PNG versus WebP for motorsport social graphics

F1 Tools accepts PNG, JPG, and WebP on upload, and exports finished graphics as PNG (plus PDF for notices). That mix confuses people, so here is how I actually choose formats while making motorsport posts.

Uploads into the editors

Format	Use when	Watch out for
PNG	Driver cutouts, logos, anything with transparency	Larger files; fine for one-off edits
WebP	Compressed source photos that still look sharp	Some older desktop tools struggle; browsers are fine
JPG	Full-bleed press shots with no alpha	Compression halos around helmets on coloured backgrounds

For Breaking News and Race Winner, transparent PNGs sit on team gradients without a cardboard box of studio backdrop. That single choice does more for “broadcast feel” than any filter.

The winner tool’s built-in poses ship as WebP with alpha-friendly edges — a good reference for the look you want from your own uploads.

Exports out of F1 Tools

Exports are PNG because:

• Social apps re-encode everything anyway; starting from a lossless frame preserves edges one more generation
• Transparency is sometimes useful for Discord / overlays even if Instagram flattens it
• Stewards notices need crisp black text on white — JPEG noise shows up immediately

Race Winner goes further and exports at 2× (2160 × 2700) so the PNG still looks sharp after Instagram’s compression pass.

Rough size observations

From my own exports (not a lab benchmark, just a notebook):

• Breaking news PNG with a detailed photo: often 0.8–2.5 MB
• Grid page PNG: often 1–3 MB depending on headshot detail
• Winner PNG at 2×: larger, but the clarity on mobile timelines was worth it in side-by-side checks

WebP uploads that I converted from phone HEIC/JPEG were typically half to a third the size of the equivalent PNG source, with no visible hit on a phone screen.

Practical rule

1. Edit with the best cutout you have (PNG if you already keyed it).
2. Export PNG from F1 Tools.
3. Let Instagram / X / Discord re-encode for delivery.

Do not re-save the export as a low-quality JPEG “to save space” before posting — you pay twice in generation loss.

Related: How exports are generated locally in your browser.