Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Car Launch

  • RB20

    Red Bull have become the 10th and final team to unveil their car for the 2024 Formula 1 season.

    Ahead of their title defence in the year ahead, the RB20 was revealed to the world at the squad’s Milton Keynes base on Thursday, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez amongst the team members on hand as their new challenger was revealed.

    There are no surprises in terms of livery, with the car continuing to carry the traditional navy blue colour scheme. The team has opted for a more aggressive concept, they will also be hoping for no big changes in regard to their car’s level of performance.

    Its predecessor, the RB19, enjoyed unprecedented levels of success in 2023, netting victory in all but one of the 22 Grands Prix. With Verstappen taking 19 of those 22 wins as he sealed his third drivers’ title in Qatar with several races to spare.

    The Dutchman ended the campaign with a 290 point advantage over second place Perez.
    Whereas in the constructors’ championship, Red Bull racked up a staggering 451 more points than nearest challengers Mercedes.

    Verstappen was given his first chance to get behind the wheel this week, as they had a shakedown at Silverstone.

    It does look a bit different. I think the team definitely pushed on quite a bit from last year and I think that’s very positive. I’m just looking forward to get to Bahrain, start testing and really see what the car is capable of.

    Verstappen on the RB20.

    You can see that the team has done an incredible job. We’ve gone very aggressive with the concept, so I’m looking forward to it. I find it great from Red Bull that we’ve had such a dominant car last year, that we just changed completely our concept. It’s something that I think requires a lot of hunger in the team, to keep pushing all the boundaries. [It] will be interesting to see how everything feels on track.

    Perez on the new car.

  • W15

    Mercedes became the penultimate team to launch for 2024 by revealing their new F1 car with a new livery.

    After McLaren showed an online presentation of their 2024 car, Mercedes posted digital renders of the W15 on their social media, with an on track shakedown after.

    Mercedes joined McLaren on track at Silverstone for some initial running with their new car before heading off to Bahrain for pre-season testing next week.

    The team will be hoping to take a step forward in 2024 in what will be Lewis Hamilton’s final season with the team.
    He will again be joined by George Russell as his teammate, with the Brit entering his third campaign as a Silver Arrows driver.

    After a difficult 2022 season amid the introduction of the new ground effect era in the sport, Mercedes initially stuck with their car concept entering into 2023.
    However, when their issues continued last season, the team started on what they called a “period of renewal”, which should put them in a new direction.

    There are no miracles in this sport. But our ambition and determination are strong. Since charting this new course, development has progressed well. We had several items on our priority list for this car. We will soon see if we’ve made the step we’ve aimed for. As the saying goes: when it stings, it sticks. I believe the previous two years were necessary for us to readjust, recalibrate and reinvent ourselves in certain areas.That root-and-branch approach is never easy. But we’ve made progress and look forward to taking the next step with the W15. It won’t be a linear path, but when we stumble, we will get back up and keep climbing.

    Toto Wolff on the struggles over the past few years.

  • SF-24

    Ferrari have kept the F1 launch season rolling by showing off their eagerly anticipated new challenger in an online presentation.

    Following swiftly in the footsteps of Aston Martin, the famous Italian marque virtually unveiled their SF-24 – which continues Ferrari’s recent naming tradition – via a special video and series of images.

    It keeps the traditional red livery and has white and yellow stripes throughout the car. Ferrari hope it marks a return to title contention as they hunt for their first constructors’ championship since 2008 and first drivers’ crown since 2007.

    Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will remain as teammates for a fourth consecutive season this year, however the build up to the new campaign has been dominated by the news of Lewis Hamilton joining the Italian team next year.

    This means, that Sainz has had to make way for the 7 time world champion, which leaves him without a seat as Leclerc has just signed a new deal.

    For now, the focus will be on the 24-race season ahead and taking another step forward with SF-24 package after Ferrari claimed the only non-Red Bull victory of 2023 in Frederic Vasseur’s first term as team boss.

    Presenting a new car to the world for the first time is always a very exciting moment for me and the drivers, even if we are all already thinking about the moment we will go head to head with our rivals on track. This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners, with a view to constantly improving in all areas. The longest ever Formula 1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more clinical and effective in how we manage the races, making bold choices, in order to get the best possible result at every Grand Prix. It’s often said that your fans can give you an extra gear and that will definitely be true in what will be a very closely contested championship and we are proud to know we can count on our ‘tifosi’ from around the world.

    Vasseur at the launch.

  • AMR24

    Aston Martin have become the latest team to show off their new car for the 2024 season. Following on from Haas, Williams, Kick Sauber, Alpine and RB.

    Owner, Lawrence Stroll, Team Principal Mike Krack, Technical Director Dan Fallows and drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were all on hand for the unveiling of the AMR24, which once again sports a British racing green livery.

    Aston Martin will head into the new campaign hoping to make a similar start to 2023, when a productive winter of development saw them shoot up the pecking order and emerge as Red Bull’s nearest challengers.

    However, the added challenge for 2024 will to be achieve this level on a consistent basis, having gradually faded away as last season wore on.

    F1’s launch season will continue this week as Ferrari present their new car tomorrow, followed by Mercedes and McLaren on Wednesday and Red Bull Thursday.
    Coincidentally, it is those four teams Aston Martin will be hoping to mix it with more frequently in 2024 as they aim to improve on their fifth place classification in last year’s constructors’ standings.

    We have tried to focus on all areas of our predecessor, the AMR23, which had a great season, full of positives, last year. But then we have not left any stone unturned. We have really tried to look at every area, be it the car, be it the operations, be it reliability, to make a step forward in all directions. It has been very intense over the couple of months since we finished the [last] season and we hope we have done enough. We are sure that we will have a strong contender.

    Mike Krack.

    We have managed to make a step on last year’s car. We’re very pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve. Really, it’s the first step, and this season we want to make sure we’ve got a good platform for development. That’s what we’ve been really focusing on and I think we’ve managed to achieve that. We’ve made changes all over the car. It’s very different in many ways and the majority of the parts have changed on it. But it is really still essentially a strong evolution of last year’s car, so we have kind of built on the end of AMR23. The obvious things you’ll see that are different are things like the front nose and front wing, the bodywork is different, but there’s also quite a lot under the hood which hopefully you won’t see! We will obviously try and keep some of that under wraps.

    Fallows added.

  • VCARB 01

    The newly-rebranded RB team have unveiled their 2024 challenger – the VCARB 01 – at a glittering event in Las Vegas.

    It has been all change for the Faenza-based quad for 2023, after they brought their AlphaTauri era to a close following the conclusion of last season, and that includes a livery change.

    While AlphaTauri’s design predominantly showcased dark blue and white, the new RB car will sport a sparkling blue and white livery, which takes it back to the designs of the Toro Rosso car.

    The car was obviously the star of the show at the launch event in Las Vegas, with the team’s new CEO Peter Bayer present and the new Team Principal Laurent Mekies.
    Also on stage at the event, alongside drivers Ricciardo and Tsunoda, was Amna Al-Qubaisi, who will be carrying the team’s colours in F1 Academy this year.

    There’s also been a host of changes to the operation ahead of this year’s campaign, with three experienced technical and trackside personnel signing on recently.

    One of those is Alan Permane – who departed Alpine as their Sporting Director midway through last season – as he takes up the role of Racing Director.
    Tim Goss will also take on the role of Chief Technical Officer in October. While Guillaume Cattelani joined the team as Deputy Technical Director, reporting to Technical Director Jody Egginton.

    As for the drivers, they will be hoping for a more successful season, with AlphaTauri finishing P8 in the constructors’ last year. The Australian will be wanting a smoother campaign, having started 2023 away from the F1 grid before his dramatic return was halted by a broken hand after the summer break.

  • A524

    Alpine have pulled the wraps off their latest F1 challenger – the A524 – ahead of the 2024 season, gathering at Enstone for a full ‘Motorsport Launch’ event that also saw the French brand’s WEC car formally presented.

    Alpine’s new F1 car, which will be driven by continuing team mates Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, is inspired by their partnership with contemporary artist Felipe Pantone and features a predominantly black livery with blue and pink highlights to build on previous designs.

    Meanwhile, Austrian water treatment company BWT entering the third year of their title partnership, Alpine’s livery will be pink dominated at eight of this season’s 24 races. having also started the beginning of the season in 2022 and 2023 in that style.

    Alpine will head into the new campaign, looking to bounce back from a low 2023, which saw them fall from fourth to sixth in the constructors’ standings and finish in the midfield.

    It’s a great moment for Alpine Motorsports to come together and officially present its programmes for the 2024 season. It is certainly a unique moment to have both the A524 Formula 1 car and A424 Hypercar along with all the drivers in the same room as both projects prepare for what will undoubtedly be a busy and intense 2024 year. To see both the real cars here today is testament to all the hard work conducted behind the scenes at our factories from our thousands of talented employees in the United Kingdom and in France. The next stage on our journey is deploying everything to the track, applying operational excellence across the board and growing a greater dynamic and mindset from all our teams. We are all very much looking forward to continuing the hard work to bring the Alpine name success.

    Bruno Famin, Alpine VP of Motorsports and Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team.

    The A524 approach has been aggressive but deliberate in the fact we are creating a wider scope to add performance to the car. We have really focused on learning and reacting to what we have learnt rather than on results. The project has been bold where we have focused on realising concepts, which we aim to add to the car. We’ve built ourselves a strong platform to add performance when we can and we have set ourselves targets to deliver those. We have pushed some elements to the limit and, in some cases, beyond that. That is all in line with our approach and exactly what we have set out to achieve in progressing this project to the best possible level.

    Matt Harman, Alpine’s Technical Director.

  • C44

    Stake have unveiled their 2024 challenger the C44, which sports a dazzling new fluorescent green and black livery, at a glittering event at London’s Guildhall.

    The Sauber-run team, who will run under the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber name this year, are embarking on a new era after saying goodbye to Italian sponsor Alfa Romeo.

    The Swiss-operation say the C44 is “a marked departure from its predecessor” and a “slew of changes have been introduced”. One of the most significant tweaks is a move from push-rod to pull-rod suspension.

    The C44 also features revised sidepods and engine cover plus a new floor – one of the most important areas for development when pursuing pure lap time.
    The team adds “some important updates” will be brought to the car in the opening rounds.

    The car will hit the track for the first time on Friday when it completes a shakedown at Barcelona and then onto pre-season testing.

    The new car we unveiled today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to every man and woman in Hinwil, who all contributed to the car we see today. Witnessing the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and even more so when it marks the start of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team. We have a fresh new identity and we are excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, though, it is all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to put commit to numbers, but our targets are clear – to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package, I mean every area, from the race team to the operations on track, the pit stops, the strategy: it’s more than just the car performance, and we are committed in all departments to make this step, this is the target. Then, we will see where our position will be as the season progresses: but the key target is to improve this year and to deliver a better job than we did in 2023.

    Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative.

    The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size. There are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track.

    James Key, Technical Director.

  • FW46

    Williams have shown off the livery that will adorn their cars during the upcoming F1 season at a special launch ceremony in New York.

    After livery reveals from McLaren and Haas, it was the Grove outfit’s turn to present their colour scheme for the year ahead, with an evolved deep blue design which, according to the team “links Williams’ championship-winning heritage with its mission to return to the front of the grid”.

    Williams also took the opportunity to announce a new multi-year headline partnership with Komatsu, who are a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry and industrial heavy equipment.
    The two parties previously enjoyed a successful partnership in the 1980s and 1990s, when Williams won a host of races and championships, including the supply of gearbox components for the title winning 1996 and 1997 cars.

    James Vowles was brought in as Team Principal early last year, to spark a new era of success, the operation enjoyed an immediate rise from the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings to seventh position in 2023 – with Alex Albon scoring all but one point.

    Albon will be continuing with the squad for a third successive campaign in 2024, with Logan Sargeant being retained for his second season in F1.

    It is a significant milestone to unveil the 2024 livery at an iconic location in New York City. Since joining Williams Racing a year ago, I’ve seen this team pull together to overcome a number of challenges and claim seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, which meant a great deal for everyone involved. We’ve also shown the world that we’re building the foundations for moving forward. We’ll continue to strengthen the team both on and off the track through improvements to our infrastructure, investing in our people, and attracting fantastic new partners like Komatsu. Of course, there’s still a long way to go on this journey together but I know our fans, partners and everyone at Grove HQ is pushing as one to create new history for this iconic team. It will take time, but everyone’s support is integral to help drive us towards success in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what this season holds for us.

    Vowles at the Launch.

  • VF-24

    Haas have revealed a series of digital renders of their 2024 challenger the VF-24 that is adorned by an evolution of their traditional black, red and white livery.

    As has been the case for several years, the American team have gone for a low-key launch, preferring to send out imagery of their new challenger before revealing the real things when it hits the track for a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th with Nico Hulkenberg behind the wheel.

    This will be their first season in F1 without Guenther Steiner at the helm, with Ayao Komatsu stepping up from his engineering leadership role to take the reins.

    The team, will once again run Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, aiming to improve on their last place finish in 2023 constructors’ championship.

    Following the car’s shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th, a second shakedown will take place in Bahrain eight days later, before pre-season testing begins at the same venue on February 21st.

    I’m looking forward to seeing the VF-24 running and racing – a sentiment. I know I share with our partners and indeed the entire team. In Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, we also know we’ve got a great pair of drivers behind the wheel, their experience will prove invaluable again as we develop our program through the year. We’ve used the off-season to put the processes in place to be better and ultimately improve our overall performance. Soon we get to see how we’re doing.

    Gene Haas on the new car.

    We’re realistic about our expectations for the VF-24 to start but it’s still an exciting moment in any Formula 1 season to showcase the car. There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make progress and increase our performance but everyone here is highly motivated and eager to get on track with the VF-24. I know we’ll be maximizing our time in Bahrain with all the various items we need to push through. Bottom line, we can’t wait to get going and get the season underway.

    Komatsu added.

  • A523

    Alpine have become the final team to reveal their 2023 challenger, pulling the covers off the A523 during a ceremony in London.

    Following Monday’s shakedown at Silverstone, the team gathered on Thursday evening for their official launch, which saw them unveil the new car in their now traditional blue livery. As well as this, a pink-themed version in the colours of the team’s title sponsor BWT, which will run at a handful of selected races this year, which are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

    The car will be driven by Esteban Ocon, who is preparing for his third season in Alpine colours, and new teammate Pierre Gasly, who comes from AlphaTauri.

    Alpine 2.jpg
    A523_White_Studio_Pink_03.jpg

    Alpine will be hoping they can yield the next step in their push towards the front of the F1 grid, with the top three now the target after finishing fifth in the constructors’ standings in 2021 and fourth in 2022.

    Ocon and Gasly have already shared positive words about their first runs in the A523 on Monday – the latter reporting a ‘very good’ feeling while the team noted that the day was issue-free.

    It’s been another milestone ticked for the A523 with our shakedown at Silverstone and I’m pleased the day ran so smoothly. Esteban drove first in the morning to check all the systems were working properly as well as completing the usual install programme for the car. Pierre was then in the car in the afternoon for the first time in the A523 and completed eight stable laps to get an initial feel in his new surroundings. These days are of course limited and not representative, but we’ve certainly had a great day and we now look forward to testing in Bahrain where we expect to continue our learning of the 2023 car.

    Alpine Technical Director, Matt Harman.

  • W14

    Mercedes became the penultimate F1 team to launch their 2023 challenger – taking the covers off the W14 where they sport an all-black livery.

    A day after rivals, Ferrari presented their new challenger, Mercedes showcased the car in which they hope will move them back into regular race wins and title glory.

    Mercedes’ latest creation marks a return to black – a colour they ran in the 2020 and 2021 seasons – after they returned to their more traditional silver scheme.

    Merc-4.png

    Team boss, Toto Wolff, continuing drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as well as new reserve Mick Schumacher were all present at the launch at Silverstone.

    One change inside the Mercedes camp for 2023, is the absence of James Vowles who recently left his strategy focused role to take the role of team boss at Williams.

