This weekend's Ferrari launch could be one of Formula One's more unusual presentations, given that the new race car may not be finished in time and photographers are not invited.

A spokesman billed the gathering at the team's Fiorano test track on Sunday as 'more of a press preview', with the car still being put together ahead of a planned debut in the hands of Brazilian Felipe Massa on Monday.

The unveiling of a new Ferrari grand prix car was once an eagerly-awaited highlight of the Italian social calendar, with a throng of celebrities, VIPs and assorted beautiful people in attendance.

Not any more. Last year's launch was every bit as functional, even if there was at least a car to contemplate with now-retired Michael Schumacher lapping the Mugello circuit in near-freezing conditions while his bosses talked about the challenges ahead.

January is the month when teams talk up their chances and try to impress sponsors with their shining new cars and upbeat assessments of the year ahead. Toyota kick off the annual ritual on Friday.

Sometimes, even when there is a car, it is not what it seems.

BAR unveiled a hastily re-painted version of the previous year's car, minus engine, in 2001 after Canada's former champion Jacques Villeneuve crashed the real thing in testing the previous week.

That did not stop them suggesting a victory was in the pipeline - a recurrent theme over time at a team that failed to win anything in seven seasons before being taken over by Honda at the end of 2005.

Held hostage

Super Aguri started last season with a modified four-year-old Arrows A23 car, one of which had been repainted in Minardi colours and was on display at Melbourne airport until Minardi boss Paul Stoddart sold it on.

The secret of Formula One launches, at least for team bigwigs, is to sound positive while never holding oneself up as a hostage to fortune.

Months down the road, those bold declarations of success and utter confidence in a driver's ability may turn out to be prescient indeed. More often than not, though, they are best forgotten.

In 2002, Jaguar declared the R3 was their first 'proper' Formula One car.

Fast forward a year and newly-ensconced team boss Tony Purnell was telling reporters that the R3 was in fact a dog that should never have been allowed out of the factory.

The cars' true strengths or failings become apparent soon enough when the racing starts in Australia in March.

Sometimes it is safest just to put on an all singing and dancing show, as McLaren did with the Spice Girls in 1997, and make sure the sponsors get plenty of nice photographs in the newspapers.

An alternative is to latch on to a milestone in the company's history.

Toyota will do just that in Cologne, celebrating the Japanese manufacturer's half a century in motorsport as they unveil the TF107.

McLaren, with a new young image to show off, are unlikely to be accused of being grey and boring after Monday's promised extravaganza in Valencia.

Expect to see circus tricks, plenty of celebrities and double world champion Fernando Alonso deafening and delighting his home fans in a show to be carried live on Spanish television.

Alonso will have to wait to get to grips fully with his new toy, however, with BMW Sauber having the Valencia circuit booked for their exclusive use on the following day.

Champions Renault, whose last two launches have been in Monaco to circumvent French anti-tobacco advertising legislation, unveil their new car in Amsterdam on Jan. 24 after Dutch financial services giant ING replaced Japan Tobacco as title sponsor.

The attention then switches to Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya for Honda's low-key get together on Jan. 25 and Red Bull on the 26th.

That marks a departure for the Austrian energy drink-owned team, whose previous launches have been extravagant parties just days before the first race of the season.

Former champions Williams, now powered by Toyota, bring up the rear with a presentation of their challenger at the Grove factory on Feb. 2.

"While secretly we'd like to win all the races, our realistic thinking is that if we get in the top three in the constructors' championship we will have done a good job," Frank Williams declared last year.

By the end of the season, with Williams eighth overall, suffering their worst run of form in 30 years and just 11 points, the boss recognised his team's predicament as "unblinkingly, humiliatingly shocking."

It may not be tempting fate too much to suggest that this year, at least, should be better.

(China Daily via Agencies January 12, 2007)