Ferrari F2012 Development News Thread

[Rishu]

Mercedes Confirms Bigois' Departure from the team


Good news for Ferrari!

Yes, he should be onboard right from the start of Project 664

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Yes, he should be onboard right from the start of Project 664

Sort of. The initial design phase has already started or will start in early June. But he'll be there early enough to get some things going for the first updates for the Australia GP possibly one of the last pre-season tests. It takes a little while to get into the company and get situated and get your bearings, etc.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Some F2012 flow visualization tonight on RAI

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

What are the updates for Canada apart from the usual front and rear wings that presumably everyone will be bringing?

[medeni73]

I think we will see some tweaking and changing in sidepods/exhaust area...

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Diverter under the brake ducts

Alonso and Massa raced with different turning vanes under the nose. The Brazilian has used the split in the frame version like Red Bull (highlighted in the oval), while Alonso had the usual ones under the nose. By the brake duct inlet is a new air flow diverter similar to Red Bull that has been modified to allow greater air flow rearwards. Also introduced is a fairing in the area of brake cylinders to protect them from impact in changing the face like Mercedes


Edit:

Great picture of the Ferrari slots in the floor that are different to the RB style as there's a slit to the edge of the floor


via @tgruener

[Nova]

Man these are great pix, thx. The slots are REALLY different than RB's.
I wonder how much of a difference there is in performance of the 2?

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Man these are great pix, thx. The slots are REALLY different than RB's.
I wonder how much of a difference there is in performance of the 2?

I don't think there's any difference in performance per se. They are both there for the same function, the only difference is Ferrari's slots have a slit that connects them to the edge of the floor. Gary Anderson said these type of slots(RB, Ferrari, Sauber) are worth a tenth of a second.

[ferrari4life]

yeah but do the slits reduce the performance gain?

[Crucial_Xtreme]

yeah but do the slits reduce the performance gain?

No not really. The performance loss from the slits is very small so they're doing their job. Which is:

When the airflow around the car hits the rear tyres, it is split and the flow passing inboard of the tyre blows laterally into the diffuser. This slows the flow through the diffuser and costs downforce. This lateral flow is known as "tyre squirt". To offset this unwanted tyre squirt teams use these vents as a way to redirect the flow and keep the diffuser working efficiently. They work by bleeding air from above the floor to the area just ahead of the tyre, under the floor. This adds energy to the flow splitting around the tyre and prevents it passing into the diffuser.

[scuderiafan]

i wonder why RedBull don't do that then? are they trying to get ferrari/Sauber's device banned or just trolling the world?

[medeni73]

3 versions of front and rear wing will be tested in Canada + further tweaking and experimenting with exhaust...
They should slowly make up their mind concerning exhaust, its nearly half of the season...
Source: http://www.caranddriverthef1.com/for...anteros-y-tras

Bad translation:

Pat Fry: "We will have three new packs front and rear wings for Canada"
Ferrari wants to progress "until the last race"
Ferrari continues its philosophy of continuous improvement towards adapting to a hard-fought tournament in which every race is in itself an end for which we must prepare thoroughly. Ferrari technical director, Part Fry, anticipates that the Scuderia is on track to improve the performance of F2012.
he difficult 2012 season began with disappointment and poor results, despite the unexpected victory of Malaysia . But for some or other circumstances, Fernando Alonso is the world leader. To Pat Fry is not an accident but the result of a constant work in both the circuits and Maranello: "We learned a lot in the beginning of the year and we were able to understand the issues presented," he said before the race in Monaco on the official website of Ferrari.

And after Monaco reaches Canada, another street circuit (actually semi-urban), but very different from the Principality, where the raw top speed. Ferrari does not want to miss a beat, and prepares updates and new components for the Villeneuve circuit. And in Montmelo could not mount some parts provided, and the buzzard Monaco track was not the best place to release them, so that Canada will host the new updates: "We will have three new packs front and rear wings for Canada that will different levels of downforce. And we are working on the exhaust system. "

Consistency is the key to this season, no one has repeated victory, and steps on the podium ordered the drivers' championship in which the least have missed the appointment are better rated. The first three are separated by only three points s , and Pat knows that we must continue working until the end, which is paying off: "I think we now have a compression level of the car pretty good. We are close to improve the performance of the car as quickly as we can. be our target until the last race "

[Naeem]

our greatest problem in canada will be straight-line speed which was sorely missed especially in barcelona, do you guys have any theories or info on how ferrari could resolve this?

[FerrariF60]

our greatest problem in canada will be straight-line speed which was sorely missed especially in barcelona, do you guys have any theories or info on how ferrari could resolve this?

remove teh rear wing tottaly...awesome straight line speed then....hardly any drag...lol

[Naeem]

remove teh rear wing tottaly...awesome straight line speed then....hardly any drag...lol

donut Any practical changes ferrari could make in regards to exhaust configuration/rear wing (being present)/sidepods?

[Red passion]

Is canada like Monza ( very high average speed) where the rear wing must be as skinny as possible to reduce drag on the back straight.

[Ste]

Is canada like Monza ( very high average speed) where the rear wing must be as skinny as possible to reduce drag on the back straight.

I think Canada downforce levels are second only to Monza. Fairly skinny rear wings to cater for some longer straights. Low to medium downforce, enough to get the car through the slower corners quickly without hampering straight line speed. Although, these days we never seem to see uber skinny wings. Remember Button in Monza 2010?

