Haas formally unveils VF-21 F1 car following Bahrain shakedown
Haas has formally unveiled its new VF-21 Formula 1 car for the 2021 season after completing an initial shakedown on Thursday in Bahrain.
Following a presentation of the striking new livery the team will race with this year, Haas presented the final version of the VF-21 outside its garage at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday.
The formal launch of the car took place 90 minutes before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain, and marks the completion of the grid for 2021.
Haas enters the 2021 season following a number of changes over the winter, including the arrival of two new drivers and a new title sponsor.
F2 champion and Ferrari Driver Academy member Mick Schumacher will make his F1 debut with Haas this season, 30 years after his father, Michael, first entered a grand prix.
Schumacher will be joined by fellow F2 graduate Nikita Mazepin, who also brings new title sponsorship via his father’s company, Uralkali.
Mazepin completed the first shakedown in the Haas VF-21 car during a filming session in Bahrain on Thursday, racking up 100km.
Schumacher will complete the first extended run-out in the car as he completes the early session in Bahrain on Friday, with Mazepin then taking over for the afternoon.
The two drivers will then continue to alternate through the second and third days, ensuring each gets 1.5 days of running over the three-day test.
Haas has already revealed that it opted not to spend any of its permitted development tokens on improving the car for 2021, and will not bring upgrades through the season as it places greater focus on its 2022 model.
“It’s a transitional season, I call it, to get to ’22,” said team principal Gunther Steiner.
“We did this with the expectation that this year, if we invest a lot of time, money, tokens, windtunnel time, it’s one year, and we were starting late last year anyway.
“The car wasn’t our best car, so if you put it altogether, it was actually pointless to invest in the short-term. It was much more important to invest in the mid- and long-term.
“We don’t want to be last. We’ll do our best and the guys put a lot of effort into getting the best out of the short development time that we had.
“But it’s a transitional period to get over to ’22, and we don’t have to forget that we have two rookie drivers. That was as well already when we announced them, this is part of the whole plan, [because] we want to be ready for ’22 in all areas.
“In the end, we come up with two drivers which already are young and hungry, because they haven’t been there [in F1 before], and we have got a good car for them in ’22.”
Related video
F1 planning first HDR TV broadcast tests in 2021
Mercedes trick floor revealed as Bahrain F1 testing starts
The five factors behind Sainz winning a British GP he’d twice lost
Formula 1 has a newest race winner, in a grand prix the victor appeared to have lost twice, only to charge back to headline a sensational and dramatic British Grand Prix. From a massive start crash to a late sprint finish, here’s how five factors saw Carlos Sainz take his maiden grand prix win
Why there was no case to answer in Aston’s latest F1 copycat saga
The appearance of a revised Aston Martin in Spain caused controversy but PAT SYMONDS explains why the FIA investigation found the Silverstone team had no case to answer
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger