Ferrari abandon their wind tunnel

[steelstallions]

The Scarlet team faced issues at their wind tunnel in Maranello earlier this year and the problems are expected to persist until August 2013. Nevertheless, Ferrari will use Toyota facility at Cologne so as to develop their next year’s car.

Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali said earlier that they cannot work in two wind tunnels at the same time as it would be too risky. Therefore, he confirmed that they will not use the facility at Maranello.

On the other hand, the president of the Italian team, Luca di Montezemolo said that Cologne is going to be the exclusive site for the development of their next year’s car.

“We will develop the 2013 car exclusively in the Toyota wind tunnel to avoid confusion and mistakes,” the 65-year-old said.

http://blogs.bettor.com/Toyota-ready...1-news-a211582

A good decision, but an even better one would be to demolish the existing wind tunnel and build a new one!

[wisepie]

Let's hope that by concentrating on one wind tunnel's results, it will be easier to make the right changes more quickly and decisively if it becomes necessary during the F2013 development. 2012 seemed to be one step forward, two steps back all the time, so with no conflicting data from different wind tunnels, maybe it will work in our favour.

[mhmalik]

A good decision, but an even better one would be to demolish the existing wind tunnel and build a new one!

I don't think the problem is with the wind tunnel itself but either with the sensors or the calibration of them is the real issue. What they must do is to calibrate it properly with a known model. As far as I remember, it was mentioned that the issue ferrari were facing was the data from the tunnel was not matching data from the CFD group so I would say check the numerical models as well before doing something with a huge investment on new wind tunnel

[fratelliferrari]

It's the only thing Ferrari could do. No windtunnel is 100% identical to any other windtunnel, so a good decision to build the F2013 ONLY in the Toyota windtunnel and use the windtunnel in Cologne to begin with the 2014 car early in the 2013 season aswell? Would it be possible to develop two cars at the same time?

[FrankAlfa]

The most up to date Hardware, Calibration and the most up to date Software & Sensors are the most important aspect to upgrade the Ferrari Wind Tunnel.

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Kiwi Nick]

Your comment is a big contradiction. First, it is a good decision to develop the F2013 in ONLY one wind tunnel. But, you want to begin the2014 in Cologne and finish in Maranello. For the F2013 one wind tunnel is good, but for the F2014 two wind tunnels is good.

I see nothing but heartache coming for the F2014. Designed by the "B" team and developed in two different wind tunnels. Ouch! Never mind using the most up to date Hardware, Calibration and the most up to date Software & Sensors when you are running two design teams using two different wind tunnels, the likelihood for error is quite high.

Perhaps the F2013 should be called a Ferrari and the F2014 should be a FIAT.

[fratelliferrari]

No I mean that Ferrari develops the F2014 completely in Cologne, but I don't know how the facilities are there? I don't think it's wrong to begin with the car early in 2013 because the rules will dramatically change in 2014. I don't believe Ferrari will put a B-team on the 2014 car. They are now already busy with the new engines for 2014 and I don't believe they will let that do by a B-team!

[FrankAlfa]

@ Nick,

Where is the Contradiction??? If the Ferrari Wind Tunnel is "Rebuilt" and built to match or exceed the most modern / cutting edge Wind Tunnels in the world, then Ferrari have the edge of having this Most Advanced Wind Tunnel to work with at their home base. This is what all teams seek and want. Yes, you can't duplicate conditions and physical setting to match another Wind Tunnel's capacities exactly but, maybe Ferrari can incorporate more technologies and advancements that the Cologne Wind Tunnel does not have. Everything advances and technology changes all the time. Ferrari did this same thing in the 90's and it had some pretty good results for the Ferrari Team! The team developing the 2014' car is certainly not a "B" Team! If anything, they appointed a very skilled Engineer in Simone Resta to work on the 2013' car which will be an advancement of the basic 2012' race car and not a totally new car. 2013' may be the "compromise year" if there is one. These Engineers are not being hire "off the street"! These Engineers have many years of experience in the Ferrari Design Team and will Design based on the Results coming out of the Wind Tunnel!

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

Ciao,

[REDARMYSOJA]

I thought this was old news.

[FrankAlfa]

Engineering has only the limits of the means to find a solution.

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[ferrari4life]

toyota built crappy cars. why would we expect this tunnel to be the cure all?

[FrankAlfa]

@ ferrari4life,

You don't understand wha the Wind Tunnel is used for. Toyota did not have the team to build the best car! The Wind Tunnel is very new and is a good location to gather data. That is what a Wind Tunnel does! The Wind Tunnel is a place to gain Data! The car is not Designed in the Wind Tunnel! CFD uses the Data gained in the Wind Tunnel! You have to have the right People and Software to Design the Race Car!

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Rob]

toyota built crappy cars. why would we expect this tunnel to be the cure all?

Mclaren being using the tunnel for couple years now aswell. AS have alot of other Motorsport teams. It is 1 of the best in the world. Plus, the Toyota F1 car they designed for 2010 was meant to be fast.

The Toyota tunnel is wider than ours so team can understand the flow around the car alot better, without the air being restricted to a narrow flow around it, aswell as other things. Its a no brainer to use that tunnel.

[FrankAlfa]

Yes and the Scale Models are now at 60% scale. All teams need to modify thier Wind Tunnels to reflect this change! The Toyota Wind Tunnel is one of the most modern in the world and this is a good starting point for Ferrari. Ferrari are obviously making HUGE changeds to their own Wind Tunnel and it will not be ready until August 2013 before they are finished with it! Sounds like much of the 2014' car will be designed using data gained in the Toyota Wind Tunnel regardless of what people think and say. The Toyota Facility certainly meets the criteria for what is needed.

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Rob]

Yes and the Scale Models are now at 60% scale. All teams need to modify thier Wind Tunnels to reflect this change! The Toyota Wind Tunnel is one of the most modern in the world and this is a good starting point for Ferrari. Ferrari are obviously making HUGE changeds to their own Wind Tunnel and it will not be ready until August 2013 before they are finished with it! Sounds like much of the 2014' car will be designed using data gained in the Toyota Wind Tunnel regardless of what people think and say. The Toyota Facility certainly meets the criteria for what is needed.

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

Our problems started when we changed the model to 60%.