Ferrari 2020 Challenger Thread

[stefa]

RED MIST: I SMELL A RAT AT MARANELLO

Is Ferrari spinning a safe yarn on its 2020 potential? If you were developing a brand new Formula 1 car and the **** just hit the wind tunnel fan, would you tell the world your car is crap weeks before it even turned a wheel? Neither would I.

And I smell a rat at Maranello.

GP247 reported further Maranello development issues allegedly being exposed in Maranello’s 2020 challenger a little earlier today, citing Ferrari affairs guru Leo Turrini as saying team wind tunnel data “has not impressed the engineers” based on tales of struggling to induce rake and to get the aero to click at the same time.

In fact, German rag Auto Bild now goes on to promise that the woes are indeed actually “worse” than anticipated, just weeks ahead of launch.

Now I ask you with tears in my eyes, what the hell is going on?

Why tell the world you are useless and embarrass yourself before you can even show you are stupid? Follow my logic? If we suddenly discovered that my son’s little Golf 1 we race at in the local GTi Challenge in Cape Town could not make the regulation power or weight, would we go blag about it? Hell no! Why would we?

And why would anyone know anything about the next grand prix Ferrari? I promise you they do not. Unless there’s a rat.

So. What really is going on?

My take? I think someone at Maranello has been perusing old Schumacher Superteam pre-season media releases. Remember those days?

When Ferrari said nothing in particular and then just went and blew them so far into the weeds that the cows could not even find them. Now that’s effective PR: under-promise and over-deliver. Can’t beat it. Promise.

So what is happening here in my mind is someone has seen some really encouraging data and rather than go create huge expectation, they told the PR some old tale of woe and now they are leaking the tragic fake news to the world.

Not only is that perfect clickbait according to the old ‘all news is good news’ adage, but now everyone already expects Ferrari to struggle with the Haases and Alfas — or is that Alphas — while old Lewis trots off unchallenged into the sunset breaking every F1 record imaginable as the year goes on.

Which is good, just in case Ferrari really has cocked it up. And even better of Maranello really is right on it and Seb and Carlito will have a horse under them that not even the handicappers can curb. Now wouldn’t that just be lovely. I just hope I’m right — bring it on!

https://www.grandprix247.com/2020/01...-at-maranello/

Would be really nice

[Tony]

It's better that the information come from inside Ferrari that things aren't going well than from others... i know it's just a rumor, but i'm not very optimistic about this season to begin with...

[paolo lalli]

German media no clue.

[Silent Bob]

Well we always seem to have correlation issues and we think we have a great car and then it ends up not being as good as it was thought or found to be in the wind tunnel and we hear the same thing at the beginning of every season.. "the numbers from the wind tunnel are exceptional... Ferrari engineers are enthusiastic about the readings coming from the wind tunnel".
Maybe this is the reverse. Maybe the numbers are so bad in the tunnel but come reality it will be a beast on the track. Hoping.

[da_one]

What!? Wind tunnel correlation problems again? Been hearing about this for 12 years now, it would probably be cheaper and better to hire 100 men to fart simultaneously to test the aero of the new car.

[paolo lalli]

Just love all the pre season yarns gossip and media reporting seriously does any body from the outside really know anything.?All will be revealed soon enough, in the mean time let the empty gossip roll on.Its laying the foundations to an exiting 2020 season.

[vcs316]

Ferrari changes the concept for its 2020 challenger

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted that the Italian team plots significant changes to its 2020 Formula 1 car in a bid to close the gap to the field-leading Mercedes.

Formula 1 teams are busy with preparing and finalizing their cars which they want to commence the pre-season testing with. With the regulations remaining stable for the forthcoming season, most of the teams are expected to introduce only minor tweaks to their 2019 cars to cure the issues they experienced during the past season.

On top of the stable technical rules, the fact that the coming season will see the end of the current technical regulation also has an impact on the way how teams approach the new championship. As the 2021 season will bring a whole new set of technical rules, only the top teams can afford to invest heavily into the development of their car for the coming season while the majority of the outfits has to regroup their forces and budget for next year.

