Ferrari F2012 Development News Thread

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

^^ Bold statement from Pat Fry then

Sure is....

[scuderiafan]

Where is all this 0.4 tenths coming from? I don't understand. Only Ferrari would know how much they will gain,can't they need to worry about making sure all their parts work before looking at what McLaren has brought.
It is not so easy to work out. You need to look at the track, and since Ferrari are struggling with rear aero balance with exhausts it seems, an upgrade for the rear of the car would help the car more than an identical upgrade to the McLaren, no?

[Hombre B]

Alonso blog:

...we will have some minor update but nothing particularly significant...

http://www.ferrari.com/italian/scude...si-cinesi.aspx

[T van R]

There is no information in Ferrari site telling that our pace will improve 8 tenths with that five updates . I have found nothing about it.

[Ken]

We will just have to wait and see how the 5 updates affect the car, in that, if the car is more stable and driveable that could lead to quicker times ?

I doubt the updates will be aimed directly at more speed or pace, no logic in going for "faster" if the car is not stable.

[Curbs]

There is no information in Ferrari site telling that our pace will improve 8 tenths with that five updates . I have found nothing about it.

But Fry say that in the video. You can´t get any closer to the source than that ;)

[F2002]

Alonso blog:



http://www.ferrari.com/italian/scude...si-cinesi.aspx

"We will have to do the maximum and bring home as many points as possible: a bit like ants who start something one day, knowing it will produce something worthwhile in the future."

The comparison to ants is spot on.

Unfortunately.

[FerrariF60]

But Fry say that in the video. You can´t get any closer to the source than that ;)

i think Fry said that he thinks we're still 8 tenths down our rivals (and NOT that we're gonna gain 8 tenths from our updates)....someone else said on here that rumors are the updates will give us 4 tenths...
i guess we'll have to wait waht the updates actually translate in actual speed on track

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

i think Fry said that he thinks we're still 8 tenths down our rivals (and NOT that we're gonna gain 8 tenths from our updates)....someone else said on here that rumors are the updates will give us 4 tenths...
i guess we'll have to wait waht the updates actually translate in actual speed on track

+1

Fact is, we can hope for rain all we want, but until we get a dry race we won't really know where we stand. We need a dry full weekend to to know if updates are working.

[Jas]

nobody knows how much these updates are going to be worth, all we know is we have 5 updates for china which we have to maximise! he also said he thinks we are down by 0.8 in quali trim not 0.8 performance gain from the updates!! however i actually think its more than this with our quali performance in malaysia where we were 1.3 secs from pole :( im confidednt we would have bridged the gap to an extent, by how much....we will soon find out!!

[Crucial_Xtreme]

First China pictures.

No new exhaust but a new Red Bull/Sauber Engine Cover for China



Front Wings are covered which is unusual for Ferrari



This is the interesting one. It seems the usual small Vortex Generator/Winglet is gone and it looks like there is some other kind of winglet. Possibly incorporating the mirror attachment & winglet into one?

[scuderiafan]

i'll go delete my post lol. i agree with those points.

maybe Sauber exhaust as an interim after all?

[Jas]

great pictures Crucial Xtreme! Keep the pictures coming people!!! the new f-duct front wing maybe....haha wouldnt that be a turn up for the books!!! will not see new exhaust until testing!

[F1NAC]

hm in Malaysia is warmer than in China and they didn't use that hole on the engine cover

[Nathan]

^^ Bold statement from Pat Fry then

No no no, what he means is that he estimates that the gap between us and the front is 0.8 seconds.

[bladeswing]

No no no, what he means is that he estimates that the gap between us and the front is 0.8 seconds.

ahh... well then it must be journos again twisting statements to make mountains out of mole hills. that's not what i read from where i quoted fry's "alleged" statement.

[TheProdigalSon]

[scuderiafan]

Protest launched against Mercedes
Rear-wing system under official review
Last Updated: April 12, 2012 11:29am

A formal protest has been made against Mercedes' controversial DRS system, Sky Sports F1 has learnt.

After two races of bark rather than bite in tepid response to Mercedes' innovative design that effectively uses its rear-wing DRS to stall the WO3's front-wing, it now appears as if the issue has finally come to an official head.

"There's definitely been a protest," confirmed Sky Sports' Martin Brundle, "and we can only assume that it's against the DRS rear-wing of the Mercedes-Benz which teams have been saying 'hey, we want a clarification on whether this is legal or not'. We've seen Ross Brawn and one or two other key technical people at Mercedes with papers in their hands and I'm pretty sure they have been protested against."

To date, the FIA, via their Technical Delegate Charlie Whiting, have continued to deem the Mercedes legal, upholding the team's insistence that the system is not driver operated and therefore cannot be deemed to be in breach of the rules. However, as Ted Kravitz has told Sky Sports News, the stakes could not be higher for Mercedes given that the system is an integral part of the W03's design.

"If the protest is upheld and Mercedes have to change the design of their car then that is effectively their season written off," commented Ted. "It would be a big hit and they will be fighting tooth and nail to get this protest turned down"
It is understood that the protest is already underway in the Shanghai paddock with an official ruling expected as early as tonight.

"The protest will now go through a clear procedure. It will looked at by the stewards and there will be time then for the teams to make their submissions. And that, I believe, is going on right now," declared Martin.

