In a surprise move, Haas has not only revealed its 2019 livery... but the car with which it will contest the new season, the VF-19
While the American team had announced that its London unveil would feature the new livery, courtesy of the fact that it has a title sponsor in the form of the mysterious, and somewhat elusive, energy drink, Rich Energy, as the wraps were taken off to reveal the new livery, few were expecting the car to make an appearance.
However, while at the RAC Club in London's Pall Mall this morning, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen took the wraps off the VF-18 sporting the team's 2019 livery, the team simultaneously released a number of images of the VF-19 thereby giving the first glimpse of how the new aero rules are being interpreted.
"This is the time of the season when you hope you've got designs right and you can be competitive straight away," said Gene Haas. "The new car looks distinctive, not only in terms of its color scheme, but also with the new regulations in play. Hopefully those design changes brought in for 2019 will improve the racing on-track, and more importantly give us a shot at making more of an impact at each Grand Prix."
"It's important that we keep progressing as a team, and this season is no different," added Guenther Steiner. "Our partnership with Rich Energy is another positive example of moving forward as an organization. We're pleased to see their colors on the VF-19, we welcome them as they join our valued partner group in utilizing Formula One as a global marketing platform.
"While 2018 delivered our best season to-date, the year showed, sometimes sharply, that we still have areas to improve on as a team. On-track, our push for performance started early with the VF-19, our next step is to get to Spain and utilize our time there wisely to prepare for Australia."
"I'm naturally delighted to finally see the Rich Energy colours and stag logo in Formula One with Haas," said William Storey, chief executive officer of Rich Energy. "Partnering with the team has already significantly raised the profile of our brand, this livery unveil will again elevate us to another level. It's fantastic to see the VF-19 decked out in black and gold, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen similarly attired. We've worked closely with Haas F1 Team to ensure we present a strong look, one we're now very proud to take around the world competing in Formula One."
Due to the deliberately dark nature of the images issued, it's hard to get a clearer - pun intended - picture of how Haas has interpreted the rules, however, other than new mirror winglets and the wastegate pipes now being stacked above the exhaust, there appears to be a new S-duct.
The simplified front-wing, now 200mm wider and 20mm higher, and is designed to allow drivers to follow each other more closely and increase the possibility of overtaking. Similarly, the rear wing has been made simpler, as well as 20mm higher and 100mm wider, to aid slipstreaming and promote closer racing.
Smaller, repositioned barge boards are also visible, reduced in height by 150mm and moved forward by 100mm, these have been designed to improve air flow from the front wing making them less aerodynamically disruptive.
Auto Motor und Sport also notes the innovative wheel design, which suggests air is blown through small slots in the rims.
While the car will make its public debut in Barcelona on February 18, the American team will be on track at Fiorano for a filming day on February 15, two days before Ferrari is also due to carry out a filming day at the same track.
A third team has booked the track for the Saturday, but there is no indication of who that could possibly be. (Cough… Alfa).
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