If you’re at all familiar with Formula One, then you’re familiar with its famous car launches. Prior to each new season, all ten teams on the grid host different events to unveil their new livery and outline their goals for the upcoming year. Often, these events are large and captivating, filled with expensive foods, famous people and top of the line technology (as F1 often is). That said, some teams do opt for a more low-key approach by posting a video to social media or doing a brief online reveal.
Despite this past tradition of each team hosting their own reveal, Formula One has now announced that for their 75th season, they will be hosting just one event with all the teams present and all their liveries revealed at once. It will take place at London’s O2 Arena on February 18 and will be available to fans through a live stream or in-person through tickets. During the event, all drivers will be present and all liveries will be revealed at the same time. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali claimed it is an event that is “not to be missed.”
I’m not so sure.
While I don’t disagree with the fact that the event itself sounds very cool, I can’t help but hope that F1 returns to its regularly scheduled reveals next season. It’s a good idea for a 75th anniversary, but not as a tradition for future seasons to come. There’s a few reasons why.
For one, I think it takes away from the interest factor of the reveal season. With the new format, the event becomes more about Formula One’s brand, rather than each individual team’s, which seems unfair and unnecessary. When each team has their own reveal, there’s more individuality within it. For example, in McLaren’s 1997 car launch, they brought out the Spice Girls to perform before revealing their car. Oracle Red Bull Racing’s car launch in 2024 was done in-person at Milton Keynes, the Red Bull Headquarters. The launch featured an appearance from Daniel Ricciardo (an ex-Formula One driver), old Red Bull cars and a highlight reel with Red Bull’s past success. Similar montages and reveals are seen in most of the F1 teams’ reveals. Car launches are often used as a way to honor each team’s history and personal success, though now that opportunity is taken away and instead pushed into one large event, with no special attention given to any one team. It takes away the significance and uniqueness of the moment.
Additionally, this new format reduces the excitement leading up to a season. From the end of the following racing year (usually in early December) to the beginning of the next season (usually in early March), there isn’t much going on for racing fans. Pre-season testing takes place later on in February, which leaves a good two and a half months of no content. Seeing each team progressively reveal their launch dates and cars helps grow the anticipation for the new season, which is what adds to the intensity and emotion in that first race weekend back. Having just one event takes away that gradual lead up. Like a big bang and then…nothing.
Three-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen said in a recent twitch stream, “I hope I’m sick that week,” in regards to the event, pretty much summing up my thoughts as well.