The Weekly Grapevine

Keeping a low profile

There was a time when the 'breaking cover' of new Formula One cars was done in the total absence of razzmatazz, without even a cover or used sheet present.

Invariably a technical honcho (no fancy titles in those days) from a team would point to a grubby, unpainted form in the back of a garage, and suggest to a journalist who happened to be present more by accident than design, 'it's our new car'.

Said scribe would hang around, and eventually the team's ace would arrive by road car (probably Mercedes-Benz, as the German company had a monopoly on such matters through a particularly attractive new-car discount scheme offered to all Grand Prix drivers despite the company not being active in the category for over thirty years), and proceed to turn a few exploratory laps in the latest Fastkar BXX.

Whilst the car was shaken down, the journalist may have been served a sandwich and mug of tea - prepared and served by the team boss's wife - and that was about the extent of the hospitality.

The launch of the Tyrrell 001 in 1971 © LAT

A few scribbled sentences and monochrome shots later the hack would be on his way to deliver visuals and copy, and if the editor felt slightly benevolent on the day, two paragraphs and a small picture would make up the 'scoop'.

Such an 'unveiling', though, was usually the exception: many teams hardly even bothered announcing their new design. Nor did they even blood it at the season opener, instead leaving the media to pick up on its existence as the year progressed. In other words, certain new cars simply remained non-launched.

There were exceptions, of course - as always in F1 - such as when Ken Tyrrell invited Fleet Street to a Heathrow hotel in September 1975 to unveil (yes, the car was even covered) the sensational P34 six-wheeler.

There was also the occasion of the Lotus 81 launch in 1980: the flamboyant David Thieme, whose high-flying Essex Group then sponsored the team, booked out the Royal Albert Hall for a black-tie gala evening and had Shirley Bassey sing the car's praises.

Strangely, not even those tobacco companies then in the sport exploited the potential exposure offered by such functions - possibly because advertising of their products was not totally banned in most civilised countries - and thus such extravagances were about as rare as Jean Alesi Grand Prix victories, to be recalled in similar fashion.

Then, into the sport came corporates and motor manufacturers, plus virtually every international fag brand, and, as teams' budgets exploded, so, too, did the vigour with which the latest cars were launched.

The winds of change first blew across the sport's launches in 1997. McLaren and Mercedes had gone West, and wished to make a statement, particularly as Marlboro had put all its eggs in the Ferrari basket. So Alexandra Palace was booked, the Spice Girls hired and the silver car launched to their jive.

It was the biggest extravaganza to hit F1 in ten years, and got the team off to a flying start: David Coulthard went out and won the season opener in Australia, the team's first victory in three seasons.

A cute anecdote from the Ally Pally evening, though, perfectly sums up the remarkable ignorance prevailing at most such functions: after the pop gig, the suave Scot is said to have walked up to 'Posh' and introduced himself, adding that he was 'one of the drivers'.

'Ahhh, good,' responded the future Mrs Beckham in her best Hertfordshire, 'I want to leave in any event, won't you bring the limo round the back, then...'

The following year, the then-crest-riding Eddie Jordan had to go one better: the Irishman commissioned long-term F1 fan Guy Laliberte, founder of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, to stage a special production of the circus' act to welcome the Jordan 199 into the world.

Of course, the team's tobacco sponsor picked up the tab for this Drury Lane show, and valuable column inches and television seconds were the result.

The 2000 Jaguar launch at Lords Cricket Ground © LAT

Sauber, then at the height of its relationship with Austrian lifestyle drinks company Red Bull, unveiled its C16 at the Schloss Schonbrunn (Sparkling Fountain) on the outskirts of Vienna.

In later years the Swiss team would launch to a special symphony written in honour of the team, and, in 2003, on ice in Zurich - whilst, in 2000, Jaguar Racing (nee Stewart Grand Prix) took over Lords cricket ground when the company introduced its first green racer.

Since then, all sorts of weird and wonderful venues, including, believe it or not, teams' factories and even race circuits, have been used as launch locations.

A civic hall and the main station in Barcelona spring to mind, as does an underground (in every sense of the word) music venue in central London, with Circuit de Catalunya and Monte Carlo also proving popular when tobacco livery was permitted.

Launches fell into three distinct groups, with occasional cross-over: extravagant (static); factory-based (static); and track-orientated (dynamic).

All have their merits, depending upon objective: exotic functions and locations enable sponsors and wives and such-like to strut their stuff before paparazzi and glam journalists (at one launch, a sponsor was mortified when no photographer seemed interested in snapping his mistress chatting up a driver) whilst the media gets its fill of fancy food and drink.

Yes, the piper is being paid for the tune being called, although, frankly, such launches fail to find much favour with seasoned pros, for the sound of a car being driven in anger is the only appropriate music during the launch of an F1 car...

Launches falling into second category seldom permit the launch subject to turn a wheel (although BAR ran their 2002 car up and down a side road outside their Brackley base), but at least media and guests are introduced to the facilities of the team - regardless of freezes and restrictions on wind tunnel time, F1 remains a fascinating technical exercise - and the boffins who never make it to the circuit, yet play such crucial roles in our sport.

