Ferrari has unveiled their challenger for the 2022 Formula 1 season, and it’s called the F1-75. Driven by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the team’s new car hopes to allow them to continue on the upswing, as last season they were able to place 3rd in the Constructors’ Championship after a dismal 6th the year before.
But of all the 2022 cars shown so far, the
F1-75 undoubtedly displays the most unique interpretation of the new technical
regulations yet. Some of its standout features include a pointed nose, a front
wing devoid of virtually any curves, a triangular center intake, long, thin
side pod intakes, and the largest sharkfin of any 2022 car we’ve seen yet.
Additionally, like Aston Martin, Ferrari
has gone the route of a wide body with air outlet vents on the top rather than
a narrow-bodied, shrink-wrapped design like Williams. However, unlike the Aston
Martin, or any of the other cars for that matter, the F1-75’s side pods
actually dip down in the center, creating a concave space between the car’s
outer edge and the engine cover.
Also new for 2022 is the livery design.
The car features glossy red paint and black wings, meaning it’s the first
Ferrari F1 car since 2017 to not be what is essentially just a red car with
sponsors. Title sponsor Mission Winnow is also gone, and thankfully so is their
giant “MW” logo on the engine cover. The overall design of this new livery,
while not necessarily intentional, appears to hearken back to the 641, a car so
beautiful it found its way into the Museum of Modern Art. Given that, along
with the F1-75’s proportions, we’d call it a proper spiritual successor.
That
being said, this is the kind of design that’s so radical that it either
dominates races or turns you into a backmarker, so it’ll be interesting to see
how it performs when it eventually hits the track at the season opener on March
20 in Bahrain.
