There are just 12 days of preseason testing in three separate tests before the F1 circus packs off to Australia, for the Melbourne GP on 18th March. Then there will be one additional test at Mugello after the opening flyaway races. These tests will be open to the public and entry is far cheaper and the spectators are provided a full day of on track action. This makes testing far more attractive to fans. With revised Pirelli tyres and different exhaust systems to test, it seems most teams are aiming for a quick start to testing by bringing their new cars to the first test.
Making this early debut more difficult for this year are the revised rules around crash testing. Typically teams have passed their final crash tests in the days before the first race, but now teams have to have passed all these tests before they can start testing. With initial crash tests being carried out now and continuing into January, any failure of a structure to pass its test first time may impact on the teams ability to attend the first test with their new car. This process of crash testing is a form of homologation, but unlike 2009, teams are free to homologate and crash test new structures at any point. So some teams may opt to accept a heavier component that will pass the tests in order to go testing and have the race-spec lighter pass ready for Melbourne.
Tests
Jerez Website
Feb 7th – 10th
Barcelona1 Website
Feb 21st – 24th
Barcelona2 Website
Mar 1st – 4th
Mugello Website
May 1st – 3rd
Car Launches
Red Bull: Launch 6th Feb 1pm (GMT) online, 1st test at Jerez
McLaren: Launch 1st Feb 11am (GMT) at Woking, 1st test at Jerez
Ferrari: Launch 3rd Feb at Maranello, 1st test at Jerez
Mercedes AMG: 1st test Barcelona
Lotus: Launch Feb 6th 4pm (GMT), 1st test at Jerez
Sauber: Launch Feb 6th, 1st test Jerez
Force India: Launch 3rd Feb 9am (GMT) at Silverstone, 1st test at Jerez
Toro Rosso: Launch 6th Feb 4.30pm (GMT) at Jerez, 1st test at Jerez
Williams: Launch 7th Feb 7.30am (GMT) at Jerez, 1st test at Jerez
Caterham: Launch online 26th Jan & 1st test at Jerez
HRT: Plan to test new car at 1st Barcelona test
Marussia: Plan to test new car at 1st Barcelona test
Scarbsf1's Blog 
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Thanks!
You might want to add that Lotus will reveal their 2012 car at february 6.
I’ve not seen Lotus (either this years Team Lotus or LRGP) confirm their new cardates yet, where as that reported?
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I just saw a video of the RB demo in Milton Keynes. They had two cars driving with next year’s spec low nose and exhaust position. They couldn’t have done any serious testing right, so what was the point of this?
It’s their demo car, based on an old Red Bull with some updated parts and livery, it’s not a new 2012 nose and exhaust
That’s the Red Bull Showcar(s), AFAIK, a modified beyond recognition RB1/STR1 2006 car used for most of their PR work. It probably still has an old Cosworth V10 inside, despite the Renault stickers. They’ve done quite a lot to it to make it resemble the RB6/RB7.
lol. That the RB5. The car they raced in 2009. Teams regularly use their older cars for events.