Every time a Formula 1 team unveils a new car design in this day and age, it’s safe to assume it’s either a complete fabrication with the sole purpose of displaying a new livery, or perhaps a semi-finalized design with multiple components that will never see the light of day.
For example, don’t expect to see anybody’s floor design until the teams actually get these cars out on the track during pre-season testing. The sidepods can change too, and so can the wings, obviously.
With that in mind, you’re looking at the brand-new Haas VF-24 race car, to be driven by Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen during the 2024 Formula 1 season. Right off the bat, we can tell you this isn’t the real car, but rather an official rendering. We won’t see the real thing until it hits the track for a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11.
The livery design is final though, and it’s pretty much an evolution of last year’s aesthetic – the VF-23 was predominantly black too, with a little white around the sidepod area and halo, plus the nose section. The VF-24 on the other hand has a darker appearance, for better or worse.
Personally, I think both cars (this year’s car and last year’s) looked underwhelming from a livery standpoint. I mean, how are you America’s only team on the grid and not wear some type of Red, White and Blue combination. At least on the halo, or maybe the rear wing. Give us something, Haas!
Anyway, design-wise, we can’t tell much from the nose. It looks similar to last year’s front section, which means we’ll probably see the final design come February 11. What’s clearly new though is the shape of the sidepod inlets. A little reminiscent of what Ferrari did last year.
“We’re realistic about our expectations for the VF-24 to start but it’s still an exciting moment in any Formula 1 season to showcase the car,” said new team principal Ayao Komatsu, stepping in for Guenther Steiner.
Photo: Haas F1 Team
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make progress and increase our performance but everyone here is highly motivated and eager to get on track with the VF-24. I know we’ll be maximizing our time in Bahrain with all the various items we need to push through. Bottom line, we can’t wait to get going and get the season underway.”
The American outfit will be looking to improve on their performance from last year, when they finished dead last in the Constructors standings with just 12 points (4 points shy of Alfa Romeo). I’m not sure how far up the field they’ll be able to move, but improving on those 12 points shouldn’t be impossible given how experienced their drivers are.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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