2004


2011


Buttons barn door rear wing at Monza 2010

[scuderiafan]

But in 2010, McLaren had the f-duct, which stalled those wings.

[Red passion]

I think Canada downforce levels are second only to Monza. Fairly skinny rear wings to cater for some longer straights. Low to medium downforce, enough to get the car through the slower corners quickly without hampering straight line speed. Although, these days we never seem to see uber skinny wings. Remember Button in Monza 2010?

2004



2011


Buttons barn door rear wing at Monza 2010

Cheers Ste, good pics (even the McLarens)

[Ste]

But in 2010, McLaren had the f-duct, which stalled those wings.

Sure did. I was just pointing out the fact that Button ran a lot of rear downforce at Monza 2010, even compared to Hamilton (who also had the F-Duct)

[RedRebel40]

Sure did. I was just pointing out the fact that Button ran a lot of rear downforce at Monza 2010, even compared to Hamilton (who also had the F-Duct)

the stalling of the rear wings works better and more efficient with more rear wing because there is more wing to stall.

[Ste]

the stalling of the rear wings works better and more efficient with more rear wing because there is more wing to stall.

Well, yes there is more wing to stall but the bigger wing has increased the downforce more and the stall won't compensate for that. I.e. There will still be greatly more downforce at the rear with a bigger wing/more stall than a skinnier wing and less stall.

Button was slow down the straights, which highlights that. He just wanted more speed through the corners and better traction - which he got. Button was 15kph slower in a straight line than Hamilton and Hamilton didn't even use the F-Duct in Monza.

[scuderiafan]

Sure did. I was just pointing out the fact that Button ran a lot of rear downforce at Monza 2010, even compared to Hamilton (who also had the F-Duct)

Yeah that's true.
Didn't they screw up Lewis's setup? Now, where have I heard McLaren screwing up Lewis

Cant wait for new update packages to come, if exhausts work now, it will be glorious. I still think a step is needed, as Canada, and Valencia are tracks that suit our rivals more than Ferrari, but then we get to Silverstone where I think Ferrari will do well.

So, these new wings, and especially the exhaust hopefully pay dividends.

[Ste]

Yeah that's true.
Didn't they screw up Lewis's setup? Now, where have I heard McLaren screwing up Lewis

Cant wait for new update packages to come, if exhausts work now, it will be glorious. I still think a step is needed, as Canada, and Valencia are tracks that suit our rivals more than Ferrari, but then we get to Silverstone where I think Ferrari will do well.

So, these new wings, and especially the exhaust hopefully pay dividends.

Yes, he opted not to use the F-Duct and he should have, with a bigger rear wing (like Button).

It's weird, the team spoke about Monaco suiting us because of traction which is an area I thought we were lacking in. Obviously not! We will struggle in the quick chicanes at Montreal and S3 in Valencia if we don't get some downforce added successfully. Still, we're supposed to be miles off the pace this season and yet we lead the Championship .

[ferrari4life]

speaking of f-duct.. it was banned because its a driver controlled device.. however the merc front wing f duct is allowed because its a by product of something else that is being called for..

cant we write a fancy algorithm that allows the old school f duct to open only when the engine revs are at a certain level and the car steering is at a certain angle only?

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Canada 2011


Monaco 2011


Monza 2011


You can clearly see the huge difference between the Monaco spec & Canada spec wing vs the ultra low downforce Monza wing. The difference between Canada & Monza is quite large as well. I think the RW we see in Canada will be the same double V-groove we saw in Spain maybe with some different louvers. I doubt we'll see DDRS but anything is possible. The new FW will be of major interest, IMHO. As well as the new exhaust.

[Hornet]

In 2004, a majority of the downforce was produced by the floor due to aggressive diffuser designs which is why in the picture Ste posted, the rear wing is indeed smaller. The new diffuser we have today lost a large amount of downforce and we have to compensate with more aggressive rear wing. Canada needs downforce for the twisty section. Not to mention that the rear wing efficiency was reduced when we raised and narrow up the rear wing. This is why now the rear wing has to be large even in Canada.

[Nova]

And that is one beautiful car!

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

Look how wide those rear wings were in 2004!

[rocks.ral]

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes his team must focus on improving the single-lap pace of its car if it is to seize control of the world championship battle.

Fernando Alonso has been in brilliant form this season with an under-performing car, and his third-placed finish in Monaco helped him move back to the top of the world championship standings.

However, Domenicali thinks that Ferrari must start qualifying on pole position to take advantage of the benefits of running in clear air at the front of the field.

"If you are fighting for pole position, and even on pole position, then the race is totally different," said Domenicali. "This is something we need to keep focusing on to make sure things are going in the right direction.

"In terms of the pure performance of the car, we had a very difficult start. We have a situation where we are not happy and where we want to improve the car because we have seen other cars at the moment have pole positions, and we do not. So that has to be a target for the team."

Ferrari's update package for the F2012 that it delivered at the Spanish GP appears to have provided the step forward in form it needed to keep the team in the title hunt.

Further improvements are set for the next few races, and Domenicali thinks there is also an onus on Alonso to keep producing the kind of performances that he has done so far this year.

"I feel that at home everyone is working to make sure that every race we keep putting performance on the car, and that is what we have to do," he said.

"I am happy we are leading but with such a championship we have to make sure that we don't lose points. There are so many drivers and teams that are fighting for the win that you have to be always there."


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99979