Sorry Penfold. I know this is your topic. Perhaps you want to start the "2023 Drivers Speculation" thread?
This year's launch schedule:
4 February: Haas VF-22 (livery)
9 February: Red Bull RB18
10 February: Aston Martin AMR22
11 February: McLaren MCL36
14 February: AlphaTauri AT03
15 February: Williams FW44
17 February: Ferrari F1-75
18 February: Mercedes W13
22 February: Alpine A522
27 February: Alfa Romeo C42
Ferrari have maintained their tradition of naming their car after random digits rather than follow a set pattern. The 2022 car will be F1-75, to mark their 75th anniversary.
2022: F1-75 (LET'S CELEBRATE AN ANNIVERSARY AGAIN)
2021: SF21 (Nothing to celebrate in 2021, so they went back to the year)
2020: SF1000 (To celebrate 1000 race starts in Formula 1)
2019: SF90 (You'd think SF72 at least? No, now we're celebrating NINETY years as a company. I guess they didn't make cars at first?)
2018: SF71H (Well... 71 years of manufacturing cars. Can't argue with that)
2017: SF70H (SF17-H made too much sense. Let's drop the - and go for 70, as in 70 years of manufacturing cars)
2016: SF16-H (H? Why H, not T? Did we lose turbos in 2016? No, but this team Ferrari wanted to highlight the H for Hybrid)
2015: SF15-T (different style than 2014 but similar meaning)
2014: F 14 T (logical enough, 14 for year, T for turbocharged)
2013: F138 (oh no we're illogical again. 13 for the 2013, and 8 for the V8 being used for the final year)
2012: F2012 (oh thank God, we're logical again)
2011: 150ยบ Italia (The... Unification of Italy)
2010: F10 (I guess sort of in line with the 2008 and earlier style)
2009: F60 (60 years in F1)
2008: F2008 (logical, based on year)
We can assume the 2023 car will go by SF23, but by 2024 get ready for something like EF95, with the E obviously standing for Enzo.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alfa-romeo-2022-car-launch-date-announced/7822225/
Alfa Romeo will launch their car after the first test. But they will be running in the test, presumably with a special livery.
Can we assume they have found a loophole that they will try their hardest not to show too soon? It'd be exciting if Bottas finally beats Lewis after leaving Mercedes to join Alfa Romeo. ;D
...or someone forgot to order the correct paint.
What are the odds that the actual livery will be worse than the one cobbled together for testing?
Oh yes, Ferrari started off tending to the cars of privateer racers, mostly using Alfa Romeos I believe. They progressed to building Alfas for racing under license, before finally crafting their own motors in 1947.
Quote from: Penfold on February 03, 2022, 02:09:58 AM
What are the odds that the actual livery will be worse than the one cobbled together for testing?
Well that's usually the case is it not? I still think one of my favourite liveries of the last 15-20 years is the Force India burgundy they ran in testing many years back.
(https://www.formula1.com/content/dam/fom-website/manual/Misc/Unusual%20testing%20liveries/deh0816ja56.jpg.transform/12col-retina/image.jpg)
If Alfa went for that shade of red, I'd be on board.
Bit heavy on the white to my eye, and I'd forgotten how many aero bits festooned the cars!
Red Bull launch in just a couple of days, though presumably be a computer rendering rather than an actual car.....
The Haas launched Friday but they even admitted that their car won't look like that, so that was irrelevant and underwhelming all at once
Yep, going to be a theme of this year's launches, and even the motors that show at testing will be markedly different to the versions we see in Bahrain - at least for the top teams.
So with that caveat in place, here is Red Bull's challenger:
(https://i.postimg.cc/3xyvrRsB/racefansdotnet-21-01-26-14-45-13-2.jpg)
An actual race car... the Aston Martin AMR22:
(https://i.postimg.cc/0QxqrffP/racefansdotnet-21-02-10-14-27-45-6.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MTPMDvXM/racefansdotnet-21-02-10-14-27-48-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rwM4qX6p/racefansdotnet-21-02-10-14-27-40-7.jpg)
That one actually look real, does it not? Quite a few differences on the wing, those inlets by the sidepods, and so on. Looks pretty neat. I was expecting the 2022 cars to look "softer" and more wavy compared to what Aston Martin is showing. I'm positively surprised by the appearance, definitely looks very F1 still.
That Red Bull nose on the other hand looks a lot like a Carlin F2 front nose.
Yes, looks the final version (more or less), and not so dissimilar from the F1 cars to which we're accustomed. I'm also liking the livery, yellow flashes really brighten it up.
Silverstone shakedown:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mrKqgts9/racefansdotnet-21-02-11-12-03-16-15.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/h41CHCfT/racefansdotnet-21-02-11-12-00-53-10.jpg)
The McLaren MCL36
(https://i.postimg.cc/L53s2cGc/racefansdotnet-21-02-11-19-34-34-1.jpg)
You're slipping, Mr Pen. The Alphalfatauri and the Durawilliams are both out!
