Over latest years, pre-season testing in Components 1 has been restricted to only a single multi-day occasion held every week earlier than the opening spherical of the championship.
Solely in 2022 have been groups and drivers gifted a second three-day take a look at earlier than the primary race of the 12 months – solely as a result of main technical regulation modifications for that season.
As groups have misplaced monitor time over the pre-season, in addition they seem to have misplaced their urge for food to run in particular testing-only liveries too. Whether or not it’s a ploy to assist promote that they’ve loads of area for sponsors on their new automobiles or a intelligent approach of doubling their publicity by launching their new automobile after which unveil their livery at a later date for a second chunk of the cherry, particular testing liveries have been a welcome novelty to brighten up the a part of the 12 months the place there was no racing motion to take pleasure in.
So forward of the upcoming interval of automobile reveals earlier than the only pre-season take a look at in Bahrain, it appears an excellent time too look again on the seemingly misplaced artwork of pre-season liveries from the twenty first Century.
Jordan 2002 – Full fluoro
Jordan grew to become well-known for his or her vibrant yellow liveries after transferring to the distinctive color for the 1997 season in honour of their title sponsor. When their partnership with that exact tobacco firm expired on the finish of 2001, Jordan signed a sponsorship cope with DHL – one other famously vibrant yellow model. However earlier than that was formally introduced, they ready for the 2002 season with this straightforward, all-yellow livery.
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BAR 2004 – Black assault
The 2004 season would find yourself being BAR’s most profitable earlier than the crew advanced into Honda, Brawn after which later Mercedes, taking second place within the constructors’ championship because of 11 podiums. Their all-black testing livery on the finish of the season mirrored an aggressive change in identification for the crew after their profitable season.
Crimson Bull 2004 – Can opener
Crimson Bull grew to become one of many tales of the 2004 season when the vitality drinks big introduced it might buy the then-Jaguar crew from Ford and remodel it into their very own crew. On the finish of 2004 and early 2005, the crew examined with a livery that, fittingly sufficient, appeared quite a bit like one among their cans of drink.
McLaren 2006 – Pre-season papaya
Youthful or comparatively new followers of Components 1 might naturally affiliate McLaren with their trademark orange, however for nearly 20 years between 1997 and 2017, the crew raced in silver or chrome designs. The historic papaya color that alluded again to the crew’s Kiwi origins was solely run throughout testing within the 2000s, as seen right here in 2006.
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Renault 2007 – Darkish mode
Renault took back-to-back world championships in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso within the eye-catching blue and yellow colors of their title sponsors – one other tobacco firm. They’d signal European banking firm ING as foremost sponsors for 2007, however earlier than that deal was confirmed, they examined on this very darkish blue and yellow scheme as an alternative.
Power India 2008 – Regal pink and white
Indian businessman Vijay Mallya bought the previous Jordan crew from Spyker, renaming them Power India for the 2008 season. Though the crew ended up working in a white, orange and gold livery for his or her debut season, this pre-season pink and white look was maybe superior.
Williams 2009 – Deep blue
Following their partnership with BMW on the flip of the millennium, blue and white grew to become the colors synonymous with Williams. At the moment, darkish blue is what the crew nonetheless race in as we speak, however earlier than the 2009 season they ran an identical scheme to as we speak earlier than including white for the beginning of the season.
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Crimson Bull 2015 – Camo bulls
Crimson Bull like to try to stand out as a serious facet of their branding and advertising, and their Components 1 crew isn’t any totally different. Forward of the 2015, after they’d misplaced their world champions crowns the season earlier than, the crew ran in a putting camouflage black-and-white livery in testing – as a lot to try to cover their aerodynamic idea as a lot as to draw consideration.
Renault 2020 – Blackout
When Renault returned to the grid as a manufacturing facility crew in 2016, they did so within the vibrant yellow colors they did again within the eighties. However when it got here to testing, like right here in 2020, the crew stripped away all color and ran purely in black. Not probably the most unique design, however actually one which contrasted with their typical racing look.
Alfa Romeo 2022 – Camouflage copy
The latest instance of a particular pre-season livery that was not later raced got here two years in the past within the first of two exams that season in Barcelona. Borrowing closely from Crimson Bull’s camouflage livery from years earlier than, this was very a lot an identical idea. The crew would revert to a extra typical pink and white search for the second take a look at in Bahrain.
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