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On the eve of the launch of Haas' 2023 F1 challenger, there is certainly a lot of intrigue. The event marks the official kick-off for the 2023 F1 season. Additionally, the team is in a position of consolidation. The American outfit's 2022 F1 season was a resurgence of sorts. After spending two seasons at the back, the team produced a competitive midfield car, one that could fight for points regularly.
After a 2021 F1 season where finishing last was a foregone conclusion, 2022 saw the team finish 8th in the championship and even score its first-ever pole position in Brazil with Kevin Magnussen. This season, the team will have Nico Hulkenberg driving the car as a replacement for Mick Schumacher as the team tries to bank on the former's experience.
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The 2023 F1 season is a year of progress for the team and it all starts with the car launch. So what can we expect from the Haas car launch? Let's take a look!
#1 Any new sponsors for the American team?
One of the biggest questions for a team like Haas is the kind of sponsorship it attracts. F1's growth in the American market and the team's improved form have induced a lot of interest. This season, Moneygram will be the title sponsor after Uralkali's exit in 2022.
Not only that, there is an expectation on both sides of the horizon for the American team. With Mick Schumacher's departure, one could expect quite a few sponsors to leave that came with him. However, the team's improved performances last season also brought quite a few sponsors to the table.
With a change in title sponsorship from Uralkali to Moneygram, expect a change in livery as well. The typical white, red, and blue shades of the Russian livery might get replaced by the color theme of the new sponsor.
#2 Is it a stock car or the 2023 F1 challenger?
Arguably something that is going to intrigue everyone is the car that will be exhibited. To avoid releasing intricate details of the new package, teams often tend to launch the livery with a stock car or last season's car.
However, there have been times when teams have just brought in the latest F1 challenger and launched it with a new livery. If that happens, it will answer multiple questions about the direction in which the 2023 cars are headed. Red Bull's design was the runaway favorite last season as the car proved to be one of the most efficient all-around packages. However, Ferrari was not too far behind either in terms of design efficiency.
In terms of car design, it will be interesting to see the direction Haas takes. If some portions hold a resemblance to Red Bull, then that would mean a convergence toward the best package on the grid last season. Whether Haas' proximity to Ferrari will show up in the new design will also be noted.
If instead of a stock car, the 2023 F1 challenger is launched, we could be unlocking a few secrets about the Italian manufacturer as well.
#3 What is Haas' pre-season target for the 2023 F1 season?
It would be worth hearing what the Haas team principal has in mind in terms of a pre-season target for the team. Lest we forget, this is the same team that went down in the dumps in 2021 and finished last in the championship. Haas went through a free fall of sorts after the high of finishing 5th in the championship in 2018.
The team nose-dived to P9 in 2019 and since then, the best it has finished was P8 last season. For a team that is rebuilding and now has arguably its best-ever driver lineup in Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, it's hard to put a pin on what its pre-season target should be.
Can the team progress from a lowly P8 position in the championship? Who can it realistically compete with and beat? Can it take on the likes of McLaren, Alpine, and Aston Martin? What is the target? Is the team hoping to score a podium this season? How can it improve from last season? All these questions are crucial and will only be answered by Guenther Steiner, who surely has a roadmap in place when it comes to what he wants the team to achieve this season.