And, with F1 factories nowadays being anything but, there is much about with which to amaze sponsors and their guests.

If anything, the majority of the assembled mass, anything up to 500 heads, is more likely to be impressed with the team and its potential than any amount of drinking and dining in a historic arena in Sicily could achieve.

To true-blue fans, and most journalists consider themselves first and foremost thus, last-named category, namely dynamic or circuit launch, takes the cake and icing, not least because the bulk of the team's technical folk, and not only suits, are invariably present.

It also provides an opportunity to prove that the cars actually run and is, in fact, the real launch deal. Exhibition launches have too often been (dis)graced by little more than rolling chassis...

Such launches don't, of course, feed the voracious ego of Ms Sponsor, and, whilst the food on offer invariably tops pub grub, it by no stretch of the imagination resembles haute cuisine. Still, the informal atmosphere and the bonus of seeing the car run more than makes up for such minor shortcomings, even if some delicate eardrums do get shattered.

The 2007 Ferrari unveiling © Ferrari

Now, though, the launch wheel seems to have turned full circle, albeit slowly. The first inkling came last year, when Ferrari launched F2007 at the Fiorano circuit without the car even being presented.

True, a handful of journalists were bussed to the Centro Logistica to view the red beast, but photographers were banned and the only visual record of the event arrived as an internet link.

In place of the fancy grey corporate suits, complimentary shoes, crisp white shirts and matching ties and belts of the past, Ferrari's management wore their Sunday afternoon best, whilst finger snacks, bottled water and coffee were proffered between interview sessions.

Almost simultaneously, though, McLaren did their 'Vodafone thing' in the streets of Valencia with a spectacle that shaded 'Ally Pally'.

But, the rest of 2007's launches were well grounded: Honda held a a technical launch at Catalunya, then unveiled their Earth Dream livery in London's Natural History Museum; Red Bull went for a dynamic launch at the same circuit, whilst Toyota hired a hall near their Cologne base. And Williams were, well, just Williams, with a plain factory unveiling.

This trend has continued into this year, with proceedings being, if anything, even more Spartan. Whilst Ferrari folk in the main wore red shirts, no less than five different shades of denim are discernable in an official launch shot taken this Sunday past in Maranello, with the sixth member of the group wearing brown trousers.

Most un-Jean Todt-like, who was not even present now that he has handed over sporting responsibility to Stefano Domenicali...

McLaren first announced a non-launch of the MP4-23's first runs at Jerez - with not a word said about sarnies and cuppas served by Mrs R Dennis - then barely a week later abruptly U-turned, stating they would launch in the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart on the day after Ferrari's unveiling.

(Knee-jerks aimed at shading F2008's first on-track tests on the same day, and BMW's launch exactly a week later?)

Whilst McLaren's guest list was pretty impressive by 2008 standards, festivities were distinctly subdued, certainly in comparison with last year's Valencia fiesta, with the (unusual) presence of one BC Ecclestone, Esq, doing little to raise awareness in the media.

Toyota have reverted to a (relatively compact) factory launch for their TF108 unveiling after migrating across the full spectrum of static and dynamic launches since their maiden 2002 season.

And after years of Valencia-based launching, BMW's Monday function is scheduled for the company's impressive new BMW World Experience and Delivery Centre in Munich, with a roll-out slated for Valencia the following day.

Wednesday, 16 January sees Red Bull Racing roll out RB4 in Jerez. According to a team spokesperson, the agenda features a round of interviews with management, drivers and technical staff before 'letting them get on with it' - i.e., giving the car its head.

The format is somewhat similar to RB3's unveiling in Catalunya, and is certainly a far cry from past RBR festivities, which included spectacular launches in Melbourne and Bahrain.

Then, with sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso starting the season with last year's car, the satellite operation is not even expected to launch this year, particularly as its driver line-up was finalised and announced six months ago.

Williams have announced that they will not be launching FW30 - and are unlikely to about-face on the subject - simply as they, like STR, have little new to announce on either the driver or sponsor fronts.

That, then, is two outfits, or close on 20 percent of the grid, which have elected to forgo festivities this year. Save for an official driver/sponsor announcement in India on Thursday, Force India seem set go the same low-profile route.

Honda have once again elected to go, in common with arch-enemy Toyota, the factory route for their 29 January launch, whilst Renault are doing a BMW and using their corporate communications centre in Paris to unveil two days later.

Super Aguri's plans seem equally conservative, with a media launch (our emphasis) just announced for 19 February at Catalunya circuit, although there are some cynics who suggest that the team's 2008 car was, in fact, unveiled at the same circuit over a year ago...

Thus, not a spectacle in sight - unless you count the McLaren-Mercedes and BMW launches within their parent companies' impressive theme centres as such, and a good thing for F1 this trend is, too.

As the sport heads for engine and aerodynamic freezes and budget caps, and, equally crucially, faces mounting accusations of excess in place of success - ironically epitomised by the payment of a $100m fine out of a team's revenues - it is no bad thing that market forces dictate a return to reality, particularly where non-racing activities are concerned.

The track is, after all, where F1 should be strutting its stuff, now and into the future.