A round-up and gallery of all the 2019 car launches ahead of the new season.
Pre-season testing begins in Barcelona on February 18. View all the key dates of the upcoming season here.
Yet to launch: Racing Point (Wednesday), McLaren (Thursday), Ferrari (Friday), Alfa Romeo (Monday).
Mercedes
Despite teasing a camouflaged livery, Mercedes launched its car with a very similar scheme to previous years. The world champions conducted a shakedown at the Silverstone circuit just down the road from its two F1 factories on the Wednesday before testing. Mercedes hopes the car can help the team etch its name into the record books — another constructors’ championship will equal Ferrari’s record of six in a row (set between 1999 and 2004).
Red Bull
Red Bull definitely won the battle for eyeballs and clicks on social media, unveiling the RB15 with a striking red and blue livery which was a dramatic departure from previous concepts. It was a one-off, however, and it is likely the team will revert back to more traditional colours for testing. More importantly for the team will be how the package underneath the paint job performs — Red Bull is quietly optimistic its new Honda engine can help it mount a title challenge. The question is whether it can do that in 2019, or whether the year will be laying the foundations for one next season.
Renault
2019 driver line-up: Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg
Renault’s car looks very similar in terms of colour, but the French manufacturer hopes its R.S.19 is very different in terms of performance to its predecessor. Having finished fourth in 2018 the goal is clear: cut the gap to the lead trio and start building towards what it hopes will be a car capable of winning races in 2020. The introduction of Ricciardo to the team is a huge statement but Renault will need to deliver on both the aerodynamic and engine side to see a significant improvement on recent years.
Renault already pushing ‘over the line’ ahead of crucial season
Haas
2019 line-up: Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean
Haas revealed a brand new scheme for the new season following its title sponsorship deal with Rich Energy, a British energy drinks company which was linked to an attempt to purchase Force India (now Racing Point) last year. The deal has seen the American outfit move away from the grey and red colours of owner Gene Haas’ company, Haas Automation, and towards a black and gold livery made famous by Lotus in previous eras of Formula One.
At the event, it launched the new livery on an old car equipped with a new 2019 front wing. The renders released (shown above) are concepts of the 2019 car in its entirety.
Haas’ new backers looking to beat Red Bull ‘on and off track’
Toro Rosso
2019 line-up: Daniil Kvyat, Alexander Albon (rookie)
Toro Rosso’s livery looks unchanged from last year, with its striking blend of blue and red staying on the car for another season. The Italian team did not have a physical launch event, instead releasing rendered images of the new car (see above). It’s 2019 car will not be seen in the flesh until the opening morning of testing.
Williams
2019 line-up: Robert Kubica, George Russell (rookie)
Williams was another team to introduce a new look following a change in title sponsor. The team lost its Martini sponsorship at the end of 2018 and has replaced that with communications company ROKiT. Unlike Haas and Rich Energy, Williams opted against following the colours of its new title sponsor and instead chose a white and light blue livery for the coming season — a deliberate move away from the navy blue most associated with the British team and its dominant cars of the 1990s.