While the buzz in Formula 1 over the past few days has been all about blockbuster driver moves and arguments over an 11th team, preparations for the new season will take centre stage over the coming weeks, beginning today.
Although all teams retain the same driver line-ups as last year for the new season, there is enough different about the upcoming season to avoid it feeling like a carbon copy of 2023.
Entering the third season of F1’s ground effect technical regulations, the rules remain largely static for the new year. Fans who are anticipating any bold, inventive new approaches to the rules to help generate more downforce might well find themselves disappointed as it’s more likely the focus will be on evolution, not revolution. However, that does not mean that there may not be some vastly different looking cars this season from 2023.
After Red Bull produced the most successful F1 car ever with the RB19 last year, there is no longer any debate over which aerodynamic approach conceptualised by the world champions, Mercedes or Ferrari is the superior one. Almost a year ago, Mercedes admitted that they would discard their ‘zero sidepod’ concept and adopt a more Red Bull-esque approach – meaning the most obvious element to look out for in the launch season is just how many RB19 clones teams will unveil over the next fortnight.
Conveniently, teams are scheduled to reveal their cars largely in reverse-championship order from last year. Tenth-placed Haas will show off their 2024 challenger today, first of all the teams, with world champions Red Bull set to be the final team to do so on February 15th.
Out of the nine teams chasing Red Bull, there are two designs that will be perhaps the most intriguing to see. The first, naturally, being Mercedes and whether they have followed Red Bull’s approach of the last two seasons with the RB19. As the final Mercedes that Lewis Hamilton will likely race in Formula 1, it becomes all the more paramount that the team produces a winning car for their most successful ever driver after two win-less years.
But the other team to look out for is not a front-running team, but rather Red Bull’s second team: RB. Former AlphaTauri, the team has received a new, commercially-friendly name and a new team principal for 2024, but is also taking on a completely different philosophy for this new era too. No longer intended as a junior team, RB are now expected to compete…
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