JANUARY 12, 2015
McLaren denies pre-Jerez test for 2015 car
McLaren has denied reports it will run its Honda-powered 2015 car a few days before its launch and official test debut. Spain's El Mundo Deportivo claimed that, following news the MP4-30 will be launched on 29 January, the car will actually clock up some laps beforehand. "A few days before (the launch), the car will run at Silverstone for a shakedown and to shoot a promotional film," the report added. "It is hoped the software problems of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi have been solved." But a McLaren spokesman told us: "We are not planning to run the MP4-30 before the Jerez test." El Mundo also claimed McLaren is likely to enter a second consecutive season without a title sponsor, given that talks with the Spanish mobile operator Movistar are not promising. Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Sauber is likely to launch its 2015 car in a simple pitlane unveiling ceremony ahead of the Jerez test. (GMM)