Mercedes GP to Launch 2010 Car in Stuttgart

Now that the group teams' launch in Formula One will officially not happen in Valencia, each outfit will try to spend as little money as possible when showing their 2010 challenger to the media next year. Most of the championship's big guns are scheduled to release their cars in late January, and Mercedes GP don't make any exception from that rule.

According to German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the launch of the 2010 version of the BGP 001 will not happen at Brackley, where the team is originally based, but in Stuttgart, at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Unterturkheim.

It is also believed that Mercedes-Benz will proceed to the launch prior to the Valencia group test in early February, with Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg being present in the same room as Mercedes official drivers for the first time.

However, soon-to-turn-41 driver Michael Schumacher will allegedly not test the car until later in February, namely during the Jerez test session (Feb 10). The news was reported by the same newspaper, although it did not disclose whether Rosberg will get to test the 2010 machinery sooner than Schu, at Valencia.

So far, is is believed that all teams – apart from the newly entrants – will make it to the February 1st thru 3rd testing session at Valencia, either with their 2009 challengers or with their brand new cars for 2010. Details are still to emerge on Ferrari's, McLaren's and Red Bull's car launches, but it's believed these will take place in late January as well.