Readying for launches

With the festive season over, attention returns to work and the first of the 2005 launches is only a few days away. Although Williams will present its new livery at the Bahrain International Circuit on the 7th of January, the team's official launch is scheduled for January 31st in Valencia. Williams has yet to confirm who will be teammate to Mark Webber.

Toyota will unveil the TF105 on the 8th at Barcelona, the car being the first to be overseen by technical director Mike Gacoyne. Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli are due to put the new car through its paces a few days later at Jerez.

Out of respect for the victims of the recent tragedies in Asia, Sauber cancelled the launch of its new car in Kuala Lumpur. The C24 will take to the track for the first time on January 14th as originally scheduled. Felipe Massa will drive the first two days, with Jacques Villeneuve on duty on the third.

BAR will launch the BAR Honda 007 at Barcelona on the 16th, the driver line up of Jenson Button and Takuma Sato remaining unchanged. Renault will show off the R25 is in Monaco on February 1st and the team has confirmed that the car will make its track debut the week before. Fernando Alonso will be partnered by Giancarlo Fisichella in 2005.

Red Bull Racing will unveil the RB1 at Jerez on February 7th but the team has yet to finalise a driver line up. David Coulthard is already confirmed and recent rumour has it that Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi are signed up but have not yet been assigned seats.

Minardi will reveal its new car at Albert Park on March 3rd, just three days before the first race of the season. Christijan Albers has been confirmed for one race seat and the second driver is expected to be announced later this month.

Ferrari, McLaren and Jordan have yet to set a date to launch their new cars. Ferrari's driver line up of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello remains unchanged, while Kimi Raikkonen will be partnered by Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren. Jordan has made no announcement concerning its drivers for 2005.