By Andrew Benson & Sarah Holt

F1 teams will hold individual car launches for the new season

Formula 1 teams have abandoned plans to unveil all their cars for the 2010 season together at a joint launch.

The teams had intended to present their cars ahead of the first pre-season test in Valencia at the end of January.

But many of the teams - particularly the four new outfits - will not have their new cars ready in time.

"The joint car launch project has been postponed to 2011,in order to ensure a totally successful event," said the Formula One Teams Association (Fota).

"The teams will be organising individual car launches for the 2010 season," the Fota statement added.

"As far as I understand it, a lot of the teams - over 50% - would not have had new cars ready," said Peter Windsor, boss of the new US F1 team, earlier on Tuesday.

"I'd be surprised if more than a couple of the new teams even had 2010 cars ready for the first test.

"In my view a joint launch would have been better in Bahrain with the final test there too before the Grand Prix. That was a proposal.

606: DEBATE Bernie seems pretty sure that USF1 are not going to make it onto the grid next year GripRacing

"For me, 30 January was too early."

The plan had been proposed as part of a continued effort to cut costs.

That desire remains, though, and although the teams will now do individual launches, most of them are expected to be low-key, with a simple roll-out and photo shoot before testing begins.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version