Update: Since Martin first broke the news of the protest on Sky Sports News, Lotus have confirmed that they have launched an official protest, announcing in a press release:

'NOTICE OF PROTEST AGAINST SCRUNTINEERS' DECISIONS

'Lotus F1 Team Team, by means of this document, formally files a protest concerning the Scrutineers of the Meeting's decision regarding Cars No: 7 and 8 on 12th April 2012, relating to their conformation to article 3.15 of the 2012 Technical Regulations

'This protest is pursuant to Articles 171-179b) (chapter XII) of the FIA International Sporting Code. A deposit for the amount of €2,000 has been lodged with the FIA in anticipation of this protest. The FIA is hereby authorised to use this deposit as the fee for this protest in accordance with Article 17.1 of the 2012 Formula One Sporting Regulations.

'For and on behalf of Lotus F1 Team'

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/...ainst-Mercedes

[diesel08]

Gary Anderson analysis:
The late Harvey Postlethwaite once told me that if I ever had the chance to work for
Ferrari, to “take your business card, write how much you are earning on it and put it
in the top drawer of your desk. Whenever it gets too much for you, open it, take a look at it and realise that you can cope with it!”
It’s probably some sound advice for Pat Fry right now, as he has a big task on his
hands. This idea of an “aggressive” car is all well and good, but you can only have
an aggressive car if you have a very clear design philosophy to pursue. Ferrari doesn’t
seem to have that and seems to have come up with a car that they have thrown the
kitchen sink at. It’s lacking the kind of vision that Adrian Newey brings to a car.
The Mugello test will be absolutely key. When you take into account the progress
the rest of the field will make, Ferrari must find 1-1.3 seconds. That is a huge task.

[diesel08]

Alonso is an inscrutable character at the
best of times so it’s impossible to say with any
certainty what he really thinks about his run
of five seasons during which triple champion
status has eluded him. Does he look back with
regret at the two final-race defeats and mourn
the two wasted seasons when he returned to
Renault after the McLaren nightmare? All you
can do is read the intensity, the determination
that has shone through during the Ferrari years.
This is a man who will not be satisfied to retire with just two titles.
The aspiring triple champion’s fate is
now inextricably linked with Ferrari. Alonso
agreed a deal that should keep him at Maranello
until the end of 2016, by which time he will be 35.
That should be plenty of time to join that elite
group of triple champions, but then again
you’d have said that the five years that followed
title number two would have been more than
sufficient to achieve it. The Spaniard, of course,
realises this. He is the focal point of one of the
great F1 teams and in 2010, he showed just how
potent a galvanising force he can be for Ferrari.
In many ways, he is the team’s greatest asset.
And if he does make it to the end of his time
there with still just two crowns, it will be to
Malaysia win took the Ferrari’s, not Alonso’s, shame.(Ed Straw)

[scuderiafan]

Gary Anderson analysis:
The late Harvey Postlethwaite once told me that if I ever had the chance to work for
Ferrari, to “take your business card, write how much you are earning on it and put it
in the top drawer of your desk. Whenever it gets too much for you, open it, take a look at it and realise that you can cope with it!”
It’s probably some sound advice for Pat Fry right now, as he has a big task on his
hands. This idea of an “aggressive” car is all well and good, but you can only have
an aggressive car if you have a very clear design philosophy to pursue. Ferrari doesn’t
seem to have that and seems to have come up with a car that they have thrown the
kitchen sink at. It’s lacking the kind of vision that Adrian Newey brings to a car.
The Mugello test will be absolutely key. When you take into account the progress
the rest of the field will make, Ferrari must find 1-1.3 seconds. That is a huge task.

I'm sorry but this guy is starting to annoy me. Yeah, Ferrari are such incompetent fool that they just bolt on a part and go 'yeah that looks radical' not caring about speed. . apparently McLaren also were wrong in having their nose like that, and Ferrari wrong with pull rod, both theories proven to be rubbish. Also, sick of the newer worship. Because newest latest rocket ship is doing great so far isn't it...
I expected more from a respected technical director, but really all these experts are doing is just telling us that anything different to other cars is wrong.

But then, this is just in my opinion.

[medeni73]

new exhaust

[medeni73]

new winglets

[medeni73]

front and rear wing





anything new in this area???

[scuderiafan]

thank you. looks like they have turned the crash structure into those winglets. exhaust doesn't seem new to me, and i don't see that cooling hole at the back a la RB either.

[tpe]

@medeni73: I cannot see your pictures. Please post again or even better, add the link to them.

[Hornet]

Apart from that winglet, I honestly can't identify anything new.
The exhaust looks like the same to me

Perhaps anyone who notices the difference could point them out? Thanks

[medeni73]

thank you. looks like they have turned the crash structure into those winglets. exhaust doesn't seem new to me, and i don't see that cooling hole at the back a la RB either.

You're right I think its only engine cover thats new:

China


Australia/Malasya

[scuderiafan]

Lotus protest against Mercedes has been rejected with the FIA once again deeming the W03's DRS device to be legal.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/...otest-rejected

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Small difference in the FW. Notice the shape of the top element close to the front wing pylons; one is long a pointy the other is shaped different.

old


new



New brake duct fairings


And you've seen the pictures of the little winglets. As for the engine cover, it looks like one driver will use the old engine cover & one driver will use the new one, obviously for comparisons sake in free practice.

Will need more pics to see any more new parts if any. The exhaust seems the same to me, I don't see any difference to what was used in Malaysia.

Also no gills on the car like was used in Malaysia on this car


But there are cooling gills by the driver in this pic