Ferrari to launch 2011 F1 car at end of month

Ferrari's 2011 Formula One car will be unveiled at the end of January after passing a series of mandatory crash tests last month, the Italian team said.

The sport's most successful team, which finished a distant third overall last year with Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Felipe Massa, said on their website (www.ferrari.com) that their Maranello factory was fully back to work after the Christmas break.

"The new season beckons, with the launch of the new car planned for the final week of this month, while testing gets underway on February 1 at Cheste's Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia," the team said.

Alonso and Massa will take part in a media event with Italian MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi, now with Ducati, in the Dolomites next week.