5 best F1 car launch events of the 21st century

Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari, Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer of HP, and Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari attend the unveiling of the Miami liveried Ferrari SF-24 - Source: Getty
(L-R) Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari; Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer of HP; and Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari attend the unveiling of the Miami liveries Ferrari SF-24 - Source: Getty

F1 car launches are one of the season's most anticipated moments, presenting the first glimpse of new machinery to the world. The teams usually go hard at work during the off-season to improve their performances.

The car launches also pique the interest of fans across the globe as they get the chance to see the new liveries for the first time. However, ever since the turn of the millennium, teams have made an effort to make the car launches an event that attracts as many eyeballs as possible.

Below is the list of five best car launches in the 21st century that stood out from the crowd:


#1 Ferrari F1 2023

The Ferrari SF-23 will surely go down as the best car launch of all time in the sport's history as it was a breath of fresh air from the mundane launches from that year. The Italian team took a different route from its rivals as it did not hide any aspects of its new car and presented the new livery in all its glory.

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The Prancing Horses hosted the launch in Fiorano in front of fans and even conducted test runs from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to massive fanfare.


#2 Ferrari 2020

The Italian team being the most iconic in F1 history never fails to showcase its grandeur in making events larger than life. It once again went the extra mile to launch the iconic SF-1000 organizing an opera before presenting the car.

After the performance, the key team personnel spoke about the ambitions for the season while also mentioning the importance of the car.


#3 McLaren 2007

Like its Italian counterpart, McLaren likes to do things on a grand scale, as was evident from the car launches from the 1997 and 2007 seasons. The 2007 launch was especially significant, introducing a new livery and a fresh driver's lineup in Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

The British team organized the event in Valencia, the hometown of the newly crowned two-time world champion Alonso. Over 250,000 fans attended the event, and the team showcased some runs for them.


#4 Force India - 2008

In 2008, F1 was introduced to the world of Indian motorsports as billionaire Vijay Mallya renamed the Spyker team to Force India and held the launch in Mumbai against the backdrop of the Gateway of India.

Car launches rarely happen at a picturesque location given F1 teams prefer to do it on their bases to avoid rivals noticing any new car parts.


#5 Benetton - 2001

Benetton F1 unveiled the B201 in the middle of Venice's Piazza San Marco with four drivers in its stable. The event is estimated to have cost around $500k. Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, and Giancarlo Fisichella were all part of the team that Flavio Briatore led.

The controversial Italian Briatore went for Button and Fisichella as the full-time drivers for the season. Coincidentally, it was the last season for the team under Benetton. The Renault works team took over the outfit from the next year.

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Edited by Aayush Kapoor
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