Haas kick off 2024 F1 launch season with first car unveiling

Haas have become the first F1 team to officially unveil their new 2024 car ahead of pre-season testing.

The American outfit revealed the VF-24 on Friday afternoon with a series of posts on social media.

Off the track, there’s been a major change ahead of the season with Guenther Steiner leaving Haas, paving the way for Ayao Komatsu.

Haas retain Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg as their two drivers for 2024, while Ferrari protege Oliver Bearman is one of the team’s reserves.

The team will be hoping for a better 2024 campaign after they slumped to 10th in the constructors’ championship.

Even though Haas excelled in qualifying, poor tyre degradation was their main weakness, resulting in very few top 10 finishes.

When taking the job, Komatsu already admitted that he expects Haas to start the season poorly given how late they began work on their 2024 challenger.

Speaking after the launch, Komatsu said: “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. 

“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 new Haas car will run for the first time in a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11.