    Our hopes and expectations are always to be capable of fighting for a World Championship. However, our competitors were very strong last year, and we are playing catch-up. Racing at the front requires resilience, teamwork, and determination. We face up to every challenge, we put the team first, and we will leave no stone unturned in the chase for every millisecond. This year, we are going all in to get back in front. We were overweight last year. This year we have tried to figure out where we can squeeze out every single gram. So now, history repeats itself. You will see that the car has some raw carbon bits, along with some that are painted matte black. Of course, when we changed the livery in 2020 the main driving factor was to support the diversity and equality causes which are always close to our heart. The colour black became part of our DNA at that point, so we are pleased to return to it.

    Toto Wolff speaking at the W14 launch.

  • SF-23

    Ferrari kept the launch season moving at speed as they unveiled their latest challenger, the SF-23 during a special presentation from the team’s Maranello headquarters.

    Following Monday’s reveals from McLaren and Aston Martin, it was Ferrari’s turn to show off their 2023 creation, which unsurprisingly sports another red-dominated livery.

    Present to oversee launch proceedings was new Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, who arrived at Ferrari from Alfa Romeo over the winter – replacement for Mattia Binotto.

    Ferrari rear 3 4s.jpg

    The new season is fast approaching, Vasseur is working to address the problems that ended the Italian’s team hopes of beating rivals Red Bull to title glory in 2022, with unreliability, strategic blunders and driver errors all playing a part to their downfall.

    Ferrari last won an F1 title back in 2008, when they claimed the constructors’ crown, whilst their last drivers’ championship was achieved with Kimi Raikkonen during the previous season.

    It’s always emotional for a team to do the launch. My contribution is very small on this one, but I can perfectly feel the work done on the car. Now it will be a new journey for the project, because the car will move to the race team. It’s a great feeling; when you are back on track, it’s like when you are back at school. I can feel that everybody is very proud of the job done and this feeling is very important for the motivation of everybody and for the season. It will be a quite long season, but the motivation is there and it’s crucial in terms of performance.

    Vasseur on his pre-season thoughts.

  • AMR23

    Aston Martin unveiled their 2023 Formula 1 car, the AMR23 at their new Silverstone headquarters, their third F1 car since the famous British brand returned in 2021.

    The team have called the AMR23 a considerable evolution of last year’s AMR22, which saw them finish seventh in the constructors’ championship but equal on points with Alfa Romeo.

    AM23_CAR_2548 TC 16x9.jpg

    Aston Martin made clear that the new car has a “heavily revised” front wing, new sidepods and a new engine cover with a bigger inlet on the roll hoop. It will be driven this year by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso who joins from Alpine.

    The AMR23 will be taking to the track on February 15th for a filming day at Silverstone, where both drivers will run the car.

    I have always said that I could see the ambition that shines bright at AMF1. And, as we launch the car in this brand-new factory, I think everyone can now see the scale of the ambition and determination at the heart of this organisation. Just as important is the car – and the AMR23 looks incredibly neatly packaged and highly efficient. I was pleasantly surprised when I sampled last year’s car for the very first time, and I think there is plenty of performance we can unlock together. I can’t wait to get started.

    Two time Champ, Fernando Alonso.

    Looking at AMR23, I can see lots of new thinking and some aggressive work around the packaging and aerodynamics that should really help us out as we head into year two of these new rules. I’m massively looking forward to working with Fernando. I’ve always got along very well with him – and it will be fantastic to race alongside him.

    Lance Stroll added.

  • MCL60

    McLaren have released their 2023 F1 challenger, the MCL60 during a launch presentation at their Technology Centre with the new livery featuring even more papaya orange for a special anniversary year for the team.

    In 2023, McLaren will be celebrating 60 years since legendary New Zealand racer, Bruce McLaren founded the team and, as an initial tribute, opted to jump straight from last season’s MCL36 to MCL60 with the naming of their latest car.

    At the launch, was four of the most important people, McLaren CEO, Zak Brown as well as new Team Principal, Andrea Stella who steps up from his previous position of Racing Director. Along with Lando Norris, and his new team mate Oscar Piastri who arrives into F1 as an F2 and F3 champion.

    MCL60-LN4-High-7K.jpg

    In addition to papaya orange, blue elements remain on McLaren’s livery colours first carried by the outfit in the 1960’s, before then making a popular return in 2018.

    When the new season begins, McLaren will be looking to turn their recent decline into something else, as they fell from third to fifth in the constructors’ standings in the space of two campaigns.

    We are delighted to launch our 2023 Formula 1 team with Lando and Oscar at the wheel as we celebrate 60 years of McLaren Racing. This year’s driver line-up is extremely exciting as Lando, an intelligent and confident driver with excellent pace, is joined by one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in motorsport with Oscar. 2022 was a challenging season in our continued effort to push towards the front of the grid. We learnt a lot which has been taken into the off-season as the entire team works hard to prepare for another year. Under the guidance of Andrea Stella, who moved into the position of Team Principal in December 2022, we have an excellent team to spearhead the 2023 season and can look forward to seeing our young driver duo continue to grow their partnership throughout the upcoming campaign. We’re now looking forward to heading back to being on track in Bahrain. It’ll be great to see the MCL60 in action ahead of the 2023 season. Let’s go racing!

    Zak Brown on the 2023 season.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConGHq-I4QE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • AT04

    Alpha Tauri have become the latest F1 team to launch their 2023 season, showing off their livery that will adorn the yet to be presented AT04 challenger during a special event in New York.

    Long time team boss, Franz Tost, continuing driver Yuki Tsunoda and new arrival Nyck de Vries were all on hand for Saturday’s reveal, which followed Red Bull’s own season launch in the Big Apple a week ago.

    Coinciding with New York’s famous Fashion Week, the launch represented a perfect fit for the Alpha Tauri fashion brand, who are owned by Red Bull and replaced Toro Rosso as the Faenza squad’s official name in 2020.

    In a stylish unveiling. Alpha Tauri presented a now traditional deep blue and white colour scheme for their new car, which is powered by Honda engines running under the Red Bull powertrains.

    0004.jpg

    However, red highlights now complement the palette courtesy of Polish oil refiner and petrol retailer, ORLEN having moved across from rivals Alfa Romeo.

    Alpha Tauri head into the new season looking to turn their recent F1 fortunes around, having slipped from sixth in the 2021 constructors’ standings to ninth in 2022, when all new technical regulations come into play.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Coigr8xpT_q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • C43

    Alfa Romeo have presented their new car for the F1 season, the C43 with a bold red and black livery taking over from the red and white colour scheme used during recent campaigns.

    Described as “aggressive on and below the skin” the car was unveiled to work in a joint presentation in Zurich and at the outfit’s headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland by continuing team mates Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, who combined to secure P6 in last year’s constructors’ standings.

    At the same time, a series of CGI images and videos released on Alfa Romeo’s social media channels showed the C43 coming together piece by piece, whilst Augmented Reality enabled fans to bring the launch experience into their own homes.

    C43_Front-Dynamic-Left-V4_LM_BOT_4-5.jpg

    New title sponsor Stake take centre stage on the livery, which will be the last to feature Alfa Romeo branding as the company prepare to end their sponsorship deal ahead of Audi joining forces with the Sauber-run operation.

    Alfa Romeo’s new car is set to hit the track for a shakedown session in Barcelona this week, before heading to Bahrain for pre-season testing.

    Bringing a car to life is a long process which touches every department of a racing team, therefore it’s a moment of great pride to see it unveiled today. We chose to do it in front of our fans, close to our home, because the launch of a new car is not only a moment to state your objectives for the season ahead; it’s also a time to give back to the people who have supported you, be it in the grandstands, in front of the TV or back at the factory, and express our gratitude for their passion and their belief in our project. Our new car is the result of months of work, but today is just the beginning of a journey. We need to keep working hard, with humility and dedication, to bring performance to the track. Everyone in the team is committed to this target and I am confident we will reap the rewards of our work.

    Alunni Bravi, speaking of the launch.

    I am very proud of what we have achieved over these last months, because creating a new car is always a massive effort from the team. This car is an evolution of last year, reflecting the new regulations and introducing major changes in the areas where we found improvements to be needed. I hope it’s going to be quicker than the successful car we had last year, that’s what matters most, and more reliable as well. We have put a lot of effort in this direction. Now, it’s time to get to the track and see how this car performs. I’m happy to get back to racing and I’m confident there will be much more to come from us soon.

    Jan Monchaux, Technical Director.

  • FW45

    Williams have shown off the eye-catching matte livery that will adorn their FW45 challenger during the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.

    In a special unveiling ceremony at the Grove headquarters in the UK, Williams revealed their new look in the presence of the refreshed driver line-up of American rookie Logan Sargeant and incumbent driver, Alex Albon – with the team also announcing oil company Gulf as a new sponsor, along with other new partners.

    Not only will the team have a rookie driver, but they will head into the 2023 season with a rookie Team principal as well, with James Vowles moving over from his role as Motorsport Strategy Director at Mercedes to take the reins at Williams.

    Vowles is set to begin work at Grove on February 20th, three days before the drivers begin 2023 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

    FW45 Livery - Front 3 Quarter - AA23.jpg

    With the physical Williams FW45 set to hit the track at Silverstone shakedown on February 13th, the team confirmed that they had ‘taken the opportunity to heavily evolve the side concept’ on the new car thanks to ‘optimising the power unit cooling layout’ – in which Williams continue with Mercedes power for a 10th consecutive season.

    The team also promised that the FW45 would be more aerodynamically efficient than its FW44 predecessor, with modifications to the front suspension layout and major external aerodynamic surfaces also incorporated into the new machine’s design.

    The team has worked really hard last year and over the winter to address some key areas in our car, putting in the work to try and maximise what we get out of the car for 2023, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the FW45 can do. We also welcome new partners to the team this year, so it’s great to have them onboard.

    Albon on 2023.

    I’m really excited for the season to get started after what, for me, feels like a long winter! I’m super motivated and we’ve put a lot of hard work in. The car is looking amazing and it shows the huge effort the team has put in the off season, so I’m looking forward to getting started at Silverstone before heading out to Bahrain.

    Sargeant on his rookie F1 season.

    As Williams Racing continues its transformation, we’re proud to unveil this year’s livery. We are excited about this year’s car, and I cannot thank the entire team at Grove enough for their hard work to get ready for the season. I am delighted to welcome both new and existing partners to our journey. With our new Team Principal James Vowles joining us later this month, as well as our exciting driver line up of Alex and Logan, Williams Racing will be giving its all in 2023.

    Matthew Savage, Williams Racing Chairman of the Board.

