Ferrari have revealed their new car that they hope in the hands of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen can end Mercedes’ dominance of Formula One.
The Scuderia launched the 2018 challenger, named the SF71H, at the team’s Maranello base on Thursday.
Both drivers were present alongside development driver Daniil Kvyat and Ferrari-backed Sauber reserve Antonio Giovinazzi.
As well as the notable shift towards an all-red car that comes following the end of an eight-year association with Santander, technical changes include a longer wheelbase favoured by those at rivals Mercedes.
The team are also expected to start the season with an engine evolved from the one that ended the 2017 campaign, with focus on making a more reliable power unit.
The now standard halo unit is red like the rest of the car and features a Ferrari logo in the centre.
Pre-season testing begins on Monday at the Catalunya Circuit in Barcelona and Ferrari will be hoping their new car can take another step closer to Mercedes having run the Silver Arrows close during 2017.
Late-season reliability and costly errors ultimately denied Sebastian Vettel a chance to run Lewis Hamilton to the wire for the drivers’ title but the year marked the first time in the hybrid era that any team had represented a credible challenge to Mercedes.
The launch in Maranello came just hours after Mercedes unveiled their new car for 2018 at Silverstone as they seek to win both the drivers’ and constructors’ championship for the fifth season running.
Following eight days of pre-season testing the season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park on March 25.