Mattia Binotto has claimed that the Maranello-based outfit has been working on brand-new ideas and solutions, reshaping many of the main technical ascpects of the car compared to the 2019 machine. The team is adamant to mount a serious challenge to Mercedes this year after the sixth season dominated by Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

The SF90 established itself as the benchmark in terms of straight-line speed, leading to allegations that Ferrari was exploiting grey areas with the structure and working method of their power unit. However, the Swiss-Italian emphasised that the advantage was mainly due to the different aerodynamic concept that Ferrari followed compared to its main rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.

After the sport introduced new, simpler front wings for the 2019 season, teams had to decide on the way how they re-balanced their cars. Ferrari went for the route of generating lower front-end downforce, but achieving higher straight-line speeds. While that paid dividens on venues like Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Russia, the SF90 developed serious issues on tracks featuring many medium-speed corners.

Changes to the aerodynamic concept

Ahead of the new car launches, Binotto explained that Ferrari’s new car was built with the aim of adding more downforce to the concept after the lessons learnt throughout the 2019 season.

“Our car next year is aiming for a lot more downforce. And by having more downforce, [it will certainly produce] more drag. We are not expecting to be as far[ahead] on the straight as we have been.”

The Swiss-Italian said that the season finale in Abu Dhabi was another reminder of how much Ferrari has to make up in terms of balance and downforce compared to Mercedes after the main rival’s W10 was on another level in the last sector of the Yas Marina circuit that features a series of 90-degree corners and a set of changes of direction.

Although Ferrari is regarded as the leading engine manufacturer, Binotto confirmed that the egineers responsible for the team’s complex power unit have made significant tweaks to the structure of the engine. “We have changed, by quite a lot, our power unit, in terms of architecture, the cylinder, he said.”

The team will launch its car on February 11, eight days before the first three-day test in Spain.

[Brembo]

I can only hope adding more needed down force doesn't ruin the great straight away speed Ferrari's known for.

[SilverSpeed]

Of course it will Brembo, you can't have one without the other.

[Brembo]

Of course it will Brembo, you can't have one without the other.

How does Merc do it

[Tony]

The idea is to have a whole lot more power than the other guy so that you can have more downforce than them and still have the faster top speed, or at least be close making you faster over the lap...

[SilverSpeed]

They make a compromis.

They didn't have the highest top speed, but enough DF so...

[FerrariF60]

They make a compromis.

They didn't have the highest top speed, but enough DF so...

So by piling up some more downforce, surely Ferrari will splose some more top spe3d, how much will that be? Is yet to be seen

But if it makes us work the tires better (as last year we were nowhere compared to Merc and Red bull) it will help us with overall lap time through the corners as that was our Achilles heel last year....and if we will be on par with Merc through the corners and top speed, THE drivers will make the difference...hopefully Charles will come out on top...

[paolo lalli]

Ferrari tease all by firing up 2020 engine.It sounds mean and powerful.Watch the engineers 3 fingers of positive indication awesome.

[Brembo]

Ferrari tease all by firing up 2020 engine.It sounds mean and powerful.Watch the engineers 3 fingers of positive indication awesome.

Was Binotto there? He gave up already on 2020.

[paolo lalli]

BINOTTO will gladly except the under dog tag.

[Brembo]

BINOTTO will gladly except the under dog tag.

Except when it comes to drivers. He needs Charles the underdog regardless of results. Seb $$$ needs to be justified @ Ferrari.

[paolo lalli]

Well DR death Marko does not waste any time that lame brain.Has stated that he is considering protesting the 2020 Ferrari engine if performance is to good.The year has not started but the village idiot has.The dirt bag loves playing mind games and stirring the pot.Ferrari should strike back and protest that poor excuse of a human being.The faster redbull and Honda get wallopped the quicker he will disappear please please be gone evil spirit.

[SilverSpeed]

Ha so on Friday in Melbourne he'll fine in a complaint .

[Brembo]

And worse yet, Binotto stating Ferrari still isn't WCC WDC ready this coming season. I hope Charles can not only overtake his driver opponents, but also Binottos thoughts on how things are going.

[Tifoso]

And worse yet, Binotto stating Ferrari still isn't WCC WDC ready this coming season. I hope Charles can not only overtake his driver opponents, but also Binottos thoughts on how things are going.

It is possible that he is telling the truth, which would be sad and refreshing at the same time.