  • RB19

    Red Bull have officially started their 2023 season, by unveiling a launch version of the RB19, the car in which they hope to defend both F1 world titles.

    Red Bull assembled in New York for a so-called ‘season launch’ with Team Principal, Christian Horner alongside both drivers as well as third driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

    The team showcased their 2023 look with the traditional blue, yellow and red scheme – which captures the Red Bull company’s core colours.

    rb19.png

    Red Bull head into the 2023 campaign looking to retain the drivers’ and constructors’ titles, having stormed to 17 wins from 22 races under the 2022 rules reset – 15 scored by reigning double world champion Verstappen.

    It’s incredibly special to be in the Big Apple, in the US, in New York. The US is playing such a big role in F1 these days – three Grands Prix, [with] Las Vegas coming onto the calendar as well – so it seemed only fitting to unveil the RB19, and our plans for the season ahead, here. It’s going to be an incredible season. Our rivals, for sure, haven’t stood still. We’re expecting Ferrari to be competitive, Mercedes are going to be there, [and] there’s some other teams that could well make some big progress as well. This time of year, it’s all a big unknown, and it’s a question of focusing on ourselves, doing the best we can. Then in Bahrain, in a couple of weeks’ time, we’ll get to see everybody’s car and we’ll realise, ‘Have we missed something? Have we not?’ Then we set off on this 23-race journey between March and November. There’s going to be highs and lows along the way, I’m sure, but I think we’re in a good place and looking to carry on that momentum from last year.

    Horner on the 2023 season.

  • VF-23

    Haas have become the first team to present their colour for the upcoming 2023 season, revealing a slick new livery that will adorn the VF-23 via a series of digital renders published on Tuesday.

    Rather than a full-scale launch, Haas opted to showcase their livery for this season on a 2022-style virtual model, with the team’s new car – which will be driven by Kevin Magnussen and new team mate Nico Hulkenberg.

    Replacing the recent white base seen on Haas’s 2021 and 2022 challengers, black is now the main colour, whilst flashes of white have been retained alongside some red highlights – which draws comparisons to their 2020 design.

    Haas-Mag-2.png

    Haas will be entering the 2023 campaign looking to continue their recent upward trajectory, having moved off the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings to eighth position under last year’s rules reset.

    I was very pleased to welcome MoneyGram as title partner for the 2023 season and beyond, and it’s exciting to see our first livery unveiled together as MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. We head into a new season buoyed by some strong team performances last year and a return to points paying finishes. The aim for the 2023 season is naturally to do that more consistently and with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg I certainly believe we’ve got an experienced driver pairing more than capable of delivering those points on a Sunday.

    Gene Haas, commenting on the digital launch.

    I obviously share everyone’s enthusiasm around the livery unveil, not least as it’s a checkpoint in the pre-season calendar which means we’re another step closer to doing the thing we actually want to be doing – and that’s go racing. I like the livery, it’s undoubtedly a more elevated and modernised look which is fitting as we move into a new era alongside MoneyGram as our title partner. It’s an exciting time of year for Formula 1 and it’s great that we’re first out the gate to showcase our livery but our attention is firmly on getting the VF-23 on-track and preparing for the season ahead. We really have something to build on following last year’s performances.It’s an exciting time of year for Formula 1 and it’s great that we’re first out the gate to showcase our livery but our attention is firmly on getting the VF-23 on-track and preparing for the season ahead. We really have something to build on following last year’s performances. The whole organisation has been working hard to reach this point and obviously in Kevin and Nico we have two proven points-scoring talents locked in behind the wheel. I can’t wait to get started.

    Guenther Steiner, Haas Team Principal.

  • FW43B

    9 out of 10 cars have now revealed their cars for the 2021 season… Todays was Williams and personally I wasn’t expecting much change, well how wrong was I…

    Honestly i’m in shock, it looks so good and so different for them! Lets hope it brings them some luck this year and get some points! The pair driving the FW43B will be George Russell and Nicholas Latifi their third year being partnered together.

    However saying this, I do feel like theres a lot more blue on the track this year… Clearly its favoured with the people who designs the cars 😉😂

    Teams:Launch date:
    McLaren15/02/21✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/21✅
    Alfa Romeo22/02/21✅
    Red Bull23/02/21✅
    Ferrari 26/02/21(Team)✅ 10/03/21 ( Car)
    Mercedes02/03/21✅
    Alpine02/03/21✅
    Aston Martin03/03/21✅
    Haas04/03/21✅
    Williams05/03/21✅

    Only one car launch left which is Ferrari on the 10th of March, then after that we have testing which is starting a week today!

  • AMR21 & VF21

    So after 61 years of not having Aston Martin in Formula One, that has all changed now… Below is the AMR21 challenger for the 2021 season!

    We all knew the car was going to be the Aston Martin racing green but I really don’t know what I was expecting, it certainly isn’t whats pictured above (and i mean that in a good way!)😍🙌🏻 The pink as well just makes it pop! I think its been done beautifully.

    It will be interesting to see how it does on the track next week in Bahrain, especially with Sebastian Vettel driving it too. Its going to be an interesting year!

    Today we had Haas’ car launch, wasn’t really expecting much change for the car but it actually looks alright! I don’t think its the best looking car on the grid but its not the worst F1 livery i’ve ever seen.

    It’s the car Schumacher and Mazepin will be driving for the 2021 season… Going to be an interesting battle between these two..

