The 2021 Formula 1 season is right around the corner, with the first race to be held in Bahrain on March 28.
This year will be somewhat of a transitional period for the premier motorsport series, as the changes to the sporting regulations originally scheduled for 2021 were pushed back to 2022. Now that every team has unveiled their 2021 car, let’s see what each one has in store.
Mercedes W12
See: Mercedes-AMG GT R, C63 S Safety And Medical Cars Get New Attire For 2021 F1 Season
Aside from the minor technical updates and new livery, not much has changed over at Mercedes. Piloting their new W12 will be Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the same lineup as last year, and until the major shakeup of next year’s sporting regulation change, it’s very likely that we’ll see Mercedes’ dominance continue, with both the team and Hamilton being the favorites for the Constructors’ and Drivers’ title respectively.
Red Bull RB16B
More: Red Bull Takes Over Honda’s Power Unit After F1 Teams Agree On Engine Freeze From 2022
Ever since 2016, Red Bull has been using practically the same livery design on their cars, and this year’s RB16B is no different, aside from the loss of Aston Martin branding. Piloting the car will be Max Verstappen and former Racing Point driver Sergio Pérez, the latter of whom was signed after Alex Albon didn’t quite meet the team’s expectations in 2020.
McLaren MCL35M
Also: McLaren Making Big Changes To Their 2021 F1 Car – Will It Work Out?
Just like their new Artura supercar, McLaren’s 2021 F1 challenger might look similar to its predecessor, but it’s all new underneath. Aside from the aero changes brought on by the 2021 sporting regulations, the car features an almost entirely new chassis to accommodate its new Mercedes power unit. The MCL35M will be driven by Daniel Ricciardo, who moved in from Renault, and Lando Norris.
Aston Martin AMR21
Read: Aston Martin Got James Bond To Help Launch Its 2021 F1 Car
Aston marks their return to Formula 1 with the AMR21. In typical Aston Martin fashion, the car is finished in British Racing Green and now sports pink accents thanks to a last-minute sponsor deal with BWT. This season will see Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in the driver’s seat, and for Vettel, this new car could be an improvement over the sub-par Ferrari he competed with in 2020.
Alpine A521
See Also: This Alpine Is Fernando Alonso’s New Company Car
The team formerly known as Renault has been rebranded as Alpine, and with that change comes an all new blue and red livery. The A521 will be driven by Esteban Ocon alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who will be making his return to F1 after a three-year hiatus.
Ferrari SF21
Watch: The Full Trailer For Netflix’s Drive To Survive F1 Docuseries Has Landed
The SF21 comes with a familiar red livery that includes a not-so-familiar splash of green in the Mission Winnow logo. On the technical side, team principal Mattia Binotto believe their new power unit fixed their straight-line speed issue from last year and he hopes to see Ferrari back on the top step of the podium for the first time since 2019. Driving the SF21 will be Charles Leclerc and former McLaren driver Carlos Sainz.
Alpha Tauri AT02
Read More: Honda Says The Jazz’s e:HEV System Takes After F1 Hybrid Unit, Kind Of
Alpha Tauri enter their second year as a Formula 1 team after rebranding from Toro Rosso last year. Their new car, the AT02, has a very similar livery to last year’s AT01, just with more blue instead of white. As for its drivers, Pierre Gasly stays from last year, and alongside him will be Yuki Tsunoda who’s making his F1 debut.
Alfa Romeo C41
See Also: Formula 1 Teams Show Support For New Sprint Race Format For Saturdays
Alfa Romeo isn’t changing much for 2021. Their livery, while very nice, is essentially an inverted version of last year’s, and their driver lineup of Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovanazzi remains unchanged. However, being a customer team of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo will receive their new power unit, and we could possibly see the C41 climb further up the grid.
Haas VF-21
More: Haas F1 Claims 2021 Livery Isn’t Designed To Circumvent Sporting Ban On Russian Flag
It seems Haas is always involved in some sort of controversy. Back in 2019, they had the Rich Energy ordeal, and now not only have they signed polarizing driver Nikita Mazepin, but they’ve also managed to plaster the colors of the Russian flag all over the car after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited drivers from competing under it. The VF21 will be driven by two F1 newcomers: Mazepin, and Mick Schumacher, 2020 Formula 2 champion and son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.
Williams FW43B
Read: Williams Releases Images Of 2021 F1 Car After Hackers Spoil Special AR Launch
The FW43B was supposed to be revealed with a special AR launch, but that was called off after the app got hacked. The team is hoping that this season will be the beginning of a return to what Williams’ past form and their retro-styled livery is said to be reflective of that. The diver lineup hasn’t changes, so the FW43B will driven by George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.