Formula 1 2009: The Launch Season

Metar · Jan 11, 2009

Tomorrow will see the unveiling of our first 2009 contender, Ferrari's F2009. A whole raft of new regulations will see the first radical change since 2005, and nobody knows which team will reign supreme. Next week, we'll also see these cars on the track for the first time. I will update the list below with links to the car's pictures as they are unveiled - and the thread will grow gradually less 56k-friendly as the week progresses.

12 January: Ferrari F60 + High-res details
15 January: Toyota
16 January: McLaren
19 January: Renault F1 and Williams
20 January: BMW Sauber F1
09 February: Red Bull Racing
Early March: Force India and Scuderia Toro Rosso

Alex. · Jan 11, 2009

Ferrari also changed their launch from Fiorano to Mugello recently, suppose Mugello is a better test track.

nissan tuner · Jan 11, 2009

I cant wait to see the new cars!

Ardius · Jan 11, 2009

Alex.
Ferrari also changed their launch from Fiorano to Mugello recently, suppose Mugello is a better test track.

Its because Fiorano has recently had bad conditions.

Also, Toyota are not unveiling it on a track, they're revealing it online I believe, or something like that.

Might be an idea to put the locations of the launches in the first post?

Metar · Jan 11, 2009

Yup, the forecast for Fiorano currently reads "Snow". Not the best condition to shake down the car...

Only_in_f1 · Jan 11, 2009

Matt Bishop, McLaren head of communications and public relations, told Autosport: "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."

PeterJB · Jan 11, 2009

nissan tuner
I cant wait to see the new cars!

They're gonna look so funny! Christian Klien has already described the BMW Sauber F1.09 as the ugliest car he has ever seen!

Ardius · Jan 11, 2009

The Williams' front wing didn't look too bad, though its mostly down to their black livery, hopefully they're keeping it.
I'm intrigued to see what the differences are between each team, Honda, BMW Sauber, Williams and McLaren's front wings looked fairly different to each other.

prisonermonkeys · Jan 11, 2009

Ardius
Also, Toyota are not unveiling it on a track, they're revealing it online I believe, or something like that.

Yeah, I think they're having a really low-key affair at the Algarve circuit and releasing photos of it afterwards.

Ardius
The Williams' front wing didn't look too bad, though its mostly down to their black livery, hopefully they're keeping it.

They've already said they'll be doing their traditional winter test livery - last year it was their celebration of 500 Grands Prix starts - and they won't show their final race livery until the season opener in Melbourne.

PeterJB
They're gonna look so funny! Christian Klien has already described the BMW Sauber F1.09 as the ugliest car he has ever seen!

And yet, he still hopes to get a drive in the not-too-distant future. Kind of like criticising the chef and then asking to be taken on as his apprentice ...

Ardius · Jan 11, 2009

Do you race?
They've already said they'll be doing their traditional winter test livery - last year it was their celebration of 500 Grands Prix starts - and they won't show their final race livery until the season opener in Melbourne.

Yeah, I know they're alternating liveries again, I just hope they stick with their black(dark blue?)-white scheme when it comes to Melbourne, it looks really nice.

Cap'n Jack · Jan 12, 2009

We can finally get some interesting news! And while on the subject of liveries, I hope McLaren go back to using the orange livery during testing again, that one was great.

prisonermonkeys · Jan 12, 2009

Ardius
Yeah, I know they're alternating liveries again, I just hope they stick with their black(dark blue?)-white scheme when it comes to Melbourne, it looks really nice.

Im actually hoping they change it a little. Them or Honda; there's too many similar cars on the grid. Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and Force India are the only ones that really stand out; BMW and Honda both looked pretty similar this year, while Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Williams were all predominantly dark blue, and Toyota and Super Aguri both had the red-and-white liveries going on.

Robin · Jan 12, 2009

They are going to be so damn ugly! :yuck:

prisonermonkeys · Jan 12, 2009

Really? I think this year's cars were ugly. They struck me as being like a Christmas turkey that came with four drumsticks instead of two; not because it was packaged that way, but beause the animal was genetically modified to have more meat. Sure, the aero aids helped make the cars go faster, but I felt that all the shark-fins, devil-horns, wing-bridges and reverse fins on the nosecone just made the cars look like too much stuff packed into too little a space.

Cap'n Jack · Jan 12, 2009

Ferrari F60

I like how they made the mirrors into pseudo-bargeboards.

Bram Turismo · Jan 12, 2009

Those wheel covers have GOT TO GO! Otherwise, that's a great looking thing!

prisonermonkeys · Jan 12, 2009

Now that looks like a Formula One car! Very clean lines, and something that you'd expect results to come about as a product of a driver's skill, not of aero aids.

However, I thought tobacco branding was banned for 2009 ...

nissan tuner · Jan 12, 2009

Pretty good but I wish GP update would use .PNG or high res pictures.

The compression looks bad.

Blake · Jan 12, 2009

It’s boring. :indiff:

Normally at new car launches I spend hours going over every little detail but I’ve looked at this thing for 5 minutes and it’s just plain.

Fruitcake · Jan 12, 2009

Looks pretty crap :ill:

JacoJa · Jan 12, 2009

It does look terrible. I actually feel slightly sick looking at it.

...Evolution ends here :sly:

nissan tuner · Jan 12, 2009

These shots are at the same angle as the F2008 release pictures.

I'll have to make a comparison post later 👍

Edit: http://www.f1network.net/boards/read/s85.htm?85,9798132,10047504,quote=1#REPLY

HD pictures on the bottom of this page

nissan tuner · Jan 12, 2009

Okay, here's the shots I was referring to:

Alex. · Jan 12, 2009

http://f60.ferrariworld.com/

You're welcome

Oh, and I quite like it actually 👍

nissan tuner · Jan 12, 2009

Alex.
http://f60.ferrariworld.com/

You're welcome

oh, fancy site 👍

Touring Mars · Jan 12, 2009

For a car that is supposed to be supermegafugly, it ain't half bad... the rear wing doesn't look as lame as I thought it would, and the whole car has a leaner, slender look that is really quite appealing...

Alex. · Jan 12, 2009

If I was awake enough to discuss the car in detail, it would look like that^

Mt. Lynx · Jan 12, 2009

Its profile doesn´t look halfbad, but the rest of the angles; :yuck:

I actually liked the way they looked last year, cluttered with wings and stuff. This is just...too plain...

Sting · Jan 12, 2009

Blake
Its boring.

Normally at new car launches I spend hours going over every little detail but Ive looked at this thing for 5 minutes and its just plain.

I believe that was what the FIA was going for by eliminating free-thinking. I supposed compared to the BMW, it looks somewhat sleeker. Interesting how the bodywork is not sculpted around the exhausts and I do like that pointed nose.

Still prefer the 08 car tho, gonna miss the way its front bridge wing flowed into the nose.

G.T · Jan 12, 2009

I was expecting a more drastic change, but I suppose the cleaner look makes the car look a lot better than before.

But still, the real question is how they perform...

Formula 1 2009: The Launch Season

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