I was not going to deal specifically with each launch of the new F1 cars since the press are covering them quite adequately, but I find that I have been won over by the BMW Sauber site. Their car is just so pretty!

The new Ferrari is being talked about incessantly, the McLaren is parading around to much admiration (sorry, Ron, I disagree with your drivers – that color scheme is just plain ugly), even the Renault is pushing its way into the news (and it will take a while to get used to that dark blue). But no-one is taking much notice of the BMW so it seems allowable that I devote a post to my new enthusiasm. Take a look at this photo of the F1.07 in action and tell me it doesn’t look great – the white allows us to see the true shape of the car and the blue trim has been tastefully blended into the whole design.

The finish on the car is excellent as well – easily up to Ferrari standards. But the real reason for this post is to parade the fact that I have now done my homework and know all about zero keels, single keels, V keels etc. Craig Scarborough has written a very good article that explains everything but, in a nutshell, the whole business of keels is caused by the necessity of raising the nose to get improved aerodynamics.

Raise the nose and you find difficulties in attaching the lower wishbones of the front suspension – suddenly there is empty space where there used to be chassis. Various solutions have been tried, most involving building extensions (known misleadingly as keels) downwards to allow attachment of the suspension. The single keel is a triangular section extending down from the chassis whereas Renault knocked a hole in the triangle to allow more airflow, thereby inventing the V keel. But the zero keel, apparently first used on the Spyker cars, gets rid of the keel altogether by angling the suspension upwards to attach to the chassis at an angle. This can be seen quite clearly on the F1.07 – note how the front suspension arms droop downwards from the body to the wheels.

The benefits of the zero keel are purely aerodynamic in that the airflow is not interrupted by any extension to the chassis. There are disadvantages – the angled suspension allows for less adjustment to suit different conditions – but these are compensated for by the improved aerodynamics. At least, almost all the teams seem to think so, only Renault sticking with their V keel.

BMW Sauber have had their zero keel for a while now so they should know all about it. The changes they have made are mainly in the design of the front and rear wings, lower and more carefully shaped rear bodywork and a new quick shift gearbox. The fancy flip-ups attached to the sidepod cooling towers don’t even get a mention, however.

Take a look at this photograph taken from above the car – in spite of all the winglets and protuberances demanded by aerodynamics, it still forms a harmonious overall design.

An old F1 saying is that what looks right, is right. If that is true, then the BMW has a very good chance in 2007. I wish the team well, although I’m still betting on Button for the championship.

Ron Dennis has admitted that McLaren has a rather “cold, not particularly user-friendly and slightly aloof” image in the eyes of some F1 fans and is determined to do something about it. I have heard that assessment from many people but my own feeling is that they are efficient and concentrated, rather than unfriendly.

So what is the problem? Ron Dennis himself seems very approachable and good humored, although he is far more businesslike than his predecessor, the cuddly Teddy Mayer. The Germanic ruthlessness of Mercedes might be rubbing off on the team but I doubt it; Norbert Haug is the jovial face of Mercedes in F1 and hardly fits with any perception of the company as an austere and humorless juggernaut.

I think the answer lies in McLaren’s success. From the moment Ron took over from Teddy, the team assumed a new aura of machinelike efficiency and it was not long before they were dominating the sport. There have been ups and downs in terms of winning races but the company’s success has been evident in their glittering facilities, the expansion into road cars and the huge resources poured into the team. This financial strength and the share deals that so often grab the headlines give the impression of an increasingly vast organization, a faceless corporation that wins through cold efficiency.

It may be very unfair but it is the perception of many F1 fans. And they have a point. Whilst F1 racing remains the main focus of the company, it is quite clear that Ron also enjoys the corporate deals that have made McLaren such a force to be reckoned with. And we should be in awe of his ability to shift so easily from hard-headed business manager to F1 team boss to driver’s confidant and advisor. To have achieved what he has and yet still remain approachable is no mean feat.

But the downside is that his success in building a corporation affects the way people see the team. Renault are an example of how to avoid such an impression; although we know that the car manufacturer is huge, the team looks very independent and separate, mainly because the company picked as flamboyant a manager as Flavio Briatore and allowed him to get on with it. We can still see the Renault team as a small group of passionate and dedicated enthusiasts – the bean counters are hidden.

Ron Dennis is McLaren, however, and so everything that the company is rubs off on the team. It’s back to front in terms of development but we see McLaren as the boardroom gone racing. And no matter how friendly Ron is in interviews, that will not go away.

Consider the contrast with Williams. Frank is a miserable blighter and does not mince his words, Patrick Head is pretty straightforward too, yet we still see the team as a small, independent group of F1 fanatics. There is no massive corporation looming behind them and so Williams preserves that air of the little guy, the David battling the Goliaths. If you want to be popular with the fans, that’s the image to go for; we all love an underdog.

Personally, I think Ron should take no notice and continue as he has always done. When you’re winning, it really doesn’t matter how people perceive you. And it’s far too late to change things now.

Besides, the McLaren launch of their new car was hardly the way to pretend to a new, cuddly image. If you can afford to take over Valencia to demonstrate your car, we’re going to be hard to convince that you’re really a little team of racing enthusiasts.

Incidentally, almost unnoticed, the BMW Sauber team have launched their new car too. As usual, it’s the prettiest of the bunch (in spite of the interesting cooling towers sprouting from the top of the sidepods) and you can watch a video of the presentation by going to the website. In fact, McLaren could learn a thing or two from BMW Sauber’s web design – it’s easily the best out there and doesn’t demand payment before you get access to the real goodies. If Ron wants to be seen as more friendly, he could start by offering for free what is really just advertising for his team. And forget all this “accredited press” nonsense – all they ever do is regurgitate press releases whereas some of us actually put some work and creativity into what we do.

The season of hope and hype is with us; already Toyota and Ferrari have revealed their challengers for 2007 and McLaren will do the same today. All the teams are excited about their new cars and expect great things in the coming races. It was ever so.

One thing that seems to be common to all the launches so far (plus the Red Bull RB3, as yet un-launched but discussed by Adrian Newey recently) is that the cars are completely new – the only item retained from the previous model is the brake pedal. It’s good to know that at least everyone’s getting that darn pedal right.

Seriously, however, these launches do enable us to view the new cars and look for fresh ideas. Very often it is impossible to see any great changes, especially when the color scheme is altered, so disguising details that would be apparent otherwise. Toyota have followed in this tradition and their new car looks pretty much the same as last year’s.

The Ferrari is changed considerably, however, especially in the front suspension department. I do not pretend to understand all this talk of single and zero keels but the difference is plain to see: the lower wishbones have moved upwards. Apparently this will mean a lot of work adjusting the suspension to suit the tires and is one more change that the team will have to deal with in the coming months.

Otherwise the Ferrari red has shifted slightly to a more orange shade and white outlining has appeared at various edges. It is still very identifiable as a Ferrari, however.

Now we await first sight of the new McLaren, a car described by its drivers as the most beautiful they have ever seen. So much rides upon the performance of this car that we hardly care what it looks like. “Will it be quick?” is what we all really want to know.

And that’s the thing about launches – they are interesting from the technical point of view but nobody knows how well the cars will go until the lights go out for the start of the first race. Even testing is a notoriously bad indicator, any number of teams in the past having had their hopes buoyed by good testing times only to be brought down to earth when the races show up serious deficiencies in the car.

So pardon me if I find it hard to get excited by the launch season and have lumped three together like this. If anyone comes out with something truly ground-breaking and different, my enthusiasm will know no bounds, I promise. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on what is happening and long for the start of the season.

Just like everyone else, I suppose…