Car launches are for Sponsors...NOT Fans - F1 Explained

It's 'car launch season' in Formula 1. Or is it? Formula 1 teams are launching liveries under the guise of a car launch. Understandably, fans aren't pleased.

As we build up to the 2023 Formula 1 season, we will simplify Formula 1 for you via our new series called 'F1 Explained'. It only seemed apt that our opening episode would talk about Formula 1 car launches...and how the primary audience are the team's sponsors. (Sorry to burst your bubble!)

Why do teams not use their latest cars? Why can't all teams have one grand launch event? And finally, some very fascinating car launches from history.

Whether you're a new fan ('Drive to Survive' converted) or a Formula 1 veteran, F1 Explained will aim to simplify the complexities of Formula 1 in five mins or less.

It's our version of the 'explain to me like I'm a five year old!'

Let's know how you like our new series AND if you have specific questions for us to get to first. 

(Season 2023, Episode 04)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: Soumil Arora

# Formula 1 Car Launches: Unveiling the Spectacle Behind the Unveiling

In the world of Formula 1, the annual car launch season is a highly anticipated event. However, it has recently become more of a spectacle centered around unveiling new liveries rather than showcasing actual new cars. This shift in focus has led to some discontent among fans who feel that the true essence of car launches has been compromised.

**The Purpose of Car Launches: Catering to Sponsors**

Contrary to popular belief, Formula 1 car launches are primarily intended for the benefit of team sponsors. These events serve as platforms to introduce new partnerships, showcase brand logos, and create a memorable first impression for the sponsors. The elaborate ceremonies and carefully orchestrated media coverage aim to drive attention to the team's brand and its partners.

**The Evolution of Car Launches: From Trackside Reveals to Grand Spectacles**

Traditionally, car launches involved unveiling the actual car in a pit lane or during official testing sessions. However, as Formula 1's popularity surged, teams began to adopt grander launch events, often held at iconic locations and featuring elaborate presentations. These events became more akin to jersey reveals in other sports, with the focus shifting to the car's livery rather than its technical details.

**The Significance of Sponsors: Driving Eyeballs and Attention**

The importance of sponsors in Formula 1 cannot be overstated. They provide crucial financial support, enabling teams to operate and compete at the highest level. Car launches serve as opportunities to highlight these partnerships and generate publicity for the sponsors' brands. Teams use these events to attract new sponsors and solidify existing relationships.

**The Use of Show Cars: Protecting Technological Secrets**

Formula 1 is a fiercely competitive sport where teams guard their technological innovations closely. During car launches, teams typically display show cars that resemble their latest models but do not reveal the actual cars that will be used in competition. This practice is employed to prevent rivals from gaining insights into their technical developments.

**The Coordination of Launch Dates: Maximizing Visibility**

To ensure maximum visibility and media coverage, Formula 1 teams coordinate their launch dates to avoid overlapping events. This strategy allows each team to capture the spotlight and generate buzz around their new car and sponsors. A single grand launch event involving all teams has been proposed, but the potential drawbacks, such as limited coverage for smaller teams, have prevented its implementation.

In conclusion, Formula 1 car launches have evolved into elaborate spectacles primarily aimed at showcasing team sponsors and their brands. While they may not provide a glimpse of the actual cars that will compete on the track, these events play a crucial role in the financial and marketing aspects of the sport.

