Finally, something new for us fans to look at, analyze, and even critique relating to a real 2022 F1 car. Sort of. Haas' images of it's new challenger offers more hints of what's in store rather than giving everything away outright. Still, there are a few things to note from the first of many exciting mornings to come over the next three weeks...
Images: Haas F1 Team
Livery
This is the aspect that is most representative of the actual VF-22, and the team have clearly opted for a "less is more" approach. Similar to last year, the car is white (although now it is matte rather than glossy, as many other cars have been for the past few years) with the red and blue trimmings of sponsor Uralkali, who changed their logo to reflect the colors of their native Russia. This is likely why the team can avoid any problems with the WADA sanctions against the use of the Russian flag in international competition, as now the colors reflect the company rather than the country. Whatever you say. Overall, it is a clean design and probably will look better on track than in these renders, as most matte cars seem to these days.
Images: Haas F1 Team
Technical Details
Although this is not the final 2022 car, as evidenced by the lack of a DRS mechanism on the rear wing, or by the questionable front suspension layout, there are a few key areas that are likely reflective of the real thing. Team boss Guenther Steiner has admitted that this is not the full 2022 car, but rather a very early development. Here's a few key areas likely to remain in place when the car first breaks cover in Barcelona:
Nose & front wing
With the new regulations being more restrictive than ever, expect a lot of similarities in the front wing area across all cars. Compared to the show car at least, Haas have gone for a far more tapered nose concept, in an effort to minimize airflow blockage to the all-important floor edge.
The wing does appear to be notably more inboard-loaded (creating more downforce near the nose, less at the ends) than the original F1 concept, and there are a few flicks in the upper (white) elements which will likely try to generate some vortices to work with the floor. In all likelihood, Haas will bring a new wing at least for the first race and likely for the preseason tests, so not too much to be gleaned from what is shown here. Still, interesting to see how there are already signs that teams will be making the front wings more complex (and therefore likely more sensitive to dirty air) than the regulations intended.
Sidepods & engine cover
Images: Haas F1 Team
This probably is the most representative aspect of the renders compared to the actual car. Haas have taken a very different approach to their sidepods and engine cover setup compared to what has been previously seen from the team. The frontal area of the sidepods seems to be quite wide, even compared to the 2020/2021 car (left, above) which was already not the slimmest on the grid. However, the inlets themselves are notable much smaller and organically shaped than least years' effort.
The intriguing aspect of their design is the fact that the engine cover narrows so dramatically, with there not being a real "coke bottle" section and more of a linear taper. This rear end packaging is something usually reserved for Merced and Red Bull, so perhaps it speaks to Ferrari's new engine being more efficient and therefore perhaps not requiring as much cooling as before.
What's likely to change?
Well, really anything but the livery could change before the first race. However, the front suspension shown on the renders does not appear to be representative, so that will likely be different on the real car. Likewise, the rear wing doesn't have any DRS mechanism, so that will be different at well. Expect a litany of changes to the front wing and the floor edge (conveniently not easily seen here), as well as the possibility of reduced sidepod volume showing up in cooler temperatures.
With the next generation of cars now officially underway, it won't be long until we know what is real and what isn't, but more importantly, who got their sums right and who did not...
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