A series of presentations

January marks the return of Formula 1 with a wave of new car unveilings. Although recent years have seen lavish shows give way to more modest announcements, the enthusiasm remains undiminished.

The era of extravagant single-seater presentations in ever larger venues is over. The peak reached in the mid-2000s, when teams such as Jordan and Benetton were celebrated for their originality, has given way to a more sober approach today.

Over the past two seasons, Williams has chosen to unveil its new car on the cover of the British specialist magazine F1 Racing, an initiative that offers the team exclusive visibility and saves money. Other manufacturers have followed suit for pragmatic reasons. Ferrari, for example, will broadcast the launch of its SF15-T online, a method now common among many competitors.

It makes perfect sense to use the latest technology to showcase cutting-edge engineering, even if it lacks the glamour of the old school. Yet fans remain just as eager to see the new shapes and liveries of the upcoming machines. In reality, it is the liveries that attract the most attention, as the chassis themselves can change radically between January and March, leading up to the season-opening Grand Prix. Winter testing often reveals a multitude of problems, forcing technical teams to remain flexible. This flexibility sometimes allows a team to present a 2014-spec car in January, simply dressed in new colors, as Force India did last week in Mexico, which will soon host a Formula 1 race. A rare touch of exoticism to start the year.

The new look of the Ferraris, which were a big disappointment in 2014, and McLaren's new color scheme, perhaps influenced by Honda or a new title sponsor, will also be the subject of much discussion. Rumors are rife about a change of colors at Sauber, the struggling team, which could adopt the blue and yellow livery of its new Brazilian sponsor, attracted by the signing of Felipe Nasr, in order to avoid the dreaded red. All these questions, although perhaps insignificant, will be answered in the coming days, before the action resumes on the circuits, live from the other side of the world.