Here's how the F1 teams stand: on to the first showdown in Bahrain

All Formula 1 teams have presented their cars for the upcoming F1 season. The ranking is still unclear, but the car launch period is a good time to see what the mood is like within a team.

Red Bull Racing

Yes, Red Bull Racing's car presentation was dominated by the investigation into Christian Horner. But that does not alter the fact that Red Bull are in very good shape. The team were able to put an early focus on 2024, and that is reflected in Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's new car.

Adrian Newey's smile actually said it all. Where all the other teams presented a car that looked a lot like the RB19, Newey and his team have already come up with new things to get their hands on the next world title.

Mercedes

Mercedes' presentation was somewhat subdued due to the previously announced departure of Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes handled the matter well in the presentation. But it takes nothing away from the impact it will have on the team. If Hamilton felt he could compete for the world title with Mercedes, he would never have left.

Mercedes will have to overcome the deficit with a completely new car concept. Mercedes are switching to a design more akin to the (2023) Red Bull, and a lot will be new to them. Toto Wolff and James Allison are cautious ahead of the season, which is not surprising. After all, at the end of 2023, Mercedes were the fourth-fastest team on the grid.

Ferrari

There is optimism around Ferrari, though. Lewis Hamilton is not there yet, but the arrival of the seven-time world champion certainly provides a boost. Frederic Vasseur's team found discovered information about the car in Zandvoort and allowed the team to start a positive tradjectory. They want to continue that line in 2024 with a completely new car concept.

Yet Ferrari will also have to get to know the new car first and will depend mainly on one driver. Carlos Sainz has to leave and will be involved less and less in the development of the car during the year. That pressure will rest on the shoulders of Charles Leclerc, who also knows he will have to welcome a huge competitor to the team in 2025.

McLaren

The gap to Red Bull Racing is too big to bridge, but McLaren are the clear favourites for the spot behind Red Bull. Andrea Stella's team experienced a huge advance in 2023 and are building on the car concept they have already spent a year working on. The team are bursting with confidence, as evidenced by the fact that they left out parts at the presentation.

The MCL38 is only the first car that can really be credited to Stella and his team. With Rob Marshall and David Sanchez, the technical team will also be complete by early 2024. All the more reason to think the team will only get better.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin shot up the standings in early 2023 but struggled to develop that car further. It is clear that Dan Fallows transferred his knowledge from Red Bull Racing to last year's AMR23, but through the year, under his leadership, the team totally chose the wrong path and eventually dropped to fifth in the championship.

The team presented a new car in 2024, but the development in 2023 is not necessarily a signal that the Silverstone-based team understand which direction they need to work in. So, chances are they will have to look backwards rather than forwards.

Alpine

The livery alone is a telling sign for Alpine. Renault's Formula 1 team was deliberately rebranded as Alpine to promote the French manufacturer's sports car brand more. This includes the familiar blue colours. It is a sign of inability that those blue colours have to give way completely to save weight.

It's not strange, though. Alpine threw caution to the wind in mid-2023 for the umpteenth time. Team boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane had to leave, while technical director Pat Fry himself chose to leave for Williams. Alpine did not appoint real replacements.

Matt Harman is the designated technical director. He and his team opted for their own car concept. In doing so, they are one of a few teams choosing not to copy Red Bull. It may be a stroke of genius but it seems more like an error of judgement. Bahrain will provide the answer.

Williams

At Williams, it is clear to see that the team are on the rise. James Vowles is lifting the team, and with Pat Fry, they have also brought in a recognised technical leader. Williams chose early on in 2023 to focus on 2024. They hope to be competitive on multiple circuits with a new car concept. Williams aim to continue their upward trajectory.

Alexander Albon's press moment was particularly telling in this case. The Thai is in the eye of many other teams, but his eyes sparkled when mentioning his first metres in the Williams.

Visa Cash App RB

It is still the same team, yet everything is different at Visa Cash App RB. With Peter Bayer (CEO) and Laurent Mekies (team boss) replacing Franz Tost, technical director Jody Egginton is no longer alone as technical director. With Tim Goss (CTO) and Guillaume Cattelani (deputy technical director), the technical team has been strengthened considerably.

The team are maturing, which is also how Daniel Ricciardo described the team he returned to in 2023. Together with Yuki Tsunoda, the Australian forms a strong driver duo that are confident of attacking the top. Ricciardo even spoke of achieving a podium and doing a 'Shoey'. It shows the confidence at Red Bull Racing's sister team.

Stake F1 Team

Even under the new name, Sauber remain in a 'limbo phase'. The team are waiting for Audio to take over in 2026. The two drivers do not say many exciting things, and with team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team does not exactly have a high-profile spokesperson either.

Although the team showed some new things technically, James Key, in particular, will only be able to make his mark this year. After being publicly ejected from McLaren due to disappointing performances, the Brit will be keen to show that he is still among the top of the technical people.

Haas

Little is expected of Haas in 2024. Ayao Komatsu already indicated that the new car is not up to standard. The Japanese boss will have to work a miracle to do much better than their predecessor, Günther Steiner. Gene Haas has no plans to invest more, so this remains the team with simply the smallest budget.

With Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, Haas have an experienced but not particularly high-profile duo. Besides, it is no secret that Hulkenberg would rather have driven for another team. How will that be reflected if the car fails to make a mark again in 2024?