Tag: Launch

Red Bull surprises with concept change on RB20

Red Bull has become the final Formula 1 team to launch its 2024 car, saying it has been brave in choosing to change concept with the RB20 despite last year’s dominant season. The RB19 was an evolution of the previous year’s championship winner and …

Red Bull has become the final Formula 1 team to launch its 2024 car, saying it has been brave in choosing to change concept with the RB20 despite last year’s dominant season.

The RB19 was an evolution of the previous year’s championship winner and duly went on to become the most dominant car in Formula 1 history, winning all but one of the 23 races, with Max Verstappen alone picking up 19 victories. Amid those results, the car was beaten on a number of occasions in qualifying and Red Bull has opted to update its concept.

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While the all-important floor naturally remains unseen, the engine cover features a Mercedes-style approach while team principal Christian Horner says there are some significant innovations included.

“It’s not tactical, it’s based on performance and what we’re seeing through our simulation tools,” Horner said. “Obviously the car looks quite visibly different in certain areas to last year. Only the stopwatch will tell but in the virtual world we wouldn’t have committed it to design if we didn’t feel it was better.

“It’s marginal gains in all areas, so you’re constantly looking to try and evolve. If you look at the detail on the car there’s some really exquisite detail. And I think the team… there’s been no complacency. They’ve continued to evolve, to push the boundaries.

“I think there’s some great innovation on the car as well, which will no doubt get scrutinized over the coming weeks. Creativity has been strong in the team and you can see that in some of the solutions that they’ve come up with. It’s not a conservative evolution — there’s some great innovation on this car.”

Max Verstappen says he was surprised when he first saw the 2024 concept but has full faith in Red Bull’s approach.

“I’m quite happy with the direction that they chose,” Verstappen said. “I saw the drawings I think in Abu Dhabi, the last race, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s quite different in a way.’ They’ve not been conservative, let’s say it like that. I think what I like about the team is that we had a great package, but they took the chance to really go all out and try to make it better.

“Of course, time will tell if it’s really, really good. From what I see within the team, everyone is just happy with what they have achieved in the winter. But then again, we don’t know. We can’t control what the other people did.

“I think it’s controlled aggressiveness. It doesn’t seem like it’s a question mark of what they’ve done, like, they’re not entirely sure.”

Perez believes the changes are a sign of how much Red Bull wants to maintain the recent advantage it has had.

“It just shows the hunger that we have,” Perez said. “We have such a dominant car last year that you wouldn’t expect us to change the concept that much, you know? I think it is really brave from Red Bull to do. It just shows how much this team is looking to move forward and push all the boundaries.”

New McLaren MCL38 launched with ‘a number of innovations’

McLaren has launched its 2024 Formula 1 car – the MCL38 – that it says features “a number of innovations” but still has areas that it wants to address during the season. Last year, McLaren warned of issues with its launch-spec car and it started the …

McLaren has launched its 2024 Formula 1 car — the MCL38 — that it says features “a number of innovations” but still has areas that it wants to address during the season.

Last year, McLaren warned of issues with its launch-spec car and it started the season well off the pace before an excellent development program propelled it into contention for regular podiums, with Oscar Piastri securing a Sprint victory in Qatar. Although the team has been more confident in its development this winter, team principal Andrea Stella says there is more potential to come as the year unfolds.

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“The team are excited to present the MCL38 today and to see it on track for the first time,” Stella said. “Going into this year, we look to build on the momentum of last season but are realistic in the knowledge that every team will have made progress and found competitiveness for their 2024 cars. We now have everything in place from an infrastructure, people and culture perspective so we continue to push forward and build on the work done to get us back to front of the grid.

“Before we hit the track for competitive sessions, we have a lot of work to do, including putting the MCL38 through its paces during the Bahrain pre-season test. The team has done a good job over the winter, and we are confident we can hit the ground running, but we know we have important tasks at hand before the season starts.

“There are a number of innovations on the car, but not all the areas we want to address have been completed for our launch-spec car. Those areas now become the focus of our in-season development, which is already in progress.

“My thanks go to the entire team, both trackside and at MTC and MRC for their great efforts in ensuring the car was ready to hit the track today, as well as our colleagues at Mercedes HPP for their continued collaboration. We now turn our attention to the long season ahead as we look forward to Bahrain testing next week.”


McLaren will shake the MCL38 down at Silverstone on Wednesday as part of an initial short test, with a filming day expected to take place in Bahrain ahead of the pre-season test from Feb. 21-23.

“It’s awesome to be able to launch our 2024 competitor, the MCL38, at Silverstone today,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said. “It’s great to see our new car in its 2024 livery on track and see the hard work and dedication of the team come together.

“The fantastic thing about this sport is how competitive it is, and therefore we must remain realistic as every team will have made progress in the offseason. The true test of whether we’ve made steps in the right direction will be qualifying in Bahrain. We’re all excited to go racing again, but we know there’s a long season ahead of us and a lot of work still to do to ensure we build on the progress we made throughout 2023.”