They are indeed, though still waiting on the actual Williams, was a show car for this morning's launch.
AlphaTory AT03:
(https://i.postimg.cc/tTzFK3bj/racefansdotnet-21-02-14-11-31-01-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/141n44sH/racefansdotnet-21-02-14-11-13-33-5.jpg)
McLaren looking messy with all the black thrown on it, whereas the AlphaTory is really rather swish
...and here be the Williams!
(https://i.postimg.cc/yxhgg9nN/Untitled-1-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/sgLX2wyc/Untitled-2-1.jpg)
The F175, complete with sidepod scoops:
(https://i.postimg.cc/j22rMkNj/Screenshot-2022-02-17-13-05-51.png)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7h9rPnNz/Untitled-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GtjnhnCz/racefansdotnet-21-02-17-13-31-30-1.jpg)
Not gonna lie, the Ferrari is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect red, with black wings like way back when. Those sidepod scoops look insane. If the Ferrari comes out ahead, expect every car to look just like this in 2023.
Also, the sidepod inlets are smiling!
One of the Merc renders, pics of the real deal should be along soonish
(https://i.postimg.cc/9QYpzXP9/racefansdotnet-21-02-18-09-38-31-1.jpg)
Soonish has arrived....
(https://i.postimg.cc/DwP4kBLQ/racefansdotnet-21-02-18-13-07-32-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4N81k4GN/racefansdotnet-21-02-18-13-07-34-8.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/W3MQXFQ4/racefansdotnet-21-02-18-13-07-32-7.jpg)
I don't know what I was expecting, but the Mercedes looks a bit... underwhelming. I'm sure it will be fast, but I do worry they may have stretched too thin trying to win in 2021.
Externally much more an update of last year's car than is the Ferrari, although that floor does seem incredibly well developed. Testing soon, which should reveal sod all about the pecking order....
I saw this photo on racefans.net of the Ferrari, and it's just... a gorgeous F1 car.
(https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/racefansdotnet-21-02-21-11-35-53-2.jpg)
I am really fond of the 2022 appearance, and the 18 inch tyres already look much more reasonable than the old 15 inches ever did.
Ferrari surely winning the beauty pageant this year. The only area that really doesn't thrill me on these cars is the FIA-mandated front-wing endplates, take some adjusting to the height of those.
And without further ado, the actual Red Bull car:
(https://i.postimg.cc/tTcb25Yq/racefansdotnet-21-02-23-08-04-09-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LsqNj3KB/racefansdotnet-21-02-23-08-14-28-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/c4nxkVRV/racefansdotnet-21-02-23-08-05-32-1.jpg)
Definitely a different approach regarding sidepods, we'll see if it's because Red Bull got something right or got something wrong.
They're not painted, can we assume they were finished very recently and only just arrived in Barcelona, or is it just an attempt at blocking competitors from getting a good look?
The assumption is that parts were only just finished. Big undercut on the sidepods, some of the others look clunky by comparison - obviously differing approaches out there, but compared to the others going the undercut route.
Missed out Alpine...
(https://i.postimg.cc/CMvszh1m/racefansdotnet-21-02-24-09-21-08-1.jpg)
The love child of Force India and Alpine is growing on me. Somehow the blue and pink sort of... works? I don't know, I may be delusional.
Don't knock delusions.
And here is the Haas stripped of its Russian flag livery:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mDhHybxc/racefansdotnet-21-02-25-08-20-56-1.jpg)
Uralkali has strong connections to Putin. With increased sanctions, stemming from a literal cold blooded invasion of Ukraine, could we see Mazepin dropped? And what would happen to Haas? They need the Russian money.
Massivespin could well be out, but Christ knows who fills the hole in their finances
(https://i.postimg.cc/sXPQn2jK/racefansdotnet-21-02-25-12-50-20-4.jpg)
Random shot of the AlphaTauri, I do love the aesthetics of this one, might even be my favourite
Couple of Alfa renders:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Sst9CW1c/racefansdotnet-21-02-27-08-23-46-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y2ZDYPPD/racefansdotnet-21-02-27-08-11-32-6.jpg)
McLaren with Google branding
(https://i.postimg.cc/Znd2bGh0/racefansdotnet-21-03-16-21-29-40-21.jpg)
Mercedes with shrunken sidepods:
(https://i.postimg.cc/SKjh0tjY/racefansdotnet-21-03-12-07-55-23-9.jpg)
...and the new look Red Bull:
(https://i.postimg.cc/q7N9DhZ8/racefansdotnet-21-03-12-08-00-23-4.jpg)
New Williams sidepods with a nod to the Red Bull:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Nfdt6nyF/racefansdotnet-21-06-30-20-16-47-2.jpg)