Scuderia Ferrari wrapped up three days of F1 testing in Barcelona with their new 'interim' F2004 M this afternoon.

This is the car that the team plan to use in the opening stages of the 2005 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, possibly for up to five races. It is essentially a heavily modified (hence the 'M' designation) version of the ultra-successful, championship winning, F2004.

Major new rule changes being introduced this year call for a sweeping reduction in downforce, which will be brought about by aerodynamic restrictions being made to the nose area, as well as in front of the rear wheels, and moving the position of the rear wing forward.

While most teams will have built their new cars in time for the start of the new season, Ferrari prefer to start with a revised 'old' car, introducing their new challenger, the F2005, only after an intensive test and development programme has taken place. With the new car only due to arrive towards the end of February, this will preclude its appearance in the opening Grands Prix. Ferrari have precedence for this move having already campaigned the title-winning F2002 successfully during the opening races of the 2003 F1 season, an effect they hope to replicate this year.

After several days of private testing at the Vairano straight last weekend in the hands of Andrea Bertolini, the 'stop gap' F2004M finally came bursting out into the public eye when Scuderia Ferrari joined McLaren and Sauber on track at Barcelona last Friday.

On a very cold by dry morning, Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer took to the track for Ferrari. The world champion worked on the set-up of the F2004M, while the Scuderia’s official test driver was concentrating on development testing of new Bridgestone tyre compounds.

Most noticeable visible new feature was an odd looking, and rather complex, multi-layered new front wing. As each of the F1 teams put the new regulations into practice, the new 2005 cars have offered mildly different front wing arrangements. One leading engineer commented, "This 'mini' splitter seems to be very much a 'Band Aid', an interpretation of the grey area in the regulations which compensates for the disturbed airflow around the nose."
 

"This little splitter is quite exposed and could be easily destroyed in race conditions so I think that this design cannot be intentional and final", he went on, adding "It also could be a test rig to simulate different airflow patterns on the test car, but I guess the first race will show."

Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer were back in action at the Spanish track yesterday. The world champion continued with set up work on the F2004 M, while the Scuderia’s official test driver, at the wheel of an F2004, again concentrated on development of Bridgestone tyres. Schumacher completed a total of 86 laps, the quickest in a time of 1:15’.895. Badoer meanwhile covered 103, the fastest in 1:15.678. The pair then wrapped up the three day Spanish test this afternoon, after completing their respective development programmes. Schumacher oday ran a total of 69 laps, the quickest in a time of 1:15.970 while Badoer did 31, the official Ferrari F1 test driver's fastest being a 1:15.470.

Ferrari will resume testing this coming Wednesday when they will be back in Spain once more, although this time in Valencia, with Rubens Barrichello and Marc Gené handling the driving duties.

Ferrari-Maserati Shanghai Showroom

Meanwhile the Ferrari-Maserati Group have presented official images of the luxurious new dealership in the heart of Shanghai, China. The showroom was opened last June in a fashionable section of the city called Tomorrow Square, on the ground floor of the JW Marriott, by the Nanjing West Road.

A join venture with Italian Motors the opening was presided over my Jean Todt, General Manager of Ferrari and Director of the Racing Department, and Martin Leach, CEO of Maserati. Italian Motors made its entry in China as the official importer in 1993, 150 Ferrari and Maserati units have been sold in China since then.