Any semblance of an off-season is well and truly gone now, as we duck under the 50 day season start countdown, and prepare ourselves for upcoming team launches and testing. This week sees no less than five F1 teams unveil the designs they will race around the world this year.

As usual Sidepodcast will be covering all the announcements as they happen and there will be a dedicated thread per team, appearing in advance of each launch. During events we'll post photographs, video and embedded streaming (if teams allow it), before wrapping up what we've learnt at the end of the day.

Additionally we'll be tracking conversations on Twitter and as ever, please keep your insights, thoughts and observations coming in the comments. This year promises to offer the most connected and interactive experience Formula 1 has ever seen.

The first launch kicks off on Monday, with Mercedes being the first to break cover for their "team launch". The Sidepodcast Calendar lists all of the currently announced dates, but here's a quick reminder of what we're looking forward to.

Of note, there are rumours suggesting Mercedes may run their car for the first time on 1 February in Valencia, along with Williams. The calendar is continually updated with new information as it's available.

To ensure you don't miss out on any launch coverage this year, make sure you subscribe to the Sidepodcast Feed.