F1 news LIVE: Haas reveal bold new livery at first 2023 car launch today

New Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has told Charles Leclerc he will not start the season as his No 1 driver.

Following Mattia Binotto’s resignation, Frenchman Vassuer, 54, has been charged with ending Ferrari’s championship drought which stretches back to Kimi Raikkonen’s title triumph in 2007.

Leclerc, 25, started last year as a real contender to beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but his challenge faded away through a litany of mechanical and strategic mistakes. Leclerc is viewed within Ferrari as the man most likely to lead the team’s charge, but Vassuer insists he will not be awarded preferential treatment over team-mate Carlos Sainz.

“It is a clear situation,” said Vassuer, who was addressing the media for the first time since taking up his post at Maranello. “We have two very good drivers and they are both able to do the job.

“We will have the capacity to provide them with exactly the same car, structure and support. The target is to win with Ferrari and for Ferrari and there will be no number one and number two. But if at one stage we have to take action, I will take action and it doesn’t matter if it is for one driver or the other.”

Leclerc won two of last year’s opening three rounds but added just one more victory from the next 19 races, ending the season 146 points behind Verstappen. Sainz won just the single race – July’s chaotic British Grand Prix – and finished 62 points behind Leclerc. Ferrari also trailed Red Bull by 205 points in the constructors’ standings.

The 2023 Formula 1 season starts on 5 March in Bahrain – and preparations are well underway ahead of the new campaign.

All 10 teams have had more than two months since the final race of 2022 in Abu Dhabi and are set to reveal their new cars in the next few weeks, with pre-season testing taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit from 23-25 February.

Red Bull will be the second team to follow suit in what is being described as a “season launch” for the 2022 champions in New York City on Friday. There is speculation that a new partnership with Ford could also be announced in the Big Apple.

Here are the 2023 car launch dates in chronological order:

Red Bull – Friday 3 February (New York)

Williams – Monday 6 February (Livery launch, online)

Alfa Romeo – Tuesday 7 February (Zurich)

AlphaTauri – Saturday 11 February (Livery launch, New York)

Aston Martin – Monday 13 February (Silverstone)

McLaren – Monday 13 February (location TBC)

Ferrari – Tuesday 14 February (location TBC)

Mercedes – Wednesday 15 February (Silverstone)

Alpine – Thursday 16 February (London)

Haas have become the first F1 team to unveil their 2023 livery design on their car with a striking online reveal.

The American-owned outfit, backed by a new sponsor in money transfer company MoneyGram, uploaded the bold colour scheme of their VF-23 car to their social media pages on Tuesday afternoon.

While the car is subject to specification changes, the usual white nose colour is countered this year by a black sidepod design to go with a red front wing emblazoned with the new headline sponsor.

After Mick Schumacher was dropped at the end of last year by team principal Gunether Steiner, Nico Hulkenberg will partner Kevin Magnussen this season for an outfit who finished eighth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022.

“I obviously share everyone’s enthusiasm around the livery unveil, not least as it’s a checkpoint in the pre-season calendar which means we’re another step closer to doing the thing we actually want to be doing,” remarked Steiner.

Haas have also revealed that the team will shakedown the new VF-23 for the first time at Silverstone on Saturday 11 February.

They will then test the car at official testing in Bahrain on 23-25 February, before the first Grand Prix of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit a week later.

And here’s some quotes from the man, the myth, the legend… Guenther Steiner!

“I obviously share everyone’s enthusiasm around the livery unveil, not least as it’s a checkpoint in the pre-season calendar which means we’re another step closer to doing the thing we actually want to be doing – and that’s go racing,” remarked Steiner, Haas team principal.

“I like the livery, it’s undoubtedly a more elevated and modernized look which is fitting as we move into a new era alongside MoneyGram as our title partner. It’s an exciting time of year for Formula 1 and it’s great that we’re first out the gate to showcase our livery but our attention is firmly on getting the VF-23 on-track and preparing for the season ahead. We really have something to build on following last year’s performances.

“The whole organization has been working hard to reach this point and obviously in Kevin (Magnussen) and Nico (Hülkenberg) we have two proven points-scoring talents locked in behind the wheel. I can’t wait to get started.”

Here’s some more snaps of the 2023 livery – alongside some quotes from team owner Gene Haas!

“I was very pleased to welcome MoneyGram as title partner for the 2023 season and beyond, and it’s exciting to see our first livery unveiled together as MoneyGram Haas F1 Team,” said Haas.

“We head into a new season buoyed by some strong team performances last year and a return to points paying finishes. The aim for the 2023 season is naturally to do that more consistently and with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg I certainly believe we’ve got an experienced driver pairing more than capable of delivering those points on a Sunday.”

With a new sponsor in MoneyGram, Haas are the first F1 team to reveal their 2023 livery to the world ahead of the new Formula 1 season, which starts on March 3-5 in Bahrain.

While there is no official launch live video, Haas have now unveiled their new design – and a new sidepod colour to go with it!

Haas – Tuesday 31 January (Livery launch only)

Red Bull – Friday 3 February (New York)

Williams – Monday 6 February (Livery launch, online)

Alfa Romeo – Tuesday 7 February (Zurich)

AlphaTauri – Saturday 11 February (Livery launch, New York)

Aston Martin – Monday 13 February (Silverstone)

McLaren – Monday 13 February (location TBC)

Ferrari – Tuesday 14 February (location TBC)

Mercedes – Wednesday 15 February (Silverstone)

Alpine – Thursday 16 February (London)

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been directly criticised by a House of Lords peer after failing to respond to a letter raising concerns over Formula 1 races being held in the Gulf region.

In a letter seen by The Independent, Lord Scriven labelled Ben Sulayem “deeply discourteous and unprofessional” after the Emirati executive “completely ignored” a letter in March 2022 about staging events in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, consequent human rights implications and accusations of facilitating sportswashing.

Lord Scriven, in a letter addressed to Ben Sulayem, writes: “Why do you think you can ignore parliamentarians? Do you think that concerns raised over human rights and the policies of the FIA should be above scrutiny?

“We wrote to you in order to raise concerns that are in the public interest, and we expect openness and transparency from the FIA. For the sake of clarity, I still expect to receive a response to our letter.”

Lord Scriven, alongside 90 European parliamentarians, called out the FIA ahead of the 2022 F1 season for “facilitating sportswashing” in Gulf countries, insisting “their continued failure to raise abuses committed by these regimes creates a stark double standard”.

He also sided with a letter sent on Tuesday to Ben Sulayem by human rights group BIRD (Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy), which voiced its concern that the FIA was “suppressing drivers’ freedom of speech” and questioned the governing body’s stance on human rights.

Red Bull are reportedly on the verge of signing a deal with Ford ahead of their 2023 car launch on Friday.

Christian Horner’s team, who coasted to Drivers and Constructors’ success last season as Max Verstappen won his second world title, are in the market for an automotive partner having held talks with Porsche last summer.

The Ford Motor Company, who were last involved in F1 in 2004 alongside Jaguar, are one such interested party andThe Mirror report that a deal is expected to be agreed with Red Bull – and could be announced as early as Friday.

Red Bull launch their 2023 car, the RB19, on 3 February in New York City – where Ford have reportedly sent social media influencers in anticipation of a deal confirmation.