The 2021 grid is assembled! Recap all of the 2021 challengers

The teams have all launched their 2021 challengers which they hope will take them to the next level and for some potentially to the top of the podium. Pre-season testing starts in just a few days so we thought we’d recap the cars, what they look like and what we could expect from them on track!

McLaren - The MCL35M

We’ll start with McLaren who were the first to launch their 2021 car. Not too many surprises with this one, they stick with the now somewhat iconic papaya colour. The biggest change comes in inside the car, in the form of a Mercedes engine. They’ll be hoping this takes them to the next level, which will surely be regular podiums!

Alpha Tauri - The AT02

Alpha Tauri have made a simple yet quite effective change. At first glance, their car looks quite different but it is actually very similar to the white and blue just reversed with the blue now more prominent. And it actually went down quite well with the fans and is one of our personal favourites. It’ll be interesting to see if it holds any resemblance on track to the Red Bull of years gone by or are they establishing themselves on their own?

Alfa Romeo - The C41

Alfa Romeo’s launch was rather dramatic with a whole musical performance before the C41 was shown to the world. Not massively different but nonetheless a slick design for the team who need a big season after an underwhelming 2020.

Red Bull - The RB16B

The first of the big guns to launch their car and there’s a common trend here. Red Bull’s RB16B is virtually identical to its predecessor but what is important is inside the car and it will be the last time they work in cooperation with Honda before taking on the engine themselves. The question is will the car suit Perez’s driving style, in years gone by Gasly and Alex Albon have struggled with a setup that lends itself to Max Verstappen’s driving style and we’ll have to wait and see whether they can kick off where they left in 2020 after winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Alpine - The Alpine A521

Now it starts to get interesting, a new name means an entirely new livery. Goodbye to the Renault yellow, hello French flag. As expected the Alpine car has got a new look but it got mixed reactions. Nonetheless, I think it's a refreshing design with a nice metallic look and they even showed it off with some pictures in front of what look like the French Alps. 

Mercedes - The W12

The Silver Arrows actually went for a black livery last year and they’ve stuck with it again as a symbol in the fight against racism. However, there are some differences, the Red of Ineos is much more prominent with some slick streaks of the now-iconic Mercedes blue. The star for Niki Lauda is present and once again it will be (most likely) the car to beat and they even stopped development of their 2020 car early to get a head start this year so compared to the rest of the field they could be months down the line and could hold a huge advantage.

Aston Martin - The AMR21

British Racing Green. It was no surprise to see the British Racing Green as Aston Martin’s livery for their return to the sport. However, despite the fan fare in the build-up it was a little disappointing for the fans. There’s a hint of pink which used to be a staple of Racing Point. Will the new colours help Aston Martin’s ascent up the field? Last year it was a pink Mercedes could this year be a green Mercedes? 

Haas - The VF21

Now this is a controversial one. Haas have gone with a Russian flag style design and it is likely because of their new rookie driver Nikita Mazepin and their sponsors. There have been reports that the livery is under investigation by the World Anti Doping Association given Russia’s ban from sporting activity due to doping offences which could lead to yet more controversy for Steiner and co. 

Williams - The FW43B

Now for completely other reasons, this was another controversial one. The Williams was a personal favourite and I think it’ll look great in Bahrain under lights. However, many people noticed the lack of sponsors on the car and fans actually thought it was, well just a bit meh. We loved it, but Williams will want to attract some new sponsors, ASAP especially if they are gonna help George Russell to 14th like we predicted!

Ferrari - The SF21

And Finally, we have the Scuderia who launched their car to mixed reactions to say the least. It’s no surprise to see the classic Scuderia red but there’s a splash of green in there too, leading to comparisons to a Christmas tree which I don't think is what they were going for. The nose of the car has got some attention too but either way, Ferrari won’t care as long as it does the business on track!