As the Bahrain International Circuit lit up towards the end of the opening day of pre-season testing, there was somewhat a sigh of relief, with each team’s livery having been identifiable.
Following the launch season, there was a concern that fans would struggle to decipher “who’s who” on TV, with some of the designs being slightly similar.
The biggest issue that led to the TV concerns, was that every team has stripped some paint from their livery, allowing carbon to be exposed.
Formula 1 is very much in a carbon era, with the sides opting not to paint over some sections of carbon to reduce the weight of their car.
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With weight being so crucial at the pinnacle of motorsport, even saving a few pounds on paint makes a monumental difference, even if it does reduce the attractiveness of the car.
Points and victories aren’t awarded for having a nice livery, with that ultimately being decided on the track.
Mercedes, for example, have opted to return to black for 2023, with the vast majority of their car not having paint on it, with the carbon naturally being black.
It means the Germans have reportedly entered 2023 at the minimal legal weight, thanks to saving weight on paint.
What the vast majority of teams have done for 2023 is leave a panel on each sidepod without paint, meaning almost every team has an exposed carbon panel on their sidepod.
Factors like this did raise some concerns that at the start of the races, for example, not all the teams would be recognisable.
The opening day of pre-season testing has quietened these concerns, though, with presenter Will Buxton having been pleased to see that the cars could be easily recognised.
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“Actually, having seen the renders of all the cars, there was a worry that they’d be indecipherable on TV,” said Buxton following the first day of pre-season testing.
“There not, we are still going to know who’s who.”
Perhaps the most recognisable car as always is Red Bull, mostly due to Max Verstappen having started pre-season in supreme fashion, by completing 157 laps on the first day.