Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel not happy with new F1 Logo

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel has hit back at the new Formula One logo which was launched after season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The design, described as symbolising the look of a Formula One car with a ‘modern-retro feel’, replaces one introduced three decades ago by former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Managing director Sean Bratches said it shows the “wider transformation taking place in Formula One” as owners Liberty Media sought to broaden the sport’s appeal and lead it into a digital future.

But Hamilton, who also called for changes to F1's season-ending fixture after an underwhelming conclusion to his world-championship winning campaign, said he is not a fan of the new logo.

“The old one was iconic, and the new one isn't,” Hamilton said after he finished second to Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the Yas Marina Circuit. “Imagine if Ferrari changed theirs.”

Another former World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, said simply: “I liked the old one better.”

Formula One's director of marketing Ellie Norman, said the new logo derived from fan feedback and would be easier to work with on digital and mobile platforms.

“I think over time it will be received positively,” she said, recognising there could be an initial backlash in some quarters.

“Having shared it with the teams in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and with our sponsors and partners on Wednesday, the feedback... has been incredibly positive.”

And Jean Todt, president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), told reporters he saw it as “a good evolution”.

To accompany the reveal of the new logo, Formula One has also set out a ‘mission statement’ in language that may raise eyebrows among those wary of ‘Americanisation’.