    Teams:Date:
    McLaren15/02/21✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/21✅
    Alfa Romeo22/02/21✅
    Red Bull23/02/21✅
    Ferrari 26/02/21(Team)✅10/03/21
    Mercedes02/03/21✅
    Alpine02/03/21✅
    Aston Martin03/03/21✅
    Haas04/03/21✅
    Williams05/03/21

    8 teams down… 2 to go, next up we have Williams tomorrow then Ferrari next week

  • The final date

    Finally the last date of the car reveals has been set! Haas were the last team to announce when they are revealing their 2021 car and that will be Thursday the 4th March at 8:00 GMT.

    Haas have gone with an all new rookie line up for 2021 season, which is Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. Schumacher won the F2 championship last year and now is being paired with his rival from F2, I wonder how they will work together as team mates? Could be some interesting overtakes coming up this year..

    This year Haas are hoping to finish better than 9th in the constructors championship, however they are not starting their 2021 challenger up until Bahrain testing which is in two weeks due to current restrictions of Covid-19. Although it could leave the team with some problems at a shortened down pre season testing…

    I am looking forward to seeing a Schumacher back on the track and it will be interesting to see what he can do and what he can bring to the grid.

    Teams:Reveal dates:
    McLaren15/02/2021✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/2021✅
    Alfa Romeo22/02/2021✅
    Red Bull23/02/2021✅
    Mercedes02/03/2021
    Alpine02/03/2021
    Aston Martin03/03/2021
    Haas04/03/2021
    Williams05/03/2021
    Ferrari 26/02/2021(Team), 10/03/2021(Car)
    Updated Car Reveal

    Four car launches done, Six to go… We have a busy week next week of car launches so keep your eyes peeled for more detail on them.

  • 23-02-21

    So Red Bull is one of the last two teams to announce when they are revealing their 2021 car. The RB16B is set to be shown off on the 23rd February. More details about the up and coming launch on Tuesday are set to be announced soon.

    This year is last year that Honda will be powering the Red Bull, however Red Bull announced earlier this week they will be taking over the Honda engines from the 2022 season even though this seasons car is set to have a new Honda power unit.

    The RB16B will be driven by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Perez has joint the team outside of the Red Bull drivers programme, he has replaced Alex Albon for the 2021 season, as they are looking to take the drivers and constructors championship away from the dominant Mercedes this year.

    I personally think Red Bull could bring the fight to Mercedes this year as they have Sergio Perez with them, however I also do think that maybe Verstappen and Perez might clash a few times whilst on track as they are both strong drivers. Also if McLaren do as well as they did last year and especially because they have a Mercedes unit now too i do think it will be even closer between McLaren and Red Bull.

    Teams:Launch dates:
    McLaren15/02/2021✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/2021✅
    Alfa Romeo22/02/2021
    Red Bull23/02/2021
    Ferrari (Team) 26/02/2021, (Car) 10/03/2021
    Mercedes02/03/2021
    Alpine02/03/2021
    Aston Martin 03/03/2021
    Williams05/03/2021
    HaasTBA
    Updated Car Launches

  • 03/03/21

    The first Aston Martin Formula One car since 1960 is set to be launched on the third of March.

    Previously known as Racing Point, the Silverstone based team have managed to sign four time world champion Sebastian Vettel, he partners along side Lance Stroll. When the car launches their also doing a Q&A.

    Aston Martin was in F1 in 1959, and they left after the 1960 season. They are set to launch their car a day after the Mercedes and Alpine are too.

    Recently on their social medias they have been posting a lot of teasers for everyone to see, and to be honest I cant wait to see the car reveal.

    I really hope this is the break Vettel gets, he deserves to be with a good team which also has a good car. I would love to see him more frequently up in the points, fingers crossed it happens in the 2021 season.

    TeamsCar Launches:
    McLaren15/02/21✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/21
    Alfa Romeo22/02/21
    Ferrari26/02/21 (Team) 10/03/21 (Car)
    Mercedes02/03/21
    Alpine02/03/21
    Aston Martin03/03/21
    Williams05/03/21
    Red BullTBA
    HaasTBA

  • 02-03-21

    So Alpine have announced they will be launching the car the same day as the reigning champions Mercedes will launch there W12.

    The team formerly known as Renault have already announced that their call will be called A521. This year they have two time champion Fernando Alonso joining them along side Esteban Ocon. Alpine announced their winter temporary livery back in January (see below picture)

    Recently they have had lots of changes, the main one being that Cyril Abiteboul left the team back in January after following a shake up from the new CEO Luca De Meo who had joined from SEAT last year. The exact management for the team is yet to be decided apart from the racing director which is ex-suzki MotoGP chief Davide Brivio.

    I am quite excited to see the A521 be revealed, and also seeing Fernando Alonso back on track after a break away from the sport.

    Teams:Dates:
    McLaren15/02/21 ✅
    Alpha Tauri19/02/21
    Alfa Romeo22/02/21
    Ferrari26/02(Team) 10/03(Car)
    Mercedes02/03
    Alpine02/03
    Aston Martin03/03
    Williams05/03
    HaasTBA
    Red Bull TBA
    Updated Car Launch

  • SF21

    Ferrari have made an announcement on their social medias when they will do a team launch which will take place on 26th February and then the car launching on the 10th of March.

    The power unit will feature in the cars of both Haas and Alfa Romeo, with Ferrari having opted to create a all new unit after a trying season in 2020, which ended up Ferrari taking sixth place in the constructors championship… their worst finish since 1980.

