Red Bull, Mercedes and more F1 launches today

F1 Fanatic round-up

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Even more F1 car launches are coming up today from Valencia.

First up is the successor to last year’s championship-winning, car, the Red Bull RB7, which will appear at 7:30am GMT (8:30am local time in Spain).

Half an hour after that the Toro Rosso STR6 will make its maiden appearance. In a packed morning of launches, the Mercedes W02 will appear 20 minutes after that.

But that’s not all – today the Williams FW33 will run for the first time, although the team are not having a formal photo call because its livery hasn’t been finished yet.

Lastly, Lotus are going to be showing off their new T128 today as well.

On top of all that it’s also the first day of testing, so we’ll see the new Ferrari, Sauber and Mercedes running, and all the other teams will be in action too.

There will be a dedicated post for following testing live including all the information you need, and remember to keep an eye on all the news from Valencia using the Live F1 Twitter app.

Here’s today’s round-up:

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Lotus-Renault GP R31 Launch From Valencia (Renault)

Video from yesterday’s launch. According to Prisoner Monkeys I was in shot at one point. I was perched up on the pit wall opposite the car.

Everything set for the F150’s track debut (Ferrari)

“All the teams are here in Cheste, however not all of them have their new car ready. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro was first to lift the veil on its latest creation, running the F150, which has already tasted track action with a few dozen kilometres at Fiorano, in a session aimed at acquiring film footage for promotional use.”

UK Minister Visits Williams Technology Centre (Williams)

“Having previously met with Sir Frank Williams in London to discuss the Oxfordshire-based company’s investment in the region, the Minister wanted to see first-hand how Williams F1 is working and sharing its world-class motorsport engineering expertise with a key partner in the Middle East.”

Tony Fernandes on Twitter

“The personal attacks on me have started again from Renault. Must be doing something right hahahaha. The good do always win.”

Via the Live F1 Twitter app

Grosjean hopes for new chance in F1 (Autosport)

“It’s a big, big chance for me to be back here. The idea was to come back into Formula 1, now my mission is to get a race seat for 2012, so this year is very important in this way.”

Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.

Comment of the day

What on earth is going on at the back end of the Renault R31, asks ;379:

Apparently it has no exhaust outlets to be seen at the rear of the car. Some reports suggest that the exhaust gases are directed towards the front of the car and blown over a sort of front diffuser.

Maybe this could be the innovative and aggressive design feature Renault kept referring to.
;379

From the forum

Grace asks why do you follow your favourite team?

Site updates

You can now find all the 2011 F1 cars coverage, along with everything else on the 2011 F1 season, here:

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Kutigz and Cliffery!

On this day in F1

Mercedes and Toro Rosso are launching their new cars today – just as they did on this day last year.

Image © F1 Fanatic

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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55 comments on “Red Bull, Mercedes and more F1 launches today”

  1. Is there likely to be an online feed for the launch of the RB7 do we know?

    1. Oh and interesting stuff about the R31. I did take a look at that picture earlier following what someone said on Twitter and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where the exhaust might be…and I guess not under the car as that would create all sorts of turbulence…and against the rules for aero under the car?

  2. Always given him the benefit of the doubt but this is getting stupid. Responding to name calling with petty groundless sayings with next to no substance.

    Two wrongs don’t make a right Tony.

    1. So now the person responding to name calling is to blame? Interesting…

      As a Renault fan, I wish Team Lotus all the best this season, and I think Fernandes is trying to do something good in Formula One. I hope that the green cars will start scoring points this year.

      For me the black Renault does have a ring of nostalgia, but it’s not Lotus. I hope they will be good enough to fight for podiums, but they are not Lotus, they are just sponsored by Lotus Cars.

    2. Wait a second Hamish, let’s dissect that little tweet, and find the “wrong” in it.

      “The personal attacks on me have started again from Renault” – that’s just a factually correct statement. Gerard Lopez said that Fernandes wants to use the Team Lotus name not because he envisioned a resurrection of a legendary brand, but because it’s just more “TV rights money” for him. Questioning someone’s motives is a personal attack, and maybe a little bit of projection on part of Lopez.

