All the F1 launch dates in 2022

Launch season in 2021 was a strange affair given the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing teams to get creative, particularly as they were essentially unveiling updated versions of their 2020 models.

But 2022 is a very different story as F1 embarks on the start of a vital new rule cycle that threatens to shake up the pecking order - meaning teams will want to be particularly careful in keeping any creative design pursuits under wraps for as long as possible. It has made online launches the typical route, although some are finding ways to get fans involved and hold physical events.

The overall presentation has also varied from team to team, but there was plenty for fans to get excited about as they cross off the days before testing begins on 23 February.

Haas VF-22

Photo by: Haas F1 Team

Haas - 4 February

The Haas VF-22 car is the first produced by the American team out of its new design office in Maranello, and offered a sign of what the new cars will look like this year following the overhaul of the technical regulations.

Team boss Gunther Steiner was clear that the renders show it in an earlier phase of the development, with more to come when the VF-22 hits the track for the first time at Barcelona. Aside from the livery, which is an evolution of last year's design, there was plenty for us to chew over that's different from the renders and the show car that FOM presented last year.

Perhaps the most obvious difference is the team's approach to the sidepods, with a very narrow inlet used to feed the radiators within. A relatively large undercut is also noticeable under the sidepod, which aligns well with the suspension elements in order that airflow might be fed around the sidepod without stealing too much from the entrance to the Venturi tunnels beneath.

Red Bull Racing RB18

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull - 9 February

The Milton Keynes-based team hosted a virtual launch from its Milton Keynes factory for the new RB18, which will be driven by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the season ahead.

But while the model on display featured the team’s latest livery, which includes more exposure for title sponsor Oracle, the team appeared to be keeping its technical secrets under wraps for now.

The RB18 that was unveiled appeared to be just an upgraded version of the FOM concept show car that was revealed last year.

While having a different nose and wing from the FOM model, much of the car was identical – suggesting Red Bull did not wish to show off its definitive version just yet.

Andrew Green, Technical Driector, Aston Martin, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, Tom McCullough, Aston Martin peformance director, Jessica Hawkins and Nico Hulkenberg, Reserve Driver, Aston Martin

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Aston Martin - 10 February

The Aston Martin AMR22 features an updated livery, replacing the pink elements of former major sponsor BWT with lime green, and sports an aggressive new design in line with the updated regulations for this season.

The most visually striking feature of the car is the sidepods, with a very small box-shaped inlet with bodywork that flares out to fill out some of the reference volume that's permissible in this area.

On the top surface of the sidepod, Aston has taken the opportunity to run with cooling gills along the car's flank, which means that, at the rear of the car, the bodywork can taper into an extreme.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL36

Photo by: McLaren

McLaren - 11 February

McLaren revealed its MCL36 challenger featuring an updated livery to the team’s previous designs. In a live event on Friday held at its Woking factory featuring drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, the British squad became the fourth team to unveil its new car.

Of the three 2022 designs shown so far, the MCL36 is notable for featuring a third different take on the new regulations regarding rear bodywork – with the car being similar to Aston’s approach in extending the surfaces backwards, as opposed to Haas’ narrow and sharply drooping bodywork that leaves more of the top surface of the floor exposed.

Unlike the Aston, the new McLaren’s bodywork appears to be not so tightly packaged around its Mercedes engine.

Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Photo by: AlphaTauri

AlphaTauri - 14 February

AlphaTauri revealed its tweaked 2022 Formula 1 livery in a video rendering of its AT03.

The new car will not be properly seen in public until next week's first pre-season test at Barcelona in Spain, with the team only offering a concept version in a promotional video that was closely tied-in with the AlphaTauri fashion brand.

While the details of the car shown in the video were limited, they did show off the tweaked new blue-and-white colour scheme, plus an aggressive undercut sidepod solution.

Williams FW44

Photo by: Williams

Williams - 15 February

Williams unveiled its new 2022 Formula 1 livery on a show car during a season launch event, before a shakedown test of its real contender at Silverstone hours later.

Team boss Jost Capito explained that it elected not to show its new colours on its actual 2022 car because: "We worked on the livery and we wanted to have that perfect and that's why we could only do it on the show car – because it took a while to do."

As the team heads into the new rules era, it has tweaked its colour scheme to a new blend of blues and red. The addition of red is said to have been inspired by a determination to promote the team's British roots.

The real FW44 looks significantly different, with the front end, the sidepods and the engine cover area similar to that spotted on the 2022 McLaren.

Ferrari F1-75

Photo by: Ferrari

Ferrari - 17 February

The Ferrari F1-75 was revealed by the team at its Maranello headquarters in Italy, making it the seventh team to formally launch its new car.

Following the exit of long-serving major sponsor Philip Morris and its Mission Winnow branding that featured on the car last year, Ferrari has switched to a red and black design for the coming season.

In a unique design feature, it has constructed a ‘modular’ nose concept on the new F1-75: Rather than having a single nose section, Ferrari has split its design into two separate elements. It also has dimpled sidepods, suggesting a radical radiator system beneath.

Mercedes W13

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

Mercedes - 18 February

Mercedes has returned to its classic silver livery for 2022 after racing with a black design for the past two years as part of its anti-racism messaging. The car features black trim and the fluorescent green of title sponsor Petronas, as well as a star-speckled design on the engine cover.

A highlight of its design is a carefully-crafted floor edge in order that the airflow follows a more defined route around the lower half of the sidepods. The W13 also features a solution first seen on the W12 last season and subsequently abandoned in Merc's Silverstone B-Spec upgrade package – the wavy edge.

Mercedes will enter the new season looking to continue its streak of eight consecutive F1 constructors' titles stretching back to 2014.

Alpine A522

Photo by: Alpine

Alpine - 21 February

The French car manufacturer has changed colour schemes for this season, off the back of a new title sponsorship with water company BWT, whose branding and iconic pink corporate hue features on the front wing, sidepods and rear wing.

The A522 features a push-rod suspension at the front, with pull-rod at the rear. The nose is more raised in relation to the front wing than some other rival cars, with very narrow inlets at the sidepods, which feature cooling gills that some other teams have adopted.

The new livery and car comes after a winter of wider change at the outfit, following a management shake-up undertaken by CEO Laurent Rossi.

He has brought in former Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer as team principal, with former FIA man Bruno Famin joining to help head up Renault's engine division at Viry-Chatillon.

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Davide Cavazza

Alfa Romeo - 27 February

Alfa Romeo’s launch announcement initially sparked some confusion, given it was slated for after the opening pre-season test in Barcelona (23-25 February) had already been completed.

But the team was quick to clarify that the C42 car will be featuring in the opening test, decked out in a special livery, before the final design is revealed at the launch on 27 February.

Its new car then made a shock test debut at Fiorano on 15 February.

The new line-up of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou means the team arguably has one of the stronger narratives going into this time of year.