With the 2023 season edging ever closer, pre-season testing has now officially begun, giving teams three days to give their new cars and drivers a run out in Bahrain before the first Grand Prix of the year.
Haas will boast a much more experienced driver lineup this season, with Nico Hulkenberg coming into the team to replace young Mick Schumacher, who proved to be too inconsistent for team boss Guenther Steiner.
With pre-season testing now underway, Hulkenberg and his teammate Kevin Magnussen will share the VF-23 over the course of the three days, with the team announcing that both drivers will drive for half of each three days.
Before heading out onto the track for the first session on Thursday, Haas wheeled the VF-23 out into the pitlane to give fans a first proper view at the car.
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The American team have returned to black and white this season, ditching the Russian/American flag colours which were introduced following the team’s partnership with Uralkali in 2021.
Haas are tipped to become a lot more competitive this season, with team principal Guenther Steiner admitting that his team failed to reach the budget cap last season but should hit it this year.
Magnussen and Hulkenberg will form an interesting partnership this season, considering the duo were arch-rivals only a few seasons ago, when the Haas – Renault rivalry was at its peak.
Hulkenberg has also launched a new helmet design ahead of the upcoming season, with Haas describing it on Twitter as a “strong return to the helmet design game.”
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The helmet is a mixture of bright orange and white with the word ‘HULK’ written on one side and his driver number 27 on the other.
At the age of 35, Hulkenberg will be looking to prove his doubters wrong this season, with some pundits suggesting that replacing the young and improving Schumacher with a man towards the end of his career was the wrong decision.
The German will bring experience and proven quality to Haas which is exactly what they need, as the team look to achieve results now, rather than build for the future.