New Mercedes, Toro Rosso & Williams break cover as testing starts 01 Feb 2010
As 2010’s first pre-season test began at Valencia on Monday morning, fans got their first glimpse of the Mercedes GP MGP W01, the Toro Rosso STR5 and the Williams FW32, with the three teams launching their new cars at the Spanish circuit.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled Mercedes’ challenger, in its silver and green livery, while Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari were on hand as the wraps came off Toro Rosso’s Ferrari-powered machine. Williams, meanwhile, chose to hit the track with little pomp or ceremony, Rubens Barrichello giving their Cosworth-powered design its official debut.
Rosberg will be first to sample the W01, the first car produced by Mercedes following their takeover of Brawn GP late last year, before returning seven-time champion Schumacher takes over the car later in the day.
Toro Rosso, with their unchanged driver line-up, hope the STR5 will move them up the grid after the Red Bull-owned team’s tenth-place finish in the 2009 constructors’ championship. Williams, who will field reigning GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg alongside Barrichello, are out to improve on their seventh place of last year.
Four other teams are also testing at Valencia on Monday, all with the new cars. They are Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber and Renault.
