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It was
another day of hard work yesterday for Scuderia Ferrari
getting ready for the 2009 season. After the F60's debut
on Monday at the Mugello circuit, Tuesday saw the
Scuderia's technicians having a long day, analysing the
data collected on the track. President Luca di
Montezemolo, who also spoke to Felipe Massa to hear
about his first impressions of the new single-seater,
took part in the meeting.
The technicians
concentrated on the small problems the car had at Mugello on
its first day out. The goal is to solve them to then start
the single-seater's development programme. They were also
working on the functionality of the KERS. The next
appointment for the F60 is the test session at the Parc
Algarve circuit at Portimao in Portugal from 19th to 22nd
January.
Felipe Massa on
the F60
Felipe Massa,
the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's Brazilian driver, met the
press after the first day of testing with the new F60 at the
Mugello circuit. These are his first impressions of the new
single-seater: "This car is completely different from the
one we had last year. Many rules have changed and they are
all visible, the impact of the rules, such as the
introduction of the KERS, the changed aerodynamics; all
these things make it very different for us all to drive.
For the first day there weren't planned 100 laps or
particular lap times, because when the rules change in such
an important way the shakedown becomes more difficult and
delicate. We resolved some minor problems today and I'm glad
that I went 100 kilometres using the KERS, which was the
part that worried us most. We started to use it just a bit
in the beginning and then we raised its performance level.
In the upcoming tests we'll have the possibility to try out
all its different aspects. We used this first day to check
the general functioning of the engine, the gearbox, the
suspension and the KERS; it was positive, because everything
worked just fine. We wanted to do 100 laps, but in reality
we tested more than we had actually expected to."
Several questions for Felipe came up:
It seems that these cars are much more difficult to drive,
because they need to be controlled much more (KERS, flap,
slicks). Can you confirm that? "That's true. It's a car with
many changes and driving it will be different. You can feel
it much more now, but once you know the car and the new
rules it's automatic; we've seen that over the last years."
The 2009 season is mainly characterised by insecurities
concerning all aspects of Formula 1. How do you feel it on a
personal level and in the Team? "The people inside the Team
share the same motivation and the same work approach; I have
to say that they're all quite similar to how they were the
years before; obviously when there are major changes from
one year to the next, the way we work changes in certain
areas. The atmosphere I sense is very good and everybody is
pushing hard inside the Team, from the President, to Stefano
and the technical department. I'm happy that I can be part
of the Team and I hope that we continue to improve every
week, just like we did in our good years. It's true, it's
the start of a new cycle, a different one for Formula 1, but
we're convinced that we can fight in a very competitive
Championship."
The new rules made the car much uglier than in previous
years. Do you like it? "While I came over from Brazil I
thought: I've seen several things in the wind tunnel, but
the complete car is different. Over the last years we've
always seen a much nicer car year after year. I didn't
expect a beautiful car, but I have to say it is very
beautiful, despite all the rules, which make the cars
uglier. Let's hope it's fast. I'd prefer an ugly car that's
fast over a beautiful car that's slow.
Did you have fun today or was it just technical work? "It's
much more fun when there are other cars, when you can
compare your lap times. So today was less fun in this
respect, but we were here to run the car, which was the main
goal. I had fun doing that. I hope that next week in
Portugal I'll have a car I can drive the whole day."
Last season's disappointment; did you recently meet
Hamilton? "I've met him at the FIA presentation of the
prizes at the end of the year. I said hello and
congratulated him, because I think that's correct. During
the holidays I've been thinking a lot, as usual, about what
happened and now I'm more eager to win than ever. We didn't
win, it's not because we didn't merit it, but because it had
to be like that. I'm eager to fight in this year's
Championship. I don't want to look back, I want to look
forward. There are bad days, but the nice days are worth
much more to learn for the future."
Scuderia Ferrari
engineers Gilles Simon, Nikolas Tombazis and Aldo Costa on the F60
There will be eight engines for
every driver over the whole season. But will they be all the
same?
Simon:
"As of 2009 the engine speed is limited to 18,000 rpm and
every driver can use up to eight engines over the 17 GPs of
this Championship. Therefore distance target for each unit
is now around 2,500 kilometres."
