened at the same time as F1's cars have evolved to become all too similar too thanks to ever-more-restrictive regulations.

If a team wants to stand out - just like Red Bull did at Jerez - then why not be a bit bolder? The camouflage livery may only be temporary but there is still room for creativity when Red Bull reverts to its usual blue-and-purple palette for the opening race of the season.

As F1 continues to discuss what is being termed a car revolution for 2017, some thought should be given to liveries and the way the cars are branded.

Getting cars that look amazing should be as much of a priority as 1000bhp engines, wider tyres and delivering a bigger challenge for drivers. The designs have to excite again - to make us regularly do double-takes.

So hats off to Red Bull for offering us a glimpse of that, and reminding us why liveries matter so much.