New-look Mercedes W15 unveiled at Silverstone

Mercedes has unveiled the W15 at Silverstone ahead of a shakedown for the new car, that features a fresh silver and black livery. The team switched from the iconic Mercedes silver to a black color scheme in 2020, and after a return to silver in 2022 …

Mercedes has unveiled the W15 at Silverstone ahead of a shakedown for the new car, that features a fresh silver and black livery.

The team switched from the iconic Mercedes silver to a black color scheme in 2020, and after a return to silver in 2022 last year’s car was also fully black. Now the two liveries have been combined on a car that technical director James Allison says is intended to be more driver-friendly after two tough years under the current regulations.

“The design of any car is an iterative process,” Allison said. “And a long one at that. ”It stretches back to last year. A new car enables the team to make bigger alterations that are not possible during the season. These are decisions that are taken during the preceding summer.

“A big focus has been on improving the previous car’s unpredictable rear axle. We have worked hard to ensure that both axles, but particularly the rear axle, retain better control of the tire than on the W14. There’s also been some housekeeping on areas in which we had room for improvement, including the DRS effect, and pit stop performance.

“We feel like we have had a good winter, but F1 is a relative game and only time will tell how big a step we’ve made. We’re focused on getting the most from the car we launch, but we are excited by the development race that will follow as the regulations are still young and opportunities abound.”

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will shake the car down on Wednesday at Silverstone, with the circuit split into two shorter configurations as McLaren does the same. With Hamilton set to join Ferrari in 2025, team principal Toto Wolff says the target is to move clear of the pack chasing Red Bull this year.

“A very busy winter — obviously it’s going to be our last season with Lewis so we are keen on bringing a really quick car, and then in the factory hard-working to deliver the product which we shall see today how it goes,” Wolff said.

“We got it wrong with the new regulations but when we are looking back in 10 years — or even longer — and we’re going to read that we finished first eight times in a row and then third and second in the constructors’, it will look like it was a respectable result and wasn’t so bad. But this is not counting another team and another driver winning most of the races.

“So our aim is to consolidate our position towards Ferrari and McLaren, sometimes Aston Martin, and be at the forward part of that group, at the same time as trying to race at the very front. This is our aim. We are determined to do so, and at the same time we know how difficult it is because you’re a step behind your main competitor that has gotten it right straight from the get go, but we love the challenge and that is why we are all so eager to see the car finally driving.”

Wolff believes Mercedes has the facilities and personnel to close in on Red Bull with the W15, given the lessons learned from its previous cars.

“Most important is that you look inwards. What is it that we got wrong? Why did the virtual world not correlate with the real world?” he said. “I think we’ve found some clues, we went in this direction, we tried to eliminate as many variables as possible, and the buzz that is in the company is something that I haven’t seen for so many years.

“We know it’s difficult. We know it’s a big mountain to climb because if a team is far ahead — like the Red Bull was last year — that’s not easy. But we have a superb driver combination, hopefully a fast car, the best people in the factory that are giving it all in order to succeed, and I think there are some very good ingredients to be back at the front again.”

Williams coming to New York for season launch

Williams has announced that its season launch on Feb. 5 will take place in the United States, with the team heading to New York City. Last year saw both Red Bull and AlphaTauri carrying out launch-style events in New York, as teams tap into the …

Williams has announced that its season launch on Feb. 5 will take place in the United States, with the team heading to New York City.

Last year saw both Red Bull and AlphaTauri carrying out launch-style events in New York, as teams tap into the larger interest from American fans and companies in Formula 1. Williams is owned by Dorilton Capital, with the investment firm having offices in both New York and Houston as well as London, and is set to kick off the 2024 launches on the East Coast.

Given the timing of the event, it’s unlikely the team’s new car — the FW46 — itself will be unveiled, but the 2024 livery will be on display alongside returning drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant.

Williams has retained Sargeant as part of its pairing, after the Floridian showing improved form in the latter stages of 2023 and became the first American to score a point in F1 in 30 years when he was classified in the top ten at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

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The 2024 Williams will be the first produced since James Vowles joined as team principal, having begun work in the position after last year’s car was complete, while chief technical officer Pat Fry started in November. Although Fry will have had limited influence on the FW46, he says Dorilton’s recent investments show Williams has momentum following its seventh-place finish in last year’s constructors’ championship.

“I think it is a team that’s moving forward, to be honest,” Fry said. “There’s no point hiding behind the fact we’ve got a mountain of work to do, and things to develop. But I think people will see that there’s a commitment there, and they’ll say that commitment has to start right from the very top, which we have. And people will see us moving forward.”

Aston Martin confirms February 12 F1 launch date

Aston Martin has become the latest team to confirm its launch date ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season, hosting an event on February 12. As has traditionally been the case for the team in recent years, Aston Martin will unveil its car at Silverstone …

Aston Martin has become the latest team to confirm its launch date ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season, hosting an event on February 12.

As has traditionally been the case for the team in recent years, Aston Martin will unveil its car at Silverstone with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. During last season the team moved into the first building of a new factory campus at its headquarters next to the track that hosts the British Grand Prix.

