Back In Black: Haas F1 Team Reveals 2023 Challenger
via Haas F1 Team
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (PSF) — The 2023 Formula 1 season is officially underway as the first challenger has been revealed this morning at 9 AM ET on Twitter by Haas F1 Team. The anticipated reveal will be the first Haas car maneuvered by returning Formula 1 veteran Nico Hülkenberg, who will look to claim a podium. Hulk partners Kevin Magnussen for his second season with Haas in his second stint with the team.
Cosmetically, the most striking difference from Haas cars years prior is its black main color. This would be the first time Haas sports the black color since 2019 with their disastrous partnership with Rich Energy. The other glaring distinction from previous years’ cars is the rather large, red MoneyGram logo that is across the shark fin. With this being the first year of MoneyGram being the title sponsor for Haas, it was expected that their logo would be heavily incorporated into the livery the same way in which Red Bull used their title sponsor, Oracle. Another sizeable change for the American team is their new driver number font that abandons the typical Haas tall and rounded numbers and opts for a more intense, italicized and bold font that resembles that of a NASCAR driver’s number, fitting for the sole American team on the grid. The final addition to the car that stands out is their new sponsor for “EntArtainment” Palm Angels. The hype beast brand that sells a shark sweater for over a thousand dollars has entered the field of F1. The Palm Angels logo is found on the floor of the car below the large Haas logo that is covering the sidepods.
From a car design standpoint, it is difficult to really pick out what’s new for this season due to the images released being a black and white car behind a black and white backdrop, making it a bit confusing to make distinctions. It is also important to note that there’s a good chance that the released design will be altered during Winter testing in Bahrain and even more likely going into Round 1 in Bahrain come March 3rd. From what is visible, the car seems much slimmer and simpler than last year’s car with thinner sidepods and a less rounded front wing design. There also appears to be a gap just under the base of the shark fin that dons the MoneyGram logo which is certainly something that no team has done in the past. Perhaps it’s an innovation in engine cooling?
Looking at the Haas 2023 challenger as a whole, and especially comparing it to last season’s car, this one looks downright mean in my opinion. It is a car that just looks like it can go fast, which in a sport where cars go fast, it’s all I want out of a livery. Last year’s design was a bit of a wash after it was first revealed sporting the Russian, not American red, white, and blue due to the Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin bringing in the majority of Haas’ sponsorship dollars. Once Haas finally saw the Mazepin partnership as troublesome amidst the Russian attacks on Ukraine, Haas cut all ties with Dmitry and their driver Nikita. In a lazy move, Haas just stripped the car of all blue and essentially replaced it with a red stripe. Going into the 2023 season, the sleek black look complimented with a revitalized driver number font makes for an overall good looking car that will look to fight the midfield once again and avoid becoming backmarkers for another season.
