Cars of 2022

[Chrill]

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: 150º 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.

[Chrill]

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.

[Penfold]

...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?

[Penfold]

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.

[Chrill]

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.



If Alfa went for that shade of red, I'd be on board.

[Penfold]

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.....

[Chrill]

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

[Penfold]

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:

[Penfold]

An actual race car... the Aston Martin AMR22:

[Chrill]

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.

[Penfold]

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.

[Penfold]

Silverstone shakedown:

[Penfold]

The McLaren MCL36

[Chrill]

You're slipping, Mr Pen. The Alphalfatauri and the Durawilliams are both out!

[Penfold]

They are indeed, though still waiting on the actual Williams, was a show car for this morning's launch.

AlphaTory AT03: