V-CARB Goes All Out on Debut Car Launch As Kendrick Lamar Prepares To Headline Mega Event

F1’s customary launch season is in full swing this February, with teams revealing their new cars ahead of pre-season testing from February 21-23. Several teams have already unveiled their liveries, and now it’s time for Red Bull’s sister team, V-CARB. Unlike other teams’ livery launches, V-CARB has organized a grand event. They have enlisted A-list performers Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem for the occasion.

Prior to this, the two rappers collaborated on the song “Family Ties.” The Red Bull company’s decision to host a grand event may stem from their previous struggles with rebranding AlphaTauri. At the close of the 2023 season, AlphaTauri bid farewell to Formula 1, marking the end of an era for the Faenza-based team.

Then the squad went through a rebranding process ahead of the upcoming season, coming out with a new identity. The Red Bull team announced the addition of two esteemed title sponsors last month, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in the squad’s history.

With this fresh identity comes a revamped color scheme for the 2024 season. Even though the team has already teased the car’s appearance with a few images on their official Instagram account, they need to make a lasting impression on fans.

This is particularly important given their previous struggles to generate positive reactions during the rebranding process. Considering the dissatisfaction supporters have voiced with the launch of other teams’ liveries, the time seems perfect for V-CARB to leave a lasting impact.

How have the fans responded to the liveries so far?

Fans have expressed disappointment with the recent livery launches in Formula 1. It started with Haas on February 2nd, who will reveal their actual car at Silverstone on February 11th.

Following them was KICK’s Sauber on February 5th, with the traditional regal red and white colors replaced by stark green. The fans do not seem too impressed with the livery. One fan even commented, “I’m honestly impressed they managed to make something so unfathomably bad. It’s giving slime.”

Following Haas and KICK’s Sauber, Williams unveiled their car on the 5th, and Alpine followed suit on the 7th. While Williams’ car appeared respectable, fans were mostly dissatisfied with Alpine’s livery.

The French team opted for two different liveries to use throughout the 24 races. Fans on social media were unimpressed when Alpine displayed a carbon-heavy design. Apparently, the real letdown occurred when the team showcased their second car, which was also carbon-heavy but with additional pink accents.

However, amidst all the livery reveals, one common observation was the prevalence of minimal color schemes and exposed carbon fiber. Teams opted for this approach to minimize weight as they aimed for a competitive edge.