F1: Ferrari confirms launch date of 2017 car

Ferrari has become the first team to confirm the launch date of its 2017 F1 car, while also bolstering its driver line-up for next season.

The 2017 season will start later than this year, with pre-season testing not getting underway until February 27 ahead of the first race of the season in Australia on March 26. With new regulations being introduced, next year's cars will be vastly different from an aerodynamic point of view while also featuring wider tires in order to increase cornering speeds.

Despite the major changes to next year's cars and longer-than-usual wait before testing gets underway, Ferrari has already set a date for its new challenger to be launched, with the 2017 car set to appear for the first time during a filming day at the Ferrari test track at Fiorano on February 24.