JANUARY 23, 2006

Launch week

Four of the 11 Formula 1 teams will launch their new V8-engined cars this week with Ferrari due to unveil the F2006 (or whatever it will be designated) on Tuesday at Mugello. Honda will reveal the RA106 in Barcelona on Wednesday and on Friday Williams will unveil the FW28 at the team's headquarters in Grove, England.

In addition McLaren will be running its new MP4-21 for the first time in testing in Barcelona.

Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber and Red Bull have already launched their cars and so the only teams still to finish their new machinery are Scuderia Toro Rosso, MF1 Racing and Super Aguri F1.

The testing will thus start to give us a good idea of who is where in the 2006 pecking order although the real story will not be known until the cars are running in Bahrain in seven weeks from now.