Haas reveals first images of 2024 F1 car
Haas has kicked off 2024’s F1 launch season with the first reveal of a brand-new car following a digital unveiling of its new challenger, the VF-24.
We’ve already seen the new livery for the upcoming McLaren MCL38, but this is our first glimpse of a proper 2024-spec car, albeit likely missing a number of key details that the team will keep under wraps until pre-season testing gets underway in Bahrain on 21st-23rd February.
Drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen reprise their roles for the team in 2024, and Haas will run its new car for the first time at Silverstone in a shakedown on the 11th February, with Hulkenberg at the wheel.
This marks the beginning of the team’s first F1 season without mercurial figurehead Guenther Steiner who was sacked at the end of last season, and expectations have been kept relatively low following a poor showing throughout 2023.
New Team Principal Ayao Komatsu was keen to stress that the early going in 2024 will likely prove to be similarly challenging for Haas. He said: "Out of the gates in Bahrain I still think we're going to be towards the back of the grid, if not last.
"The reason our launch-spec car is not going to be quick enough in Bahrain is not because of the quality of the people we have here, but it's because we started late and then we stopped for two months to do the Austin upgrade.
"It really diverted resource, so we lost time there, but the team is finding good gains in the wind tunnel so that's positive and in terms of characteristics, it's going in the right direction."
The pressure will be on for Haas to climb back into the midfield in 2024, both drivers struggled to get to grips with the car throughout last season, often letting strong qualifying performances slip on a Sunday. You can bet Gene Haas will be keeping a close eye on proceedings.
Haas reveals carbon-heavy new livery
It’s another concerning reveal that suggests 2023’s lack of colour will be carried over, perhaps even more so, into 2024, as teams continue to struggle with weight saving.
The new Haas livery features substantial areas of bare carbon-fibre, although the black and red of the nose and rear wing provide at least a small amount of visual interest.
Here’s hoping at least some of the grid are able to splash a bit of colour over their challengers this season.
Next on the list for F1's 2024 launch season are Stake F1 and Williams, who will reveal their new cars on Monday 5th February.
F1
Formula 1
Haas
Car launch
F1 2024
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