Ferrari: Calm and Concentrated

[scuderiafan]

Mods Feel free to put this in another thread if needs be.

Maranello, 11 February –There is no let up in work for the Scuderia in this very cold 2012 winter. The team returned from Jerez last night and by nine this morning the engineers who had been following the test in Andalusia from the factory, held a debrief. With them was Team Principal Stefano Domenicali who went over the situation as it stands after four days of testing.

The initial analysis confirms what emerged already by the end of yesterday, namely that the F2012 still needs polishing up, but the potential is there. It is a complex car, which uses elements that are new to the team, requiring careful study to research the best possible combinations. This formed the bulk of the work at the test and it will now continue in Maranello and then at the upcoming test days at the Catalunya Circuit. As for the rest, that was clearly visible from the outside too: both Felipe and Fernando completed the majority of their laps of the Jerez track in a car covered in sensors to produce data from constant speed runs, a task aimed specifically at understanding the aerodynamic behaviour of the car.

Some areas definitely have room for improvement, but the first changes made from the Tuesday to Friday have produced positive results, as Fernando Alonso himself confirmed yesterday evening, even if they have not been tried much so far.

There was no reason to bandy about predictions of catastrophe which was the case up to Thursday evening, nor was there any cause for elation after the Spaniard set the fastest time yesterday morning. In summary, it’s a case of staying calm and concentrated. Now, all that’s needed is plenty of hard work to improve the car and solve the few minor problems on the reliability front, which cost the team a bit of time in Jerez. There’s a month to go until Melbourne: it seems like a short time, but it is enough to be well prepared for the start of the season.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formu...centrated.aspx

P.S. they don't seem like they are in crisis mode, do they? i mean everyone wants to paint a picture of these guys scrathcing their heads at the car, but they are just going through their programme, solving little glitches along the way, which is normal for most teams.

[Alonsomaniac]

My summary: good car which needs some adjustments here and there.

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

My Summary: Currently car has a huge amount of potential and can improve in many areas before the first race. But to achieve this Ferrari must understand the car first!

[Tifoso]

Summary: the team is calm and concentrated

[NanoTheQuickest]

Summary: they will rock the floor of that beauty!!

[Ferrari2183]

I just hope they get their base configuration sorted at the soonest so they can decide on a development path. Some more work on the setup will also stand us in good stead for the final test when the new parts will be bolted on.

[Brakefade]

You've heard the saying "sleeping giant"? This car is a "waking giant".

[scuderiafan]

Summary: the team is calm and concentrated

the way i see it, is that what you see is what you get with Luca Collajani and Ferrari PR.

last year, when they were awful at the start, they said as much. and i don't think they make stuff up to be overly optimistic over this new car either. there is plenty of work to be done.
iirc, Ferrari did 270 laps this test, and understand 20% of the car going by Alonso's comments. they can get some understanding from the data they have gathered, and maybe a filming day, but it proves that unlocking the potential of this car will not be easy. but neither was coming back to win the title in 2007, dominating F1 for 5 years etc.
we can do it, and when it happens, it will be glorious.

[Ferrari2183]

I don't read to much into the 20% thing. Alonso likes using these percentages when asked questions that are not easily qualtifiable.

[Hermann]

Fernando makes those numbers up as he speaks. I guess it amuses him how the press takes them as gospel and spreads it around

[aroutis]

I think the sweetest revenge is going to be watching RB whining all year long .. and the silence coming from Vettel ... no more cries when he will be crossing the finish line... lol

[Grinsomx]

I think the sweetest revenge is going to be watching RB whining all year long .. and the silence coming from Vettel ... no more cries when he will be crossing the finish line... lol

that would be a dream come true!

[Ste]

I thought we had already decided that Raikkonen was going to be World Champion?

[kheopsb]

can't wait to see the car come together. I'm confident it has the DNA of a winning challenger, and we have the right group of guys and gals working at it.
Forza!

[Tony]

I thought we had already decided that Raikkonen was going to be World Champion?

My money's on Big John!

[ferrari4life]

I thought we had already decided that Raikkonen was going to be World Champion?

As long as we dont have to listen to that school girl scream when they win I will even take Hamilton or Button...

[Suzie]

As long as we dont have to listen to that school girl scream when they win I will even take Hamilton or Button...

Now, now, let's not be rash here!

[Ste]

As long as we dont have to listen to that school girl scream when they win I will even take Hamilton or Button...

You will like the 'screaming school girl' more when he's in a Ferrari.

[REDARMYSOJA]

My money's on Big John!

Surtees is coming out of retirement? So that's who's going to replace Massa this year.

[Tony]

Surtees is coming out of retirement? So that's who's going to replace Massa this year.

Haha, I meant Grosjean!

[ferrari4life]

You will like the 'screaming school girl' more when he's in a Ferrari.

i hope he grows out of it and learns to celebrate like a man. Or puberty hits.

[Ste]

F1: New Ferrari ‘20 Percent Ready’ After Jerez Test - Alonso
Source: Speed

Fernando Alonso managed to brighten Ferrari's spirits before the opening test of the 2012 test concluded.

His best time in Friday's proceedings was set with soft tires and still shy of the promising Lotus' earlier pace, but it nonetheless triggered sighs of relief within the Maranello ranks after a troubled early start.

"At the beginning of the test we had arrived and put our wheels on the ground and were slower than we expected," Alonso is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

"We had to change the way we were working with the car and we are still learning; we will come to Barcelona more prepared."

"In four days we went from black to white," Alonso is quoted in Spanish by El Mundo, "but we still have a lot of work to do, particularly on the reliability."

He is quoted by AS newspaper: "Where will we be in Melbourne? No idea.

"From what we have seen so far, the highlight of the car is that it heats up the tires so that you can use them to the maximum from the first lap, which is something we could not do last season.

"We still have much to do in the area of the aerodynamics and, above all, the reliability."

Alonso - like Ferrari in general - is a regular critic of F1's testing limitations and he admitted it may be a factor in getting the all-new F2012 ready for Melbourne.

"Unfortunately there are only two more tests, which is one less than last year. At Montmelo (Barcelona) we need to be doing at least 100 laps (per day).

"At the moment we are at maybe 20 percent of what we need to do (before the season) overall."

EVERYBODY PANIC.

[GrndLkNatv]

I can hardly wait to see how Barca testing unfolds... I mean they have the data now, can do some intelligent adjustments and changes and then start in a better position when testing begins. I think things will be on the up side before the Barca tests are over and we will see Fernando and Felipe with smiles on their faces... I think people here under estimate Pat Fry, I mean he's a traditional engineer who does his testing, documentation and validation and then makes logical decisions based on the information.. Nothing wrong with that, in fact without it, you are just guessing in the dark..