[Team] 2020 Season Launch/Pre-Season Testing

[chillibowl]

a few dates so far:

Ferrari: Feb 11th at Maranello (seems to be just an unveiling)
Renault: Feb 12th...not sure on location (not sure it even matters)
Mclaren: Feb 13th at Woking
Mercedes: Feb 14th at Silverstone (not quite a launch as it will apparently be private a shake down under the allowed 'filming day' rules).
AlphaTauri: Feb 14th at Hanger 7 in Salzburg, Germany.

an interesting mix of public and private events so far.

testing dates:

Barcelona: Feb 19th -21st
Barcelona: Feb 26th-28th

we are now down to 2 3-day tests sessions as opposed to 2 4-day tests from last year. continuing the trend for less on track testing, the two in season tests are also no longer.

[S griffin]

Thanks for that

Look forward to the Ferrari one, should be exciting
Renault will probably be low key
Be interesting to see McLaren’s and Mercedes
Don’t know what Alpha Tauri will do

Not much in the way of testing and are we really only using those two for tests? Guess they have to cut costs, although I wouldn’t mind the odd in season test

[chillibowl]

Alpha Tauri, im guessing, will involve a lot of re branding efforts, new logos, new livery, new web site, apparel, team kit etc.

basically all the non car stuff launches used to be about.

with the tests only being 3 days in length each, its almost like each test will be its own GP weekend...my early feeling is that there wont be much room for hiding nor sandbagging.

[Richard C]

Thanks for the thread. We are less than a month away from seeing 2020 cars on track.

Originally Posted by chillibowl

we are now down to 2 3-day tests sessions as opposed to 2 4-day tests from last year. continuing the trend for less on track testing, the two in season tests are also no longer.

Plus there used to be a mid-season test as well. That is gone. So the number of testing only days has be drastically reduced. It is these six days plus Friday practice as each event.

Richard

[chillibowl]

Racing Point: Feb 17th at their BWT sponsors HQ in Mondsee, Austria.

i wonder if it will be last years car dressed in their 2020 livery or their actual car which they will then need to get to Barcelona for the 19th?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

Racing Point: Feb 17th at their BWT sponsors HQ in Mondsee, Austria.

i wonder if it will be last years car dressed in their 2020 livery or their actual car which they will then need to get to Barcelona for the 19th?

I can't remember, but haven't we seen more of this in which the PR event shows either an older car in new livery or sometimes even just CGI images of the new car (which are still not accurate as they either are hiding details and/or car is not finalized yet?)

I have become less interested in the pre-testing launches other than to see new livery these days. And sometimes there is testing livery (that occasionally might be better than the final (typically conservative) race livery.

As you mention above, I expect AlphaTauri to be the largest livery change. If you look at their website, I can't decode much about what the livery might look like. The brand logo and the entire site is quite simple and without color. White cars with black logos and text? Sounds boring to me. I will miss the recent Toro Rosso liveries as they were very good (in my opinion, better than the Red Bull).

Richard

[chillibowl]

motorsports did a mock up a while back based on, i presume, the current black and white alpha tauri logo...i actually kind of like it.

but yeah, im hoping we see something all together new. that would be more fun.

[chillibowl]

Alfa Romeo: Feb 19th in front of their garage (right before testing begins)

RBR, Haas, and Williams left to confirm.

[S griffin]

Not surprised Alfa are taking that approach, it’s simple. Don’t think the others like Haas and Williams will have anything out of the ordinary

[chillibowl]

indeed. like the sensible approach!

bit surprised RBR hasent announced a date yet though. could be nothing could be something.

[S griffin]

Alfa/Sauber have always done the sensible approach. Wonder what is happening with RBR though. Maybe there is more to this than meets the eye

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Not surprised Alfa are taking that approach, it’s simple. Don’t think the others like Haas and Williams will have anything out of the ordinary

IMHO, I think we will mostly migrate to...

1. CGI (or mocked up older cars) at pre-testing launch. (or skip pre-testing launch)

2. Show real car at first day of testing. Probably in testing livery. Maybe show CGI of race livery.

3. Race livery and aero at first race.

For all teams, you expect race aero to only show up at the first race. For wealth teams there may be big changes between testing and race. For the others, the aero may change little. Everyone will want to hide aero, so most will not show any "secret sauce" aero on pre-season launch.

