.:: 2009 Team Car Launch Dates ::.

This post will be updated when we get news to team car release dates for 2009.

Ferrari - F60 - January 12, Mugello

Toyota - TF109 - January 15, Cologne

Mclaren-Mercedes - MP4-24 - January 16, Woking

Renault - R29 - January 19, Algarve

Williams-Toyota - FW31 - January 19, Algarve

BMW Sauber - F1.09 - January 20, Valencia

Red Bull-Renault - RB5 - February 9, Jerez

Force India - VJM02 - March 1, Jerez

Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari - STR4 - March 9th, Barcelona

Ex-Honda Team-Mercedes - ??? - March 9th, Barcelona

BMW confirm 2009 launch date

BMW Sauber have become the second team to confirm the launch date of their 2009 car.

Following Toyota's announcement that they will unveil their TF109 in Cologne on January 16, BMW Sauber have revealed that the first run of their car will take place in Valencia on January 20.

AUTOSPORT

I've found a great CG rendering of what to expect for next year

I hope we some before the new year!

TOYOTA TO UNVEIL TF109 IN MID-JANUARY

Toyota will launch the new TF109 and its race livery on 15 January 2009. However, as part of the team's commitment to cutting costs in Formula One racing, there will be no traditional launch ceremony.

Instead, all press material will be distributed to the media via the internet, before the TF109 begins pre-season testing on 20 January, the start of a three-day test at the new Algarve Motor Park in Portugal.

This will be the first opportunity for the media to discuss the TF109 and the 2009 season with drivers Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli, as well as selected team personnel.

SOURCE: Official F1 Website

McLaren confirm 2009 launch date

McLaren have confirmed that they will launch their 2009 car, the MP4-24, on January 16 at their base, the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.

The team will test a version of this year's car upgraded with 2009 parts at Jerez and the new Algarve circuit in Portugal later this month, before unveiling the new car two weeks into the new year with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

McLaren's group head of communications and public relations, Matt Bishop, said: "It won't be a lavish affair of the type we staged in Valencia two years ago, but it'll be slick and professional and there will be an interesting twist to the format."

AUTOSPORT

RENAULT BRINGS FORWARD R29 LAUNCH DATE:

Renault has brought forward the launch of its 2009 car to 19 January, nine days earlier than originally scheduled.

And instead of unveiling the R29 at Paul Ricard's Le Castellet circuit in the south of France, the team will lift the lid on its new challenger at the new Algarve Motor Park in southern Portugal.

The car will be presented to the media on 19 January and will make its track debut the next day in the hands of the team's race drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr.

BMW Sauber will launch its new contender, the F1.09, on 20 January at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

WILLIAMS TO REVEAL FW31 AT ALGARVE TEST:

Williams will unveil its 2009 car at the major Formula 1 test at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in the New Year.

The Toyota-powered FW31 will make its track debut at Portugal's new 2.9-mile track (which has played host to several F1 teams for testing this week) on January 19.

The car will be running in its winter test livery, with the full '09 colour scheme set to be revealed at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.

Renault will launch its 2009 car, the R29, on the same day and has revised its original plans to enable it to take part in a full day of testing either side of media engagements.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

RED BULL REVEALS RB5 LAUNCH DATE

Red Bull Racing will give its 2009 car its track debut at Jerez in Spain on Monday 9 February, the team has announced.

Several teams are planning to launch their new cars in mid-January, including McLaren, BMW, Renault and Williams - but with the '09 season starting later than usual, on March 29, Red Bull has opted to spend longer developing the RB5 at its Milton Keynes factory.

"Our strategic plan has always been to take full advantage of the later start to the 2009 season and we are using the time to ensure we have optimised the car as much as possible, within the regulation changes, to start on the grid in Melbourne," explained team principal Christian Horner.

The February launch date should also limit the amount of track time missed by Mark Webber, who is recovering from a broken right leg and is not expected to be fit to drive for several weeks.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

FERRARI FIRST TO LAUNCH 2009 CAR

Ferrari will be the first team to launch its car for the 2009 season.

The constructors' champion will unveil its latest F1 challenger at its Italian HQ at Maranello on 12 January.

Felipe Massa, who lost the 2008 crown to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by a single point, will get behind the wheel on the Fiorano track later that day.

McLaren unveil their car on 16 January, a day after Toyota launch their new model with Renault, Williams and BMW Sauber unveiling the following week.

All cars must comply to new 2009 regulations which include aerodynamic modifications where the front wing will be lowered and widened and the rear wing become taller and narrower.

