F1 car launches have always been an exciting part of the pre-season as after a long winter break they are the first taste of a new season that fans are able to get.

In the past, these launches were big flashy events where teams revealed their actual race cars in front of the media, fans, and sponsors. Over the years, however, things have changed. Now, most teams only reveal their liveries, meaning the car’s colours and sponsor logos, rather than the real car itself.

WHY DO F1 TEAMS USUALLY REVEAL ONLY LIVERIES DURING THEIR LAUNCHES?

One of the biggest reasons teams no longer show their real cars at launches is because of how competitive Formula 1 has become. Even the smallest aerodynamic tweak can give a team an advantage, and no one wants to risk giving away secrets to their rivals. Since teams spend millions developing their cars, they prefer to keep the details hidden until the last possible moment.

Instead of unveiling their actual race cars, they now prefer to present a slightly modified version of last year’s model with the new livery. The real car, complete with all its latest updates and innovations, usually makes its first public appearance at pre-season testing or sometimes even at the first race.

Another reason for this change is how teams now interact with fans. In the past, big launch events were the best way to attract attention, but today, social media and live streaming can do that just as effectively. A few high-quality photos or a short video posted online can instantly reach millions of people, without the need for an expensive in-person event.

WHATS THE PURPOSE OF THE F1 75 LIVE EVENT THEN?

For the 2025 season, Formula 1 introduced a new way of launching cars with event at The O2 in London, called F1 75 Live. Instead of teams revealing their cars on different days, F1 decided to bring all the teams together for a single, global event where every car was presented in one show.

This change was made for a few key reasons. By having all the teams reveal their cars at the same time, each team got its moment in the spotlight without having to compete for media attention. This makes it easier for fans to follow, as they no longer had to keep track of multiple different launch dates. It also makes the event more valuable for sponsors, broadcasters, and media outlets, creating even more interest in the new season.

Teams still have the freedom to hold their own launch events if they want to, but F1 75 Live, organised on the occasion of Formula 1’s 75th anniversary, is an experiment to see if a single, large-scale launch could make the pre-season reveals more exciting and accessible for fans.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE SPORT'S FUTURE?

The shift towards livery-only reveals and central events like F1 75 Live shows how Formula 1 is changing the way it approaches pre-season marketing. Some fans miss the old days of dramatic car launches where teams proudly showed off their latest designs, but today, secrecy and efficiency have become more important.

The real excitement now comes during pre-season testing, when teams finally bring out their actual race cars. This is the first chance to see which teams might have made big improvements and which ones could be struggling. Even then, the first few races of the season often reveal upgrades that weren’t even present during testing.

With the way modern media works, F1 car launches are likely to continue evolving. Rather than focusing on technical details, they are becoming more about entertainment and building excitement for the season ahead. Fans will still have to wait until the cars hit the track to truly see what each team has been working on, but until then, livery reveals will keep the anticipation high.