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Force India’s 2009 challenger, the VJM02, is due to be launched at Jerez on Sunday but pictures of the new car have been posted on the Force India website.

The car has a new paint scheme for 2009 that uses the saffron, white and green colours of the Indian Flag.

The sidepods have an interesting squarish shape and the wing mirrors look like they have been sculpted into little aerofoils.  Force India have decided not to carry over the shark fin from the VJM01.

The McLaren powered car will take to the track for the first time at Jerez on Sunday.

Pictures of the new car are below:

It seems like fins may be making a return to Formula One in 2009.

Renault’s R29 was launched with an elongated ‘shark fin’ engine cover and Toyota, despite launching their TF109 without it, have been using one in testing.

Now, at the launch of their final high-tech livery for 2009, Williams’s FW31 has grown a pair of ‘skate fins’ either side of the cockpit.

Red Bull was the first team to introduce a fin-shaped engine cover on their RB4 in pre-season testing at Barcelona last year and by the end of 2008 almost all the teams were using some kind of elongated engine cover.  Williams tested a shark fin but never raced it.

The shark and skate fins are intended to improve the quality of airflow over the rear wing.  This increases downforce and so allows the teams to run a lower rear wing angle, thereby increasing top speed.  It should also provide enhanced rear-end stability under braking.

Given the reduction in downforce levels for 2009 it is perhaps surprising that only Toyota and Renault have chosen to carry over the full-blown shark fin from last year and Adrian Newey, the man who first introduced it to F1, has shrunk the fin on the new Red Bull RB5 to a pointy little spike (stingray barb?)

The new aerodynamic regulations for 2009 have forced the car designers to go back to the drawing board and I expect we will see other teams finding holes in the regulations that they can exploit as the season progresses.

Pictures of the new Williams FW31 livery are below:

Red Bull Racing have unveiled their 2009 Formula One car, the RB5, at Jerez today. We saw an animated preview of the car last week when Red Bull released a video describing the rule changes for 2009.

The massive changes in rules for 2009 meant that designer Adrian Newey went back to the drawing board for the new car; almost nothing is carried over from last year’s RB4.

Newey has produced an exciting looking car. The front wing looks more advanced than some other teams and the long, high nose features two bulges above the wheels. The rear wing somehow looks more in proportion than other cars, too.

While the new rules, which include aerodynamic changes, a return to slicks and the introduction of KERS, are intended to improve overtaking, Newey thinks the field could actually be more spread out than last year:

Last year the entire field was very close, with a very tight grid and five different chassis manufacturers winning races. A major rule change is likely to have the opposite effect, just one or two teams get it right and do all the winning.

Newey should know. In 1998 he designed the championship-winning McLaren MP4/13 after a number of rule changes including the introduction of grooved tyres and narrower cars. That year the McLarens of Mikka Hakkinen and David Coulthard dominated the field.

Red Bull will be hoping the RB5 has the same effect allowing them to match their sister team’s efforts of 2008 when Sebastian Vettel won at Monza for Toro Rosso.

BMW Sauber unveiled their new car today at the Circuit de Valencia (not to be confused with the Valencia Street Circuit.) Immediately after the official unveiling in the morning, Robert Kubica gave the F1.09 its roll-out on the track. Taking advantage of the sunny weather in the afternoon, the team concentrated on system checks and collecting base data from the all-new car.

The F1.09 is quite different beast from their 2008 challenger. By the end of last year, the F1.08 had sprouted so many wings, horns and curves that it looked like something that had flown straight out of Hades. It looked like it would give you a nasty cut if you bumped into it. Basically, it looked cool. But when viewing the F1.08 and F1.09 side-by-side the difference is striking. The new car’s bodywork is smooth, the nose is higher and wider, the sidepods are high at the front and it almost seems like they’ve forgotten to bolt some things on around the front wheels there.

This is all part of the new look resulting from the 2009 regulations but unfortunately I don’t think BMW have succeeded in producing as attractive a car as McLaren or Ferrari. While the front wing has three elements it doesn’t look as racy as the McLaren’s and there is something about the whole car which just doesn’t look very adventurous. Still, BMW have been working on this car for a long time and were one of the first teams to test the new aero package and are reportedly well advanced in their KERS testing.

Robert Kubica’s performance was impressive last year, achieving the first win for the team. He was leading the championship at one stage and seemed to feel if the team had developed last year’s car more instead of turning their attention to the F1.09 he may have been in a position to challenge seriously for the title. But it’s always a trade-off. With the limited testing available in 2009 Kubica might be glad of all the work that has gone into the new car.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen clearly has his sights set on Ferrari and McLaren this year:

Ferrari and McLaren possess vast reserves of experience and have been operating at the top level for many years. That’s what our highly motivated team are setting out to emulate – through hard work and efficiency, coupled with our calm, analytical approach to the job.

If the F1.09 gets Kubica and Heidfeld onto the podium more often this year I’m sure they won’t care how it looks.

Williams and Renault have unveiled their 2009 contenders at Portimao in Portugal today. While the Williams FW31 is painted in winter test livery, the Renault R29 is sporting a new paintjob and prominent Total branding with the front and rear wing end-plates.

Both cars show the new wide front wing and tall rear wing prescribed by the new 2009 regulations but as with the previous 2009 car launches each have their own unique approach. The Renault’s rear is quite different from any of the other 2009 cars and they have kept the ‘shark fin’ from last year.

The Williams’s front wing looks more sculpted than the Renault. Williams have also chosen to go down a different route with their KERS development. While most teams have opted for an electronic device, Williams are using a kinetic version.