McLaren launched their 2007 contender in Valencia
Lots of talk about the great things we can or should expect from F1 in near (or distant) future is coming out of Monaco these days. One of the great ideas is to be a common car launch of 2010 Formula 1 cars planned by all the teams. The proposed event already has a date (late January) and a place (Valencia).
According to Nick Fry the joint launch has already been agreed on by all the teams. It is to be a demonstration of how the teams are working together instead of going off and all doing their own launches. OK, fair enough, it that is the message they are trying to send out it may make some sense.
But isn’t the primary purpose of the F1 car launch to introduce a new F1 car to the media and public ? The new car launches usually begin early in January with some teams only having their new machines ready just in time for the first race of the season (or even later like for example Toro Rosso in 2008).
Some teams may and probably will have their 2010 contenders ready weeks ahead of the planned late January launch date. They surely will want to hit the test tracks as soon as possible. Calling it launch or not the first 2010 outing of new Ferrari or McLaren or Mercedes or whoever else on a test track will attract the same attention as a formal launch. Or are they going to keep it all secret and test behind the closed doors until the Valencia date ? At the other end of the spectrum there are teams like Lotus with new cars scheduled to be ready in February and not much to show by end of January:
“I won’t have a car at that time. I could come with a Matchbox car.” – Tony Fernandes
It looks like something very innovative with all teams present will take place in Valencia at the end of January 2010. But will it really be a joint car launch ?
Photo: Daimler Media
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