Sahara Force India and HAAS launches their cars ahead of testing

Just in time for the season’s first official testing in Barcelona, Spain, Sahara Force India introduces their brand new contender! Well they’re not the only team who had waited to the last minute to unleash their car, the brand new HAAS team just unveiled theirs as well. Now there are only two remaining teams who we’ve not seen their cars yet.

Sahara Force India had enjoyed a good season by finishing fifth overall in 2015 and the team is looking to replicate that success and go even further with their new VJM09. The team built the platform on the 2015 b-spec chassis and like the Mercedes and McLaren-Hondas the VJM09 lacks the pointy nose that even Ferrari has succumbed to.

No changes in terms of team livery as well as the driver’s line-up, but the team have added a new rookie driver, Alfonso Celis, for development purposes. Celis will lead the team at the Barcelona testing that starts today.

The brand new HAAS team launched their car just a few hours ago as well. Like the other teams, HAAS has made use of their Facebook account by virtually pulling the cover off the cars. Romain Grosjean will be leading the team and the Frenchman had excited reshared and posted the team’s progress as well. The motorsport world is still curious to see how the team will perform, mid-field runner or back-marker?

(Taken from HAAS F1 team Facebook page)

This livery is going to cause a lot of head-scratching what with the team using the same colours as Manor F1 racing. Just like how McLaren-Mercedes had us confusing them with Force India back in 2006!

Now only Scuderia Toro Rosso and Manor F1 Racing remain to have not revealed their car. Toro Rosso has posted a number of pictures of the STR11’s first laps around Barcelona but the car looks to be still devoid of livery while Manor is still keeping mum about all that.

Stay tuned to find out how the teams are going to perform in testing!

Jerrica Leong