    Ferrari also have Carlos Sainz moving over to them this year after leaving McLaren, he is to partner with Charles Leclerc. Sainz made his debut test with Ferrari in the SF71H at the end of January since being signed with the team since last May.

    Ferrari didn’t do so well last year as mentioned above it was their worst finish since 1980, in 2019 they finished second in the constructors titles, they haven’t won a constructors since 2008… I would love to see them bring the fight to the Mercedes this year and if they do it will be an interesting year for sure.

    Teams:Dates:
    McLaren15/02
    Alpha Tauri19/02
    Alfa Romeo22/02
    Ferrari26/02 (Team), 10/03 (Car)
    Mercedes02/03
    Williams05/03
    Aston MartinTBC
    AlpineTBC
    HaasTBC
    Red BullTBC
    Updated Car Reveal

  • 05-03-2021

    The FW43B is set to have the covers taken off on 5th of March a week before pre season testing, currently Williams are the fifth team to announce their date.

    Williams cars have all had the ‘FW’ after Sir Frank Williams. Frank and Claire (his daughter) both left the team last year after selling it to an investment firm Dorilton Capital. It is nice to see the new owners are happy to keep up the links to the teams history.

    They have managed to keep Russell and Latifi as their drivers for the 2021 season however currently there’s lots of fans of George Russell wanting him to take a seat at Mercedes in the future. Personally I can’t wait see George in a better car, we all saw his performance at Sakhir…

    Last season the car was FW43, however this years charger is an evolution of it, as all the teams will carry over lots of last years parts as its a part of cost saving measures to help cope with Covid-19 pandemic which explains why they have name it the FW43B.

    Williams just haven’t got new owners they also have their old driver Jenson Button rejoining the team as senior advisor, hopefully this gets Williams back to where they use to be. In the last three years they have finished last in the constructors championship, let’s see if they make a comeback.

    So we now have car launch dates for half the gird, this is definitely getting exciting and it means we are getting that little bit closer to testing and the first race of this season.

    Teams:Car Launch Date:
    McLaren15-02-21
    Alpha Tauri19-02-21
    Alpha Romeo22-02-21
    Mercedes02-03-21
    Williams05-03-21
    Red BullTBA
    AlpineTBA
    FerrariTBA
    HaasTBA
    Aston MartinTBA
    Updated Car Launch

  • 19-02-2021

    Alpha Tauri has announced the date of when their car AT02 will be revealed… they will be the second team to show their car off, four days after McLaren. Alpha Tauri are formerly known as Toro Rosso up until last year.

    Pierre Gasly is once again driving for them this year, last year he managed to get a win which ended up him finishing 10th overall in the season.

    He is joined this year by F1 newcomer Yuki Tsunoda, Yuki has been preparing for the 2021 season by doing test runs in the old Alpha Tauri’s, getting in as much mileage as possible before the shortened down pre season testing in March.

    Tsunoda replaced Danil Kyvat who did not manage to secure another seat. Alpha Tauri was pretty set on having Yuki Tsunoda and they were only going to look else where if he didn’t manage to get his super license.

    I am looking forward to see what Yuki can do this year, he is certainly one to watch in the future.

    Teams:Car Launch Date:
    McLaren15-02-21
    Alpha Tauri19-02-21
    Alfa Romeo22-02-21
    Mercedes02-03-21
    Red BullTBA
    HaasTBA
    AlpineTBA
    WilliamsTBA
    FerrariTBA
    Aston MartinTBA
    Updated F1 Car Launch dates
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CK3fvdogKaU/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

  • 02-03-21

    The 2nd of March is the date Mercedes will reveal their car for the 2021 season. They are the third team to announce when their car will be revealed.

    The world champions car will be called the W12, they showed a little snippet of the W12 the other day on Instagram giving everyone a bit of a teaser of whats to come.

    In 2020 they changed the silver arrows to black to make a stand for racism, discrimination and also to pledge their diversity of their team, Lewis also made an End Racism campaign all throughout the F1 2020 season and the other drivers joined in by wearing t-shirts stating it and also taking the knee before the start of the race.

    All the Mercedes and Lewis Hamiltons fans are patiently waiting for them to announce Lewis as you may have seen in the comments of Mercedes social media pages. The 7 time champion is yet to sign a deal after his contract finished at the end of last years season.

    TeamsDate
    McLaren15-02-21
    Alfa Romeo22-02-21
    Merecedes02-03-21
    Red BullTBA
    HaasTBA
    AlpineTBA
    FerrariTBA
    Aston MartinTBA
    WilliamsTBA
    Alpha Tauri TBA
    Updated Car Reveal 2021
    Posted by Mercedes Instagram

  • 15-02-21

    15th February at 19:00 GMT is the date and time McLaren will be releasing their new MCL35M for 2021. They are the second team to announce when they are unveiling their cars, they launch a week before Alfa Romeo’s car launch.

    McLaren have lots of changes this year including the new engines which are supplied by Mercedes, they fired the car up on the 27th January to show their social media followers a little teaser of whats to come. McLaren are the only team to change engine supplies in 2021, the MCL35M is an evolution of 2020’s competitive car after they finished third in the constructors championship.

    Daniel Riccardo will be joining Lando Norris for the 2021 season and 2022 too. The pair will both be gunning for the podiums and even possibly wins. I’m very much so looking forward to this new pairing as it will be exciting to see how they both adapt to each other as team mates.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CKlYtBdnSTY/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
    McLaren posted this onto Instagram on 28/01/2021