      “Must be doing something right” – a sarcastic comment, I admit, but it’s not an attack. When one side resorts to personal attacks it may be an indication that they are out of real arguments. Hence you are doing something right ;)

      “hahahaha” – I guess that is the “wrong”, you was talking about. Well, here I must agree, a smiley face or a simple “LOL” would be so much better…

      “The good do always win” – well, it would be nice, although that’s more of a wishful thinking. I don’t necessarily agree with that one.

      So that’s it. Now, what’s the commotion about? This is a tweet. Not an official statement, but a simple tweet. Maybe it’s a bit emotional, but I don’t see anything inappropriate in it.

      1. Hes stooped to their level. Its a matter before the courts now. A slinging match of words and names will achieve nothing.

  3. Are you sure PM didn’t mistake you for Eric Bouller? ;-)

    1. It’s a little bit Where’s Wally?, but I did spot him in one of the establishing shots of the crowd shortly before the car wss unveiled. I don’t know if he’s in that video or not, though.

    2. Well now that Seb Bourdais has left its a bit easier.

  4. Curious to see the Red Bull, oh and someone tell Fernandes to shut up, the guy seems to get more irritating with each tweet.

    1. He does wind me up a little. I know I could not follow him…but just his smile seems to be worth keeping on my timeline!

      1. Ha! He’s worth following though. I’ve seen him spontaneously decide to give away 40,000 euros of flights/gptickets/paddock access to people who write funny things about him over the course of a few hours…

  5. I love how Kubica told autosport he learned from Vitaly how to keep the car on the track. No wonder there aren’t any ‘tensions’ – Kubica, who fought himself up into F1 without any major support just couldn’t care less about the driver who keeps his seat due to money.

    If the R31 has a front blown diffusor, how the hell are they managing the cooling? Even if that’s not true, I still think it’s going to be a brilliant car.

    1. Everyone is taking that quote from Kubica out of context. Even Autosport. There is quite clearly an ellipsis after his comment, implying that he said more, but it was not written down. You’re reading far too much into the Kubica-Petrov relationship.

  6. Are those launch tones correct because the f1 fanatic google calendar says they’re all an hour later

    1. The times on the Google Calendar aren’t GMT, they’re Valencia local time, which is where Keith is, which would explain why he put those times in. I just checked the Red Bull website and they have 8:30 in Valencia listed as the time for the launch.

  7. Just to add some insanity perspective, if you think F1’s mad, English football clubs spent £214,525,000 on players in the past month. Insanity and sport go hand in hand whenever TV’s involved.

    Well then, looking foward to the new cars and not todays Geography exam.

    1. Including £35 million on Andy Carroll?! That make him something like the 8th most expensive footballer ever! It’s been crazy…

      (I know this is getting off topic ever so slightly, but can I just point out that Andy Carroll has an ‘R’ in his name and so do Renault, so there is a link)

      1. Until someone rubbish is playing in a premiership team because he’s paying the club rather than the other way around i think football has the upper hand.

        1. Haha that is a very good way at looking at it

          1. Except that there are more than 24 positions available in the entire world for football players, not for prospective F1 drivers…

      2. It slightly beggars belife huh? I get to be all superior (an derided) as a gooner but jeez, world hunger anyone? Do wish we’d bought a CB though.

        Back to F1, errrr, CARS. FAST CARS. OFTEN DRIVEN BY… not so hard this connections buisness. :)

    2. I think it was Will Buxton who pointed out that the £35 million paid for Andy Carrol was only 5 million less than what F1 teams were expected to spend udner the proposed budget cap.

      Good luck with your exam Scribe!

  8. I haven’t really been following the site comments in the 24 hours so this might already have been pointed out, in which case sorry.

    But… isn’t it typically ridiculous of F1 that the new Lotus has a huge Renault badge on the nose… and the new Renault has a huge Lotus badge on the nose? Bonkers.