[JuniorUS]

And worse yet, Binotto stating Ferrari still isn't WCC WDC ready this coming season. I hope Charles can not only overtake his driver opponents, but also Binottos thoughts on how things are going.

I don't want to hear how this year is going to be awesome. I don't want to hear how this year is going to be a disaster. I want to see improvement over last year on the track. I want to see improvement race by race this year on the track. Those are the only things that matter. We may not beat Mercedes this year. We may not beat Mercedes next year. But if we improve every year, if we improve race by race, we will beat Mercedes. We will beat everyone. THAT is the goal.

[wisepie]

I don't want to hear how this year is going to be awesome. I don't want to hear how this year is going to be a disaster. I want to see improvement over last year on the track. I want to see improvement race by race this year on the track. Those are the only things that matter. We may not beat Mercedes this year. We may not beat Mercedes next year. But if we improve every year, if we improve race by race, we will beat Mercedes. We will beat everyone. THAT is the goal.

The problem with that theory is that we have been saying the same old thing for so long and our patience is wearing thinner by the year, by the time the above scenario happens, F1 as we know it may well be a distant memory!

[stefa]

The problem with that theory is that we have been saying the same old thing for so long and our patience is wearing thinner by the year, by the time the above scenario happens, F1 as we know it may well be a distant memory!

Well said. It is now, how long? 13 years!!!!

[PURE PASSION]

The problem with that theory is that we have been saying the same old thing for so long and our patience is wearing thinner by the year, by the time the above scenario happens, F1 as we know it may well be a distant memory!

I'm feeling more or less the same the last couple of years, BUT then I ask myself: What else can I do???!!!!
To me there are only 2 ways. Either I keep hoping and try to support the team EVERY single year no matter what, OR I stop watching or even worse change team!!!!!!
So the only answer for is the 1st one !!!!!!!!

[wisepie]

I'm feeling more or less the same the last couple of years, BUT then I ask myself: What else can I do???!!!!
To me there are only 2 ways. Either I keep hoping and try to support the team EVERY single year no matter what, OR I stop watching or even worse change team!!!!!!
So the only answer for is the 1st one !!!!!!!!

That's the spirit, the only team I could ever support wholeheartedly is Ferrari and I will only stop watching when F1 is no more!

[Brembo]

That's the spirit, the only team I could ever support wholeheartedly is Ferrari and I will only stop watching when F1 is no more!

Well said Wisepie ! I spent years sticking with Ferrari as my favorite team even though 1/2 heartily , knowing my favorite Ferrari driver had no shot one way or the other. Iwent to every F-1 race @ Indy. Now I can say Charles has me 100% with Ferrari as my favorite team .

[FerrariF60]

Well said Wisepie ! I spent years sticking with Ferrari as my favorite team even though 1/2 heartily , knowing my favorite Ferrari driver had no shot one way or the other. Iwent to every F-1 race @ Indy. Now I can say Charles has me 100% with Ferrari as my favorite team .

Totally agree with you, ever since I’ve watched that kid in F2 driving the weels of that spec car series, where the DRIVER make the difference, I knew that one day when he’ll come to F1 he will be a shining talent....and boy was I right

He really showed a 4 x WDC how it’s done and if Ferrari wouldn’t have played favourites first half of the season with Seb, the points gap between them would have been embarrassingly larger....especially for a guy getting paid 50 million a year...overrated guy that is.....ha, ha

[JuniorUS]

The problem with that theory is that we have been saying the same old thing for so long and our patience is wearing thinner by the year, by the time the above scenario happens, F1 as we know it may well be a distant memory!

I've got no more patience than you, wisepie. What I meant was, I'm sick and tired of the posturing, politics, and PR. If you ask me, that's probably one of the biggest, if not THE biggest problem at Ferrari. Too much effort put into all of that nonsense. Just stay in the shop and concentrate on building the damned car!

[wisepie]

I've got no more patience than you, wisepie. What I meant was, I'm sick and tired of the posturing, politics, and PR. If you ask me, that's probably one of the biggest, if not THE biggest problem at Ferrari. Too much effort put into all of that nonsense. Just stay in the shop and concentrate on building the damned car!

Quite right, less talk and more concentrated action, empty promises and media speculation are no longer acceptable, not to mention the politics!