Benetton launches today.
Eschewing the seemingly obligatory 2001 launch site of a wet and windy Britain, Benetton has opted for a simply wet Venice to officially unveil the new B201.
The Renault-powered charger has already hit the track, in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella at Barcelona last week, but has since been shipped to the Italian seaside resort to appear on a floating pedestal in front of the world's media today [Tuesday].
Eschewing the seemingly obligatory 2001 launch site of a wet and windy Britain, Benetton has opted for a simply wet Venice to officially unveil the new B201.
The Renault-powered charger has already hit the track, in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella at Barcelona last week, but has since been shipped to the Italian seaside resort to appear on a floating pedestal in front of the world's media today [Tuesday].
Benetton will thus become the seventh team - after Jaguar, Jordan, Williams, Ferrari, BAR and Sauber - to launch its 2001 campaign, choosing a traditionally flamboyant setting for the unveiling. Last year, the ceremony took place high above the Spanish city of Barcelona, a site perhaps only topped by an Italian amphitheatre in recent seasons.
Drivers Fisichella and Jenson Button will take a break from their intensive testing and training regime to attend the launch, along with new test driver - and recently-confirmed Super Nova F3000 pilot - Mark Webber. Team boss Flavio Briatore and representatives of the returning Renault marque will also be present in St Mark's Square.
The B201 proved to be slightly off the pace on its first outings in Spain last week, but both the team and drivers insisted that it was only undertaking preliminary shakedown runs and that pace and performance would follow the launch.
