Ferrari abandon grand car presentation: 'No peeping Toms!'

Ferrari have changed their mind: the (Italian) media have been told they will not be welcome at the presentation of their new Formula 1 car, currently code-named 676. Media and interested parties can only watch the car unveiling for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on 13 February online.

This news is a bit of a shock for the Italians: they are used to being physically present at the presentation. Just last year, fans and media even witnessed the car's shakedown. But that spectacle raised too much expectation afterwards, so they have now decided to remain mostly modest. This is reported by the Italian branch of Motorsport.com.

It is increasingly common to hold the presentation online. Mercedes, for example, have been taking this approach for some time, and now Ferrari have joined them. In the past, the Italians often presented their cars on Valentine's Day, but they will do it one day earlier in 2024. Two teams are yet to announce dates when they will show their new cars to the world. AlphaTauri, who will soon no longer be called AlphaTauri, and McLaren have yet to announce a launch date, though the British team have already presented their livery.