F1 car launch – HAAS, Red Bull, Aston Martin
Till date we have seen three car launches – HAAS, Red Bull and Aston Martin.
HAAS simply showed us some computer renderings. There was no live launch but we got close to an actual car. Though they have not shown everything on the car.
Red Bull certainly did have a live launch. However it is pretty clear that it is not their real car. Just a show car that you see F1 putting at different places to generate hype for the 2022 season. They are keeping all their cards close to their chest to ensure nothing leaks out to the competitors ( ahem Mercedes). Only two things stood out in the launch. First, the 2022 World Champion Max Verstappen will be having number 1 on his car. This is the first time we are seeing number 1 since 2014 when Sebastian Vettel had it.
Second is the big big title sponsor in Oracle. The tech giant will be pumping in a staggering $100 million per year for a period of 5 years. This is literally unheard of in Formula 1, especially in recent times.
Aston Martin 2022 – The Real Car
However the best launch till now has to be of Aston Martin AMR22, as they showcased their actual 2022 car which will be driven by Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll.
The new AMR22 is clearly the most advanced design released so far.
However, Aston Martin chief technical officer Andrew Green stressed that it was the “first iteration” of a design that will develop significantly over the season.
“The huge changes in the 2022 regulations created a massive challenge,” Green said. “Every section of the car is virtually new. So the philosophy for the AMR22 is about being open-ended and giving ourselves flexibility.
“No one has all the answers to maximising the regulations yet, so initially it’s about avoiding development cul-de-sacs — that was the key message to our design team. It’s a huge challenge, but everyone has risen to it. We’re motivated to solve the questions that arise in development.
“The AMR22 will be the first step in a lot of iterations in the year ahead, which will, in turn, forge the direction for 2023 and beyond. In lots of ways, this has been the busiest winter we’ve ever had because of the nature of such radically different set of regulations. There’s been very little carryover from 2021 into 2022.”
Big plans for Aston Martin
Aston Martin finished seventh in last year’s constructors’ championship. But this year has set its sights on challenging for championships in the future.
The team has seen a big change in senior management over the winter, with team principal Otmar Szafnauer leaving Aston Martin and being replaced by former BMW motorsport boss Mike Krack.
The team was rebranded under the Aston Martin name last year by its owner Lawrence Stroll, father of Lance, who is also a co-owner of the Aston Martin car company.