How F1 avoided a pre-season failure
Car unveilings and the build-up to the opening round can be more exciting than many grands prix, so it's crucial that Formula 1 gets 'launch season' right. Had teams not intervened, it could have gone very wrong
With Abu Dhabi's dull season finale thankfully just a fading memory, the steady trickle of announcements last week about 2018 Formula 1 car launch dates marked the official switch-on of excitement for the season ahead.
It's the time of year when things get serious again: teams flat-out getting their new challengers in order; the nerves starting to heighten as the potential for smiles or tears on the first day of testing edges ever closer; plus fans and media getting more excited as the show gears up for getting back on the road.
Share Or Save This Story
Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.
More from Jonathan Noble
What to expect from F1’s new rear-facing camera
Hulkenberg set for Audi switch after Haas departure revealed
Red Bull’s F1 rivals facing 2027 wait if they want Newey
McLaren needs to understand puzzling “up and down” F1 form - Piastri
The F1 hero to zero dividing line that has never been so thin
Mercedes taking action to cure F1 car's “underlying balance” problem
Why Audi and Verstappen have complicated Formula 1’s driver market decisions
‘Metronomic’ Verstappen may rule F1, but it won’t last forever - Horner
Latest news
Bagnaia used Jerez MotoGP practice “as a test” for “big” change
Newgarden “didn’t rehearse” emotional IndyCar press conference
Teams expect Sainz's F1 China qualifying incident to be cleared up
Binder “had my bike back” in Jerez MotoGP practice breakthrough
Autosport Plus
How studying Tost, Whiting and Binotto shaped F1's latest team boss
The F1 hero to zero dividing line that has never been so thin
How Stroll and Magnussen revealed the scale of F1’s racing and rules problems
Did F1's new sprint format work?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.