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Formula 1
MATCHETT: More Challenges Ahead For Ferrari
Despite Fernando Alonso's stunning win in Malaysia, Ferrari still needs to improve its car in more than one area...
The Spanish bank Santander will remain a sponsor of Ferrari through 2017. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
I will be the first to admit I was a little stunned by Ferrari and Fernando Alonso’s astonishing ability to defy the odds en route to a remarkable win at Malaysia two weeks ago. I suspect no one expected the F2012 Ferrari to win a race this early in the season, given its dismal showing in winter testing.
In fact, during winter testing, indeed after the very first day, Alonso’s teammate, Felipe Massa, couldn’t veil his concern regarding the new Ferrari. To my ear, his comments suggested the new car seemed unpredictable in terms of mechanical balance. It seemed the team had a lot of work to do; the sense of urgency in the Ferrari camp was palpable.
Upon hearing Massa’s comments that day, I speculated their issues were the result of pull