Slick tyres will also be reintroduced and teams have the option of employing the kinetic energy recovery system (Kers) to boost their car's performance.

When Ferrari present their 2009 car in Maranello next week it will not meet race specifications for the opening Grand Prix in Australia on 29 March.

The Italian marque will test the car over the next couple of months and further improvements will be made in time for the Melbourne race.

SOURCE: BBC SPORT

FERRARI LAUNCH MOVED TO MUGELLO:

Ferrari have been forced to move the location of the launch of their new car next week, due to the winter weather conditions in Italy.

The team's 2009 challenger had been due to be unveiled in Fiorano on Monday morning, but due to conditions at Ferrari's test track the launch will now take place at Mugello.

Ferrari will be the first team to unveil their 2009 car, with Toyota and McLaren also due to pull the wraps of their machines later in the week.

SOURCE: Autosport

FORCE INDIA TO UNVEIL NEW CAR ON SUNDAY

Force India's 2009 challenger will make its track debut at the Jerez circuit in Spain this weekend, the team announced on Monday.

The VJM02 will take to the Spanish track for the first time on Sunday, before beginning its development programme ahead of the start of the season in Melbourne.

The new car, to be driven by Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, will be powered by Mercedes-Benz engines following a deal with the German car maker.

SOURCE: Autosport

NEW STR TO MAKE PUBLIC DEBUT NEXT WEEK

Toro Rosso's 2009 car, the STR4, will put in its first public appearance at next week's Barcelona test, the team have announced. The Spanish session is the last before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29.

Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso have been testing the STR4 behind closed doors at the Adria International Raceway in Italy this week, but on Monday the car will be officially launched at the Circuit de Catalunya, before testing alongside its rivals.

The STR4 chassis is based on Red Bull's RB5 - both designed by Red Bull Technologies - but powered by Ferrari rather than Renault. Last year Toro Rosso surprised by out-performing their supposedly senior sister team, even scoring a maiden victory at the Italian Grand Prix.

With Monza winner Sebastian Vettel having departed for Red Bull, Toro Rosso's 2009 driver line-up comprises the recently reconfirmed Sebastien Bourdais and Swiss GP2 graduate Sebastien Buemi.

SOURCE: Official F1 Website

EX-HONDA TEAM READY TO RUN CAR

The former Honda team is pressing ahead with plans to test their new car this week, raising hopes they will start the new Formula One season this month.

Honda pulled out of F1 in December as a result of the global financial crisis, leaving the British-based outfit to search desperately for a buyer.

The team planned to run at Silverstone on Thursday but BBC Sport has learned this has now been put back to Friday.

The outfit then hope to make the full team test in Barcelona from 9 March.

Despite reports that a deal has been done to secure the future of the team, workers have not been told officially that they will race in 2009.

But they have been told a deal is close and that they should step up preparations for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March.

It is unclear who the new owners would be or what the team will be called but speculation has focused on a buy-out led by the current management of chief executive Nick Fry and team principal Ross Brawn.

A senior source at the former Honda team, which is based in Brackley, Northamptonshire, told BBC Sport: "We're carrying on as if we're going to Melbourne."

The source likened the situation to "being in the final stages of buying a house when the contracts are agreed and signed and it's with the lawyers".

The source added that Brawn had told employees that "everything's positive - it's all going ahead".

No decision had yet been made on a driver line-up, but BBC Sport has learned that Englishman Jenson Button will definitely race for the team if it gets the official goahead.

The second seat is understood to be between two Brazilians - veteran Rubens Barrichello, Button's team-mate since 2006 and novice Bruno Senna, the nephew of F1 legend Ayrton.

Autosport.com reported on Tuesday that Barrichello had won the fight for the seat.

The car will be fitted with a Mercedes engine.

"There's no way we'd go to any test without an engine deal," said the source.

It is unclear whether any official announcement would be made before the test.

Even if the team make it to the final pre-season test in Barcelona in mid-March, they still face an uphill struggle to be competitive at the start of the season.

At the time of Honda's withdrawal, Brawn expressed his belief that the car could run in the top three in 2009, despite the team's poor form in the last two years.

But the recent uncertainty will have affected development effort and they have lost running time to their rivals, most of whom have completed at least two full four-day tests already.

SOURCE: BBC SPORT

The rear-wing is just... ugly. :|kingdre

i agree.. the new rules  cause them to just not look right..  too narrow

serioulsy.. this looked so good...

now we get...