    (I didn’t notice this, F1 Colours did)

    1. I find it mad that ‘Team Lotus’ have been allowed to change their logo to exactly the same as the lotus car logo, but with ‘Team Lotus’ instead of just ‘Lotus’

      If I was them I would move on and create a new identity, and let Renault get on with being ‘Lotus’

      A team can change it’s name, whereas a sponsor can’t and that is why Fernandes must ‘be the bigger person’ and rename his team

      1. I think you need to learn more about this situation then.

    2. isn’t it typically ridiculous of F1 that the new Lotus has a huge Renault badge on the nose… and the new Renault has a huge Lotus badge on the nose? Bonkers.

      Not only that, but the Renault logo is the proper color on the Lotus, but not on the Renault…

  9. It hasn’t but I was thinking the same thing Ned

  10. Im happy to see Grosjean back in the sport. I don’t think he really had a chance to prove himself in a team that at the time was a sinking ship.

    I do believe this makes him the only driver who holds a job over and above his driving duties. Unless Hulkenberg still holds a job in the Williams factory, which I highly doubt.

  11. Lots of car launches today tough time for the spectator as they have to look at the track & also in the pitlane of the cars.

  12. On the R31 exhaust: I found these pics and it seems the exhaust is placed just before the suspension struts for the rear wheels, similar to the RB6.

    http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9187&start=180

    Pics are about a third of the way down the page.

    1. Oh, but some on this site say this is the R30…why would they have both an R30 and R31 at Valencia? Never mind my previous comment, this definitely the R30….my bad.

    2. Okay, I am convinced that the exhaust is here and it blows onto the tyres.

      http://www.planetf1.com/photo-gallery/6713990/Renault-Unveil-Their-New-R31#photo=4

      1. thats just a reflection of some thing.

        1. The way I see it, the thing between the L from RENAULT and the f from elf looks like an exhaust.

          The thing which runs over the e of Elf is a reflection.

          Having said that, Red Bull fooled everybody with stickers last year, so maybe Renault just takes the faking to the next level.

          …Hmmmm, is faking part of the Resource Restriction Agreement? What’s the budget then?

  13. Even more F1 car launches are came up up yesterday from Valencia.

    First up is the successor to last year’s championship-winning, car, the Brabham BT46b, which will appear at 9:30am GMT (6:30am local time in Japan).

    Half an hour after that the Mécanique Aviation TRAction shortly known as Matra will make its maiden appearance. In a packed morning of launches, Audi will appear 20 minutes after that.

    But that’s not all – today the Honda RA2011 will run for the first time, although the team are not having a formal photo call because its livery hasn’t been finished yet.

    Lastly, Mclaren are going to be showing off their new mp4-26 today as well.

    On top of all that it’s also the first day of testing, so we’ll see the old Ferrari F10, Sauber and Mercedes W01running, and all the other teams will be in action too.

    There will be a dedicated post for following testing live including all the information you need, and remember to keep an eye on all the news from barcelona using the Live F1 Twitter app.

      1. Same

  14. Tony is so full of himself & BS!! it’s unbelievable.

  15. http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/3936/x2466fb165686446.jpg

    Interim Williams livery, complete with retro numbering, courtesy of Rubens Barrichello.

    1. I dig the retro numbering…

  16. Anyone know where we can watch the RB7 launch streaming? Coming up in a half hour and I’ve seen nothing about it anywhere… maybe Red Bull isn’t streaming like Ferrari and Renault both did.

  17. Doesn’t look like it :(

  18. That’s the rb7!!! With the silly moustache!!!!

      1. The Hanes manual is a nice touch…

  19. is there a live feed/stream from the testing somewhere?

    1. Doesn’t appear to be.

  20. It appears to have a shark-fin-let?

    1. Nope. So far just the pictures in the slideshow on redbullracing.com.

  21. Ha! Nice vid ;)

  22. Some pictures on redbullracing.com

  23. Pirelli’s square logo looks rubbish on these car unveils. What happened to the one they were using before – with script that followed the curve of the tyre?

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