Formula 1 News

2009 F1 season: car launch dates 

In a few days the Formula One teams will be back in action as the new cars for next season will be unveiled. The 2009 Formula 1 World Championship will start as usual in Australia on March 29th and the teams are already working on their 2009 challengers as the official launch dates are getting closer.

Scuderia Ferrari is expected to unveil their 2009 spec car, the F2009,  by January 15th at Fiorano, the same day that Panasonic Toyota will launch on the internet the TF109. The McLaren-Mercedes F1 team instead will unveil the MP4-24 on January 16th at Woking.

The BMW Sauber F1 team will launch the F1.09 on January 20th, at Valencia in Spain. The day before, January 19th, it will be Renault‘s and Williams‘ turn to showoff their new cars in Portugal at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in Portugal where a three-day test session is also scheduled. The Williams’ F1 team however, will race with the new livery just before the Australian Grand Prix.

No official launch dates yet for Red Bull Racing and its sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso. According to rumours, the new single seaters could be unveiled early in March. The same applies for the Force India F1 team with their VJM02 car which will be powered by Mercedes-Benz engines.

On the Honda Racing front, Ross Brawn and his team are still working on the development of the new car, waiting however, for a buyer in order to be able to participate in the 2009 F1 Championship.

2009 Formula 1 Car launch dates Calendar:

• 12 January, 2009: Scuderia Ferrari F60 – Maranello headquarters, Fiorano Mugello track
• 15 January, 2009: Toyota TF109 – factory in Cologne, Germany (internet)
• 16 January, 2009: McLaren-Mercedes MP4-24 at Woking
• 19 January, 2009: Renault R29 at the Algarve Motor Park, Portugal
• 19 January, 2009: Williams FW31 at the Algarve Motor Park, Portugal
• 20 January, 2009: Bmw Sauber F1.09 at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, Spain
• 9 February, 2009: Red Bull RB5 - Jerez de la Frontera test track, Spain
• 1 March, 2009: Force India VJM02 – Jerez de la Frontera test track, Spain
• 9 March, 2009: Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4 – Circuit de Catalunya, Spain