McLaren will have new car for first F1 test

Reuters: McLaren will test their 2012 car for the first time at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on February 7, the Formula One team said on Monday.

The car will be presented to the media on February 1 at an undisclosed location. McLaren ended this year as overall runners-up, with Jenson Button second in the championship to Red Bull’s double world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Button and team mate Lewis Hamilton both won three races each. Red Bull and Ferrari have already said they will also have their new cars ready for the first test, leaving only Mercedes among the top four teams to delay their first run to the second pre-season test starting in Barcelona on February 21.

Under new rules for 2012, teams cannot test cars until they have passed the mandatory FIA crash tests.

The season starts in Melbourne on March 18.