February to be a busy month for F1 car reveals and testing

File picture: Daimler AG.

File picture: Daimler AG.

Published Feb 5, 2019

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London - Red Bull will give a first glimpse of its new Honda-powered RB15 Formula One car next week on the same day that world champion Lewis Hamilton's 2019 Mercedes breaks cover at Silverstone.

Former champion Red Bull, which finished third overall behind Mercedes and Ferrari last year, has switched from Renault power units to Honda for the season, starting in Australia on March 17.

The team also has a changed line-up, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo now donning yellow Renault overalls and replaced by young Frenchman Pierre Gasly alongside Dutch driver Max Verstappen.

Verstappen, 21, won two races last year and will be hoping Honda provide a reliable and powerful engine after the manufacturer's return to Formula One with McLaren ended in divorce at the end of 2017.

Honda supplied Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso last year.

Red Bull announced the February 13 date on the team's Twitter feed, without details. Mercedes has already said it will run its W10 car for the first time in a private shakedown session that day.

Racing Point, the team formerly known as Force India before being taken over by a Canadian consortium led by the billionaire father of racing driver Lance Stroll, will also present its new team branding in Toronto on February 13.

Formula One starts pre-season testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on February 18, which will be the first chance to see the new cars together on track.

The team launches kick off this week, with US-owned Haas first out with their new livery in London on Thursday before Toro Rosso on February 11.

Fourth-placed Renault will show off its new car at their Enstone factory in central England on February 12, with McLaren removing the covers at Woking on February 14. 

Ferrari has scheduled an online reveal on February 15.

Reuters

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