[00:00.000 -> 00:26.980] So, it's F1 car launch season, or is it really? Are they truly launching a new car or just revealing a newish livery?
[00:26.980 -> 00:30.720] I mean, what's the entire point of this whole spectacle?
[00:30.860 -> 00:38.240] Here's F1 explained by F1 stats guru and the inside line F1 podcast the show where we simplify Formula 1 for you
[00:38.620 -> 00:40.620] Subscribe now
[00:47.680 -> 00:50.360] Let me hit you up with the truth right away. Formula 1 car launches are for the sponsors.
[00:50.360 -> 00:54.680] Well, ok, it's not only for the sponsors, but they are the primary audience for which
[00:54.680 -> 00:57.080] teams have grand car launches.
[00:57.080 -> 01:00.720] That's exactly what we will explain in this video, while also answering questions such
[01:00.720 -> 01:03.880] as do teams use the latest car during the launches?
[01:03.880 -> 01:08.280] If it's not their latest car car why bother with the launch anyway? And why can't all teams
[01:08.280 -> 01:13.280] not launch their cars on the same day? Well to be fair modern Formula One car
[01:13.280 -> 01:17.560] launches are kind of like jersey reveals in other sports these days. We can only
[01:17.560 -> 01:22.440] truly see the livery of the car which sometimes doesn't even get changed. Yeah
[01:22.440 -> 01:28.640] that's right we're looking at you Red Bull Racing and you too Williams, come on change your car it doesn't work that way.
[01:28.640 -> 01:33.040] In the past car launches meant wheeling the car out of the pit lane, pulling off
[01:33.040 -> 01:36.720] the cover, posing for official photos, doing a quick shade down and then
[01:36.720 -> 01:40.960] talking to the media. A big team would normally do such a reveal at Silverstone
[01:40.960 -> 01:44.800] but if you're a smaller minnow team you just use the official testing to reveal
[01:44.800 -> 01:47.800] your car. No showbiz or anything like that just
[01:47.800 -> 01:51.560] reveal your car 30 minutes before the track session and just start driving it
[01:51.560 -> 01:56.200] but let's backtrack shall we? Formula One's popularity has ebbed and flowed
[01:56.200 -> 02:00.560] over the years and our hypothesis is that the grander the car launches the
[02:00.560 -> 02:04.640] more popular the sport is. Mind you it's not the other way around
[02:04.640 -> 02:09.280] understandably the grand car launches are back because Formula One's
[02:09.280 -> 02:14.100] popularity has shot through the roof. Okay, at the start of this episode I did
[02:14.100 -> 02:18.040] say that Formula One car launches are for the sponsors. Let me expand on this.
[02:18.040 -> 02:23.640] Bear with me. Car launches aren't really for launching a car per se and it's not
[02:23.640 -> 02:25.780] to showcase the team's livery either.
[02:25.780 -> 02:30.680] The true reason for a car launch is for a team to showcase its brand new sponsors and
[02:30.680 -> 02:34.340] how a livery fits around new and more logos on their car.
[02:34.340 -> 02:38.640] When was the last time you saw a new livery that wasn't influenced by a sponsor?
[02:38.640 -> 02:42.400] Remember Carl Ferdinand McLaren or even Williams and Martini?
[02:42.400 -> 02:46.920] Teams and brands go a long way to ensure that their partnership launch is as memorable as possible
[02:46.920 -> 02:48.920] for the best first impression.
[02:49.360 -> 02:52.060] Back in the day McLaren did so to launch their
[02:52.740 -> 02:58.140] 1997 car with the Spice Girls and yes, Jenny, Christian Honours wife also performed there
[02:58.140 -> 03:03.840] but unfortunately for Red Bull Racing her group hasn't quite performed for that team yet. I wonder why?
[03:03.840 -> 03:04.400] Her group hasn't quite performed for that team yet. I wonder why?
[03:07.120 -> 03:07.200] Then in 2002, Jordan took it up a notch.
[03:13.760 -> 03:14.000] They had DHL deliver a Formula One car straight from a plane in the middle of the event to showcase their partnership.
[03:16.920 -> 03:17.280] And then, the best of all, our personal favorite,
[03:23.640 -> 03:23.800] McLaren inviting normal Formula One fans like you and me to assemble their 2011 car at a public square in Berlin.
[03:25.720 -> 03:30.220] How cool is that? In fact, teams also use launch events to pressurize sponsors sitting on the fence
[03:30.220 -> 03:35.300] to fall on the other side of the fence. They use the spectacle to drive eyeballs
[03:35.300 -> 03:41.060] and attention to their cars and hence to the logos of the cars as well. Okay so to
[03:41.060 -> 03:44.700] the questions that we're normally asked. Do teams use their latest car during the
[03:44.700 -> 03:45.080] launches? Well no, not entirely.'re normally asked. Do teams use their latest car during the launches?
[03:45.280 -> 03:50.880] Well, no, not entirely. They use show cars that look like their latest car, but think of it this way
[03:51.480 -> 03:56.280] Formula One is a technological sport where you want to hide your technology from all your other rivals
[03:56.480 -> 04:04.080] Then why would you expose your latest car and hence your tech secrets on a day when all of the world's motorsport media's eyeballs
[04:04.080 -> 04:06.320] are on you.
[04:06.320 -> 04:10.400] So the next time you go zooming in on an image of a Formula 1 car from a launch event, think
[04:10.400 -> 04:11.400] again.
[04:11.400 -> 04:16.520] And the final question, why can't all teams not launch their cars on the same day?
[04:16.520 -> 04:20.080] The car launch season, if we can call it that, actually has teams coordinating with each
[04:20.080 -> 04:22.280] other to try not to have an overlap.
[04:22.280 -> 04:24.000] Again, why would they do that?
[04:24.000 -> 04:30.120] So that they can maximize their, and hence their sponsors visibility on that big day. If all 10 teams
[04:30.120 -> 04:34.200] did their launch at one grand launch event, the coverage for some of the smaller teams
[04:34.200 -> 04:39.200] who have big partners could be very limited. But hey, one grand launch event does sound
[04:39.200 -> 04:44.640] like a great idea, especially if they open it up to fans and media alike.
[04:44.640 -> 04:48.800] So that's all about F1 car launches here on F1 Explained. If you love this
[04:48.800 -> 04:52.960] podcast and this episode, don't forget to subscribe to us and we'll be back with
[04:52.960 -> None] many many more. you