Ferrari confirms launch date for 2020 F1 car

Ferrari has become the first team to confirm the launch date for its 2020 Formula 1 car, set for February 11.

News of Ferrari's launch date emerged on Thursday following an event at Maranello on Wednesday where team principal Mattia Binotto confirmed plans for the unveiling of its 2020 car.

It sees Ferrari bring forward its car launch by four days compared to 2019, when the SF90 car was first presented to the world at Maranello on February 15.

No other team has set any launch plans yet for 2020.

Binotto said he believed Ferrari “will be the earliest” team to launch its car in 2020, which will be followed by an “intense” testing programme in the factory ahead of its on-track debut.

Ferrari will enter the 2020 season looking to bounce back from a difficult 2019 campaign that saw it win just three races, lagging far behind Mercedes at the front of the pack.

A promising pre-season proved misleading as Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc struggled to take the fight to Mercedes at the front of the pack.

It was not until the Belgian Grand Prix on September 1 that Ferrari won its first race of the year, courtesy of Leclerc, who took a second win one week later in Italy.

Vettel picked up Ferrari’s final victory in Singapore, with opportunities passing by in Bahrain, Canada, Russia and Japan due to a mix of reliability issues and on-track mistakes.

Ferrari ultimately finished the year 235 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, and just 87 clear of third-placed Red Bull.