I think in the future marketing is excluded from the budget caps so flashy launches can continue. Wealthy teams who are spending up to the cap can devote money to media without stealing funding from the car. Those who are not able to spend up to the cap would be stealing money from the car to fund media.

Either way, I expect most to continue to migrate away from old school expensive launches. Virtual launches (online, CGI cars) should be pretty cheap.

Richard

[billy bleach]

I see cyril Abiteboul is throwing his technical team under a bus especially Nick Chester.bearing in mind the shambles he presided over at Caterham and his handling of the Redbull relationship I reckon he needs a good look in a mirror. A Binotto or Wolfe he ain't...

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

2. Show real car at first day of testing. Probably in testing livery. Maybe show CGI of race livery.

testing livery or their clever cigarette livery that they throw on for their filming days and winter tests but always faces a legal challenge once they arrive in OZ.

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

Either way, I expect most to continue to migrate away from old school expensive launches. Virtual launches (online, CGI cars) should be pretty cheap.

i believe to combination of an online launch (low light images) followed by renderings distributed to the media has become Mclaren's go to move. i want to say last year that the renderings were not complete. perhaps they were hiding bits, perhaps some bits were not ready for the launch date...while the overall design philosophy may be apparent, i am not sure if i like being misled.

i understand the necessity of their obfuscation, but ultimately i think it is, in the long run, self destructive. as car fans we want to celebrate a new car breaking cover but instead of that we are sort of, all be it indirectly, being told that these launches do not matter...maybe they are right.

i may be wrong on this, but one of the proposed new rules is to limit the number of in season aero upgrades during the year...i wonder if this will make the need to hide ones work during launches even more important?

anyways, the one thing i cant argue is that these types of launches are cost effective and F1 does need that.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

I see cyril Abiteboul is throwing his technical team under a bus especially Nick Chester.bearing in mind the shambles he presided over at Caterham and his handling of the Redbull relationship I reckon he needs a good look in a mirror. A Binotto or Wolfe he ain't...

i agree, his tenure with the team has not delivered on any of the many many promises that he has made. while i am not a fan, i suppose he is still much better then the last guy who was in charge of Renault F1.

but he is the managing director of Renault sport...is he technically the team principle as well? as he is the public face of the team i suppose the titles may then be synonymous, but is he the ultimate decision maker for the team?

[chillibowl]

Haas: Feb 19th in front of their garage (a whole 15 minutes before the Alfa launch)

coincidence, a case of necessity, or an attempt to mess with the team that finished directly above them last season?

i hope it is the latter.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

i agree, his tenure with the team has not delivered on any of the many many promises that he has made. while i am not a fan, i suppose he is still much better then the last guy who was in charge of Renault F1.

but he is the managing director of Renault sport...is he technically the team principle as well? as he is the public face of the team i suppose the titles may then be synonymous, but is he the ultimate decision maker for the team?

Well he is always front and centre, always on the pit perch shaking his head, .....

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

Haas: Feb 19th in front of their garage (a whole 15 minutes before the Alfa launch)

coincidence, a case of necessity, or an attempt to mess with the team that finished directly above them last season?

i hope it is the latter.

Both waiting on Ferrari parts delivery, Haas bid more so they get delivery first of the new laptops to fire up??

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Both waiting on Ferrari parts delivery, Haas bid more so they get delivery first of the new laptops to fire up??

[chillibowl]

Mclaren and Ferrari firing up their engines!

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status...57598769086465

https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari/...95699579203586

[chillibowl]

Williams: Feb 17th image release/digital-only launch.

last team left to announce is RBR but i have to hope this is either to give more room for the Alpha re brand and/or RBR will adopt a more low key strictly business approach this year.

for the sake of the championship i hope its not development related.

[Casper]

I wonder if Ferrari will do their usual we want to be faster than everyone else or actually try and figure out the management of the car so it can win a championship? The Italian way seems always in the moment and not doing long term planning.

[S griffin]

Williams, not surprised they are going for the digital option. Budget is tight for them these days and even under Frank they would spend no more than necessary

[steve nielsen]

RBR are doing a roll out at Silvertone on the 12th

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

for the sake of the championship i hope its not development related.

Unlikely - launch cars tend to be very different from what turns up at the first test (and even less like what's at the first race). You can pretty much bung any old car out for a launch - just put the new scheme on the old car and bingo - launch car.