Benetton B201 launch: Building for the future

Team boss Flavio Briatore has played down its aims for 2001, citing this as a learning season while it builds its efforts up for 2002.

"I don't expect anything for this year," said Briatore. "Because it's always one year to put together the team and put together the players in the team, and try and build up the team for 2002."

Patrick Faure, president of Renault Sport echoed his sentiments: "I don't want to give any targets for 2001, but it doesn't mean we don't have ambitions. There's plenty of work to do and as Renault Sport we want to finish the season to be ready to fight for the title in 2002. We cannot fight for the title in 2002 if we don't have a good end to this season."

The new B201, which tested for the first time at Barcelona in Spain last week, features Renault's radical new wide-angled engine. The 111-degree V10 has proved problematical in testing thus far, but the Regie is confident that its revolutionary motor, which has a lower centre of gravity than its rivals, will set a new trend in F1 just as it pioneered turbo-power in the late Seventies.

"We decided in the end to start with a new engine," added Briatore. "Sure it was much more sensible with the old one, but if you start with the old one you never develop properly the new one. If you want to take the risk, new engine and new tyres, then it's exactly the year we need to do this."

English wonderkid Jenson Button has joined the team for the next two seasons on loan from Williams, and joins Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella who enters his fourth season with the team.

The Enstone-based team has retained its sponsorship line-up for this season, and has also added deals with PlayStation and Elf. This is the final season that the team will sport the traditional blue colourscheme of the Benetton name, as Renault takes over the outfit in its entirety in 2002.

"I hope that Benetton maybe continues as a sponsor next year, but perhaps only very small," quipped Briatore.

The car was revealed in St Mark's Square from behind a four-sided fish tank, which was filled with blue-coloured water.