The F60 is a single-seater which is very different to the
previous ones, due to the 2009 regulations. Will Ferrari
make more use of the test stands?
Costa: "The work at the test stands will be more
important than in the previous years. We've several
facilities to test sub-components and complete groups;
that's where we'll do most of the work. The race track is
and remains the final test. We'll work a lot before the
start of the Championship, just like last year; but this
time we'll concentrate our work on one car in five test
sessions. During the season we'll have the Fridays to set up
the cars for the circuit and for development."
This year the single-seater is completely different from the
ones in the past. Are you happy with the result or did you
have to compromise?
Costa: "Last year we were fighting for the
Championship until the last race and we were concentrated a
lot on the car's development. Today we presented a complete
car, which refers also to the level of the engine speed,
fitted with KERS; although we had very short time. I want to
congratulate everybody: Gilles, Nikolas and everybody at
Maranello. We managed to be the first having a crash test
and we have several homologated chassis. We tried as much as
possible to cover the time gap between the developments,
which have been done on the car at the end of last year.
Do you think that this year, considering the changes, it
won't be possible to redo the car during the season to make
up an eventual disadvantage at the start?
Costa: "We're used to thinking that we can still work
on a technical level; so as far as we concerned it's
possible."
Tombazis: "Many rules, as far as the aerodynamics are
concerned, are completely new. The speed of development will
be the main issue. Whoever knows how to develop faster will
be better than the others. We can work on the development in
the Fridays at every GP. Before the season there's still
some good margin. And if we're ahead at the first race, it
means that we can keep our cool."
What was the Team's reaction in terms of cost cutting?
Costa: "The rules have been changed recently; we have
to rethink our working methods and the programs; this has to
be done gradually, without rushing things; we have to evolve
the Team's structure.
How will your development program look like now? How many
aerodynamic tests will there be this year? And does the car
just seem longer than the one last year?
Costa: "The development program will continue with
the five tests we've planned at the race tracks of Portimao,
Bahrain, again Bahrain, then Jerez and Barcelona. We can
have eight aerodynamic tests this year, which means eight
days where we can test as far as this issue is concerned.
Tombazis: "As far as the single-seater's length is
concerned I have to say that the wheelbase is something
really overrated. It's not that important at all. But
anyway, the fact that the car is longer is only a visual
effect."
Can you confirm today, like you did in the past, that this
is the best Ferrari ever built?
Costa: "There have been some radical changes this
year and today, under the light of limitations, the
performance will not be higher; the limitations don't allow
us to reach the previous performance levels. But I can
confirm that the methods improve from year to year, and it
also happened last winter."
Apart from the development, how will the car change from now
on until the first GP in Australia? Is McLaren's advantage,
due to the MES, gone? Isn't it a contradiction in terms to
talk about the importance of the Fridays and the engine
management with a limited mileage?
Tombazis: "The F60 will be very much overhauled for
the first GP. Also because this year will be dominated by
the team which will be able to develop the fastest. We want
to resolve all the issues as far as the mechanics and the
reliability are concerned. We also want to maximise the
aerodynamic development. I can confirm that also visibly the
car will be really different at the first race."
Simon: "After one year the MES is much more developed
and stable. It also seems more balanced than a year ago."
Costa: "We have to deal with a shorter coverage; on
Fridays we have to think about the development for the
specific races, considering that there won't be any tests on
the circuits. And then we also have to move on with the
development for the Championship; all of this with a limited
mileage. It's much more limited."
Over the last two years a lot of work has been done as far
as the tyres are concerned: did the slicks have any
influence on the car's development?
Costa: "The car's general construction philosophy
could lead to the benefits we've seen in the past; we try to
keep these benefits and develop the part, where we were less
strong."
At what point is the development of the KERS?
Simon: "The KERS is a very complex system, which we
haven't developed on the track yet. There's still lots of
work to do; we've lowered the impact of the system on the
car to a minimum."
Tombazis: "Obviously the KERS' 'nuisance' is
remarkable. We're talking about more than 30 kg of weight.
We've done a lot of developmental work to insert the system
and compensate for it."
There will be two types of development: one for the race and
one for the Championship: will the two drivers have
different programs?
Costa: "I don't know. It's too early to say. We'll
see what happens when we're close to the first race."
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