With more than two thousand guests in a beautifully lit neoclassical hall, Ford kicks off the ‘Season Launch’. A slick show designed to make clear how important NASCAR, Dakar and, above all, the return to the fight for overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is for Ford. The topic of Formula 1 is being avoided. That will come later in the more-than-two-hour show.
Max Verstappen is clearly pleased with the fresh colours of the new Red Bull. A different shade of blue, a high-gloss finish and more black accents give the car an aggressive look.
‘I’m happy,’ says Verstappen
“I’ve been calling for this change for a while. I’m happy,” says the four-time world champion, who on the main stage also unveils the new team apparel. “Does anyone want to see my backside?” he calls playfully.
A few thousand fans roared their approval. Gold for the marketing department. A statement that the new engine will carry the designation DM01 in honour of Red Bull’s co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in 2022, is barely picked up by the partying guests.
In a long, too-long, show the main players then take to the immense stage, making it clear that the American audience had chiefly come for Ford and Max Verstappen. At the end of the evening Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad get a modest round of applause. The same goes for the team’s new livery, which, incidentally, is the same as last year’s.
