The 2024 F1 season is almost upon us, and all ten teams have officially scheduled their car launches. This season will see two changes in the paddock. Sauber's Alfa Romeo is now Stake, and Red Bull's sister team AlphaTauri is now Visa Cash App RB. February 2-15 will see all ten teams' official car launch. This is a brief recap of each team's situation as they approach their respective car launches.
February 2: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (P10 in 2023)
Haas has a mountain to climb in 2024. After a tenth place finish in 2023, Haas parted ways with fan-favorite team principal Gunther Steiner. His replacement, Ayao Komatsu, will be attempting to elevate a team that has struggled for years to consistently evade Q1 exits. Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will also be looking to improve after finishing 16th and 19th respectively in 2023. They'll be hoping this year's new VF-24 will give them the speed they need to move up the rankings.
February 5: Stake F1 Team (formerly Alfa-Romeo, P9 in 2023)
The team formerly known as Alfa Romeo will rebrand as Stake this season. The team is led by principal Andreas Seidl, who is entering his second year as team principal. The team will look to improve on an uninspiring P9 finish in 2023. Drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are capable of elevating their team into the midfield with the right car.
February 5: Williams Racing (P7 in 2023)
Williams will look to ride driver Alex Albon's momentum into 2024. Albon was in unbelievable form across 2023. The team will be hoping to elevate second-year American driver Logan Sargent, who has yet to out-qualify Albon. Sargent will need to improve his form this year if he hopes to keep his seat through 2025. Williams hasn't won a race in more than ten years. Wins are a long way off, but the team will hope to ride their recent straight-line speed higher into the midfield.
February 7: BWT Alpine F1 Team: (P6 in 2023)
Conversely, Alpine's all-French unit was held back last year by a lack of top speed. Drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have both won races with midfield cars, so Alpine should feel confident knowing a small improvement in mechanics could result in a major improvement in form. Consistency and driver penalties are other issues that need addressing in 2024.
February 8: Visa Cash App RB (formerly AlphaTauri, P8 in 2023)
This year's other lineup change will see AlphaTauri become Visa Cash App RB. They're expected to borrow heavily from sister team Red Bull's dominant 2023 car. A successful adaptation of the RB19 would likely see Visa Cash App RB threaten the midfield and above, especially with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda behind the wheel.
February 12: Aston Marin Aramco F1 Team (P5 in 2023)
Aston Martin started 2023 with a bang, as veteran addition Fernando Alonso scored six podiums in the first eight races. Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll will hope to get off to a similar start in 2024. Their 2023 car was renowned for its livery, so fans will be tuning in this year hoping to see a similarly beautiful car.
February 13: Scuderia Ferrari (P3 in 2023)
F1's most iconic team will look to improve on a generally disappointing 2023 season that saw Ferrari barely lose out on second place in the constructor's standings. Despite not seeing the same competitiveness that bagged them four wins in 2022, Ferrari was the only team other than Red Bull to get a win last year. Ferrari is hoping to replicate Carlos Sainz' masterful Singapore performance many times over in 2024.
February 14: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (P2 in 2023)
After a disastrous start to 2022, Mercedes hoped 2023's chassis changes would see the Silver Arrows return to their dominant ways of the 2010s. The W14 was an improvement, but despite some great Lewis Hamilton performances, the car was unable to earn a win.
Regardless, Mercedes was able to take second place from Ferrari. Mercedes knows that a great car the only obstacle preventing them from winning more races and more championships.
February 14: McLaren Racing Limited (P4 in 2023)
Red Bull defined 2023 in a way no team has ever defined a season. Despite that, McLaren's rapid rise in form was the most talked about event of 2023's second half. Rookie Oscar Piastri looked unbelievable, even winning Qatar's sprint race. Lando Norris was consistently challenging for podiums and was precisely one Verstappen away from his first career win for most of 2023's second half. McLaren has already released its livery, but fans will watch the car launch with interest, as many believe McLaren stand the best chance of beating Red Bull in 2024.
February 15: Oracle Red Bull Racing (P1 in 2023)
Red Bull was dominance personified in 2023. Max Verstappen is performing at an unbelievable level and his team looks untouchable as a result. The RB20 has potential to be even better than last year's RB19, which would be a scary prospect for the rest of the grid. Their car launch will likely not offer anything particularly notable. Red Bull's livery has been unchanged for years, and the team is notorious for displaying dummy cars that don't represent their actual engineering. Fans of other teams will be hoping to spot a weakness in a team that had a nearly perfect 2023 campaign.
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