Review of 5 unusual F1 presentations
If today presentations have become almost boring, it has not always been the case. The 90s and 2000s, in particular, offered us surprising performances. Let's take a look back at five unusual events.
Current teams usually rely on social media communication to unveil their new car. Indeed, with the new budget cap, it is out of the question to spend too much money on a presentation. However, during the 90s to 2000s, we were treated to much more extravagance.
The Spice Girls for McLaren’s MP4/12.
In 1997, for the presentation of its MP4/12, McLaren organized a grandiose evening. To do this, they treated themselves to Alexandra Palace in London and invited the Spice Girls as well as the band Jamiroquai to put on a show. 5,000 people attended this event.
This unprecedented presentation is explained by the desire to make a statement and unveil the new design of their car in the colors of their new partner, Reemstma, a cigarette brand. It marked the end of twenty years with a very classic look, which was due to their former partner, Marlboro.
The Benetton underwater in Venice.
For the presentation of its latest race car, in 2001, before the team was bought by Renault, Benetton went all out. The team even rented the Piazza San Marco in Venice to pay tribute to the Benetton family before this handover. The new B201 was then revealed from a giant aquarium in front of a crowd of astonished journalists, fans, and tourists.
Special delivery for Jordan
The unveiling of the new EJ12 for the 2002 season is organized in one of the hangars at Brussels airport. A Q&A session with journalists begins before being interrupted by a mysterious message. « A special delivery for Mr. Jordan. »
The plane finally makes its appearance through the end of the hangar and approaches the guests before DHL employees deliver the covered single-seater. It will be fully unveiled during the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia.
Renault at the theatre
In 2004, Renault chose the famous Massimo theater to host the presentation of its R24. 650 journalists discovered the new car in this enchanting setting. Afterwards, Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli raced through the streets of Palermo in an R23, cheered on by tens of thousands of people who had gathered to witness this spectacle.
McLaren in the style of Ikea furniture.
It was on Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz that McLaren unveiled its MP4/26 in 2011. Several thousand fans were witnesses to a rather strange presentation as the car arrived… in pieces. Mechanics scattered throughout the crowd proceeded to assemble the new race car one by one, until they were joined by drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton who posed alongside it to complete the spectacle.
