ABU DHABI -- Formula One is set to unveil a new logo after the final race of the season this weekend.
Having taken control of the sport in January, F1's new owners Liberty Media are keen to inject "fresh energy" into it. Their takeover saw the end of Bernie Ecclestone's long reign at the top of F1, with the 87-year-old shuffled into a position of chairman emeritus and out of the paddock at the majority of races.
Though the specifics of the new logo have not been confirmed, it is expected to be unveiled in the hours after the chequered flag falls on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Three designs have been circulating on social media after being registered for trademark, though it is believed the final concept is different again.
.@F1 has registered three new figurative logos designs with the @EU_IPO, located here: https://t.co/kWqhj5MBrW
— F1 Broadcasting (@f1broadcasting) November 17, 2017
The current logo is better than all three... pic.twitter.com/qqPoRqRF0N
"We want to provide a fresh energy to the sport, we thought the new logo was a great way to emphasise that," F1 CEO Chase Carey told Sky Sports of the upcoming change.
When asked if he was prepared for backlash from fans, he said: "For sure, any time you change you are always going to get a mixed set of views. What we wanted to do was provide a fresh energy to the sport, and I think have a lot of plans for the future and a lot of things we want to do.
"We thought the logo was a good way to emphasise the excitement and a fresh energy to take the sport to a new place. That's respecting where the sport has been, we are not looking to change the sport, we are looking to provide a fresh innovation and energy to a sport that is a great sport.
"We think we can enhance it and better it, to allow fans to engage in ways they maybe haven't had the opportunity to in the past around events that truly are the spectacle they should be."
The current logo, a black and red design known as the 'Flying 1', was first used in 1993 and in the time since it has become one of the most famous in world sport. Liberty has made an effort to distance itself from the Ecclestone era so far this year by stepping up fan engagement and increasing its activity on social media -- something Ecclestone once famously claimed would be dead before he was.
The American company has also created an esports league, which culminates with the grand finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, while also exploring options for an Over-The-Top streaming service and Virtual Reality offerings.
One of the best examples of Liberty's new approach was at the U.S. Grand Prix, where boxing announcer Michael Buffer introduced each driver ahead of the race. The popular two-seater F1 car also made a comeback this year, giving celebrities and fans a chance to experience the sport first hand.