NEWS » five weeks.Nike recently develo

Ten years ago then-reigning champions Renault unveiled the car which would go on to successfully defend their world crown in the most glamorous location associated with F1 - Monte Carlo. A decade on and the French car maker held another set-piece event to formally announce their return to team ownership, stirring memories of the kind of event which was once all the rage in pre-season.Although the ceremony held at Renaults Paris HQ wasnt quite what it seemed - the RS16 car and black-and-yellow livery unveiled were no more than work in progress - the 40-minute event will certainly be in sharp contrast to the majority of car unveilings that take place ahead of the new season. At least five of F1s 11 teams are set to conduct simple photocalls in the inauspicious surroundings of a chilly Circuit de Catalunya pit lane on the morning of the first Barcelona test.So what has happened to the glamour of F1 car launch season?The era of excess If there was a golden era for car launches then it must have been the 1990s and early 2000s. As the car manufacturer influence was beginning to grow, and big name sponsors had plenty of money to throw at the sport, how teams launched their new cars seemingly became just as important as what they were unveiling. Arguably the most famous was McLarens launch in 1997 when the team revealed their new silver livery at Londons Alexandra Palace. Not content with Top of the Pops-style dry ice, the team also hired the Spice Girls, then at the height of their fame, to perform as the drivers pulled the wraps off the Mercedes-powered MP4-12. But it wasnt only F1s big names who were pulling in the pop stars. Seven years later, usually low-key Sauber invited The Sugababes for their car launch in what can probably be considered the most unlikely match-up of all-time.With Flavio Briatore at the helm, Benetton were keen not to be outdone by rivals. In 1996 they essentially took over the Sicilian town of Taormina to hold their launch event, while five years later the big reveal took place in St Marks Square, Venice with the 2001 challenger arriving, inevitably, by gondola. Jordan marked their transfer to Russian ownership in 2005 by launching their car in a snow-covered Red Square, while Honda revealed their ill-fated Earth Dreams livery for 2007 in the auspicious surroundings of Londons Natural History Museum.That same year McLaren, newly tied to title sponsor Vodafone, received rather more positive reviews for their launch when 200,000 fans turned up to see new their new line-up of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton drive various cars around the streets of Valencia. So what changed?The move away from non-expense-spared launch events to the more understated affairs of recent years can be traced back to the end of the last decade when the economic crisis hit and a raft of manufacturers scurried for the F1 exit door.With cost-cutting suddenly top of the agenda, set-piece car launch events which burned money largely in the name of showmanship started being phased out. Still, McLaren at least managed to come up with a novel way to unveil their new challenger in 2011 when mechanics constructed it in the middle of Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Teams briefly dallied with the idea of a joint team launch in Valencia in 2010, but inevitably failed to agree on the logistics and the plan was shelved.The rise of the internet and ability for teams to stream events on their own websites has certainly played a role in the shift too, with Ferrari and McLaren among the early adopters of an online only launch. Both teams are again doing likewise this year.Its also true that the general demands of modern-day F1 mean that teams are less inclined to spend much time or resource on a car launches. With ever-tightening wind tunnel and CFD restrictions, plus the reduction in pre-season test days, teams are desperate to maximise the development time they do have in their factories.Once at the track, they then just want to get on with putting the miles on the car. Having their drivers take a sheet off the car in the pit lane before posing for a few pictures is as good as it now tends to get. It might not be quite as much fun for fans, journalists or perhaps even teams own marketing departments, but austerity F1 has certainly killed off the car launch as the sport once knew it.2016 CAR LAUNCHESFebruary 3: Renault RS16, ParisFebruary 17: Red Bull 2016 livery, LondonFebruary 19: Ferrari, onlineFebruary 21: McLaren MP4-31, onlineFebruary 22: Red Bull RB12, BarcelonaFebruary 22: Haas, BarcelonaFebruary 22: Manor MRT05, BarcelonaFebruary 22: Williams FW38, Barcelona (TBC)March 1: Sauber C35, BarcelonaThe first Barcelona test starts on Monday February 22 and the Sky Sports F1 Digital team will be providing live commentary from dawn until dusk on all four days of both Barcelona tests while Sky Sports News HQ will also deliver live updates from trackside. Every race live in 2016 Sky Sports F1 brings you every race live in 2016. Fast and easy online upgrade - click here. Also See: 2016 car launch dates Get Sky F1: Every race live Craig Biggio Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/michael-brantley-astros-jersey/ .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. J. R. Richard Astros Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Hector Rondon Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. The first pairs of the famous self-lacing MAG shoes from Back to the Future II will be made available this month to the public, but you wont be able to buy them.Youll have to win them.Nike announced that only 89 pairs will be available through an online draw that begins Tuesday and ends a week later. Winners will be informed on Oct. 17. Entries to the raffle are $10 each, with the proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fight for a cure to Parkinsons disease. Four additional pairs will be auctioned off in Hong Kong, London and New York during the next five weeks.Nike recently developed the technology to have laces wrap around the foot to give it that perfectly snug feel. A running shoe called the HyperAdapt 1.0 will be sold in November.On Oct. 21, 2015, the very day Michael J. Foxs Maarty McFly traveled to in the 1989 film, Nike presented him with a working, self-lacing Air MAG pair of shoes.ddddddddddddThough it initially shared only a few seconds of screen time with Michael, the idea behind the Nike Mag unlocked something much bigger at Nike, Nike CEO and president Mark Parker said in a statement. It sent us down an uncharted path of innovation, but it also opened our eyes to our ability to fight some of the worlds biggest challenges. We feel privileged for the opportunity to raise even more awareness for the fight against Parkinsons.In 2011, Nike raised $5.7 million for the foundation by auctioning 1,500 pairs of Air MAGS that didnt self-lace. ' ' '