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Last year’s AMR21 saw Aston Martin make a major step forward to start the 2023 season as the closest challenger to Red Bull, with Alonso picking up podiums in six of the first eight races before the team tailed off later in the year to finish fifth in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.

With the event on a Monday, Aston is expected to kick off a busy week of launches when multiple teams traditionally reveal their 2024 designs, with Ferrari already confirmed for the following day.

The only other teams to so far officially announce their launch dates are Williams and Stake — the new name for the Sauber-run team formerly known as Alfa Romeo — who are both going one week earlier on February 5.

Williams and Sauber set for F1 launches on Feb. 5

The Williams and Sauber Formula 1 teams have both announced their 2024 season launches will take place on Feb. 5. The two teams follow Ferrari in confirming a launch date, with the Scuderia’s new car being unveiled on Feb. 13. The only details …

The Williams and Sauber Formula 1 teams have both announced their 2024 season launches will take place on Feb. 5.

The two teams follow Ferrari in confirming a launch date, with the Scuderia’s new car being unveiled on Feb. 13. The only details provided by the teams is that Sauber’s event will take place in London, and is likely to follow Williams with James Vowles’ team carrying out its launch earlier in the day.

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Williams is looking to follow an encouraging 2023 season that saw the team improve to finish seventh in the constructors’ championship, and recently confirmed Logan Sargeant will remain one of its two race drivers alongside Alex Albon.

For Sauber, it marks the first season following the end of its Alfa Romeo partnership, with the team officially being renamed as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber and its 2024 car to be known as the C44.

“Our team is working around the clock to produce an incredible show that will unleash our new team identity in full and bring back the ‘wow’ factor to our sport,” the team stated in its announcement of the launch date.

Ferrari to launch 2024 car on February 13

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed the 2024 Formula 1 car for the Scuderia will be launched on Feb. 13. Ferrari unveiled its 2023 design – the SF-23 – at its Fiorano test track, where it ran the car live for the first time. Speaking …

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed the 2024 Formula 1 car for the Scuderia will be launched on Feb. 13.

Ferrari unveiled its 2023 design — the SF-23 — at its Fiorano test track, where it ran the car live for the first time. Speaking at an end-of-year review (pictured above) at the same venue 10 months later, Vasseur says Ferrari has already set the date for when it will launch its 2024 car.

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Joking that it gives Ferrari more time to prepare ahead of preseason testing getting underway in Bahrain on Feb. 21, he says coordination with other teams sees Feb. 14 — Ferrari’s 2023 launch date — already taken.

“Because we will have one day more before the test! No no, it’s quite tight, honestly and more seriously, we have the test a bit before, and it’s quite a challenge to put everything together,” Vasseur said. “It means we had no other option I think also, but some other teams are doing it also on the 14th. It’s quite challenging to be ready for Bahrain.”

Vasseur did not reveal the name for Ferrari’s 2024 car, and says he won’t make any major predictions about its performance.

“I don’t have to promise something. The best way is to be focused on what we are doing, to deliver, and the Christmas gift for [the Tifosi] will be if we are able to do a good job in March, not for Christmas. Christmas, the gift is just based on promise, and I don’t want to make a promise. We will see in March. It will be the Easter gift!”

Yes, a SpaceX rocket did blow up but it’s not the one you think it is

We’re still getting a launch on Saturday

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That was a SpaceX space shuttle that quite literally blew up on on your Twitter timeline.

But no, it’s not the one that you think it is.

SpaceX was conducting a rocket engine test on one of their starships Friday and then, all of a sudden, it just randomly exploded. Some people on Twitter panicked and thought the ship was the same one SpaceX and NASA are set to launch on Saturday.

Thankfully, though, it’s not. What people saw blowing up on their timelines was actually the Starship SN4 prototype. It was going through an engine test that, obviously, it has failed.

It’s unclear if anyone actually got hurt in this explosion. SpaceX hasn’t released any information just yet. We only have this jarring video to go off of.

Goodness, man. That is extremely terrifying. Hopefully, everyone is alright and no one got hurt.

They were conducting a “static fire” test, which is basically like doing a car engine test except for, well, it’s a space ship. They ignite the main Raptor engine on the ship while holding it down and in place. Then this happened.

The SN4 blowing up stinks. SpaceX is developing this rocket with intentions of sending people to deep space destinations like the Moon and Mars. Basically, it’d be like a cruise ship but into space instead of, say, Jamaica or something.

Pretty cool, right? We’re one step closer to The Expanse becoming our actual lives. I’m definitely starting a new life in the Belt when the time comes — if you know, you know.

Here’s the thing, though. This is the fourth time they’ve lost this starship prototype. And, though this one got a bit further than the rest, there probably isn’t going to be much left from this wreck that is salvageable.

The ship was set to fly soon in a low-altitude flight test if it remained in tact. Obviously, that isn’t happening now. And that’s a big setback.

This stinks. Hopefully, this rocket gets completed at some point. But if there’s still a silver lining here it’s that we’re still scheduled for a lunch tomorrow.

Well, if the weather allows it, anyway.