Why 2022 F1 car launches will disappoint the fans
New car launches usually build up plenty of hype for the new season but Chris Medland argues F1 has drained much of the usual intrigue
It’s week two of launch week for the new 2022 Formula 1 cars and AlphaTauri begins the unveiling this morning, ahead of Williams, Mercedes and Ferrari in the coming days.
After Red Bull pulled the covers off a show car, which revealed nothing about the team’s design for this year, there’s a chance that AlphaTauri will pull the same trick for the AT03 and keep its interpretation of the new F1 regulations a secret for a bit longer.
But if not, then we’ll get the first clues as to whether the team can build on its previous successes, including a win for Pierre Gasly in 2020 and a podium last year, when the team finished sixth in the constructors’ championship, just 13 points behind Alpine with 155 points.
One thing is not in doubt: there will be a fashion element. The team’s 2020 launch included a full fashion show for the AlphaTauri clothing brand. Last year’s was more subdued, with Gasly and Tsunoda roped in to model the range.
Last year’s new aerodynamic testing restrictions gave more time to teams the further back they were in the championship, so AlphaTauri’s AT03 has benefitted from more wind tunnel runs that its sister team Red Bull. With the same Honda engine in the back, the team will surely be looking to get Gasly — or team-mate Yuki Tsunoda — on the podium again in 2022.
The live stream of launch starts at 11am GMT, which you can watch at the top of this page. Wherever else you are in the world, the times to tune in are below.
3am PST
5pm CT
6am ET
12pm PM
7pm China Standard Time
10pm AEDT
New car launches usually build up plenty of hype for the new season but Chris Medland argues F1 has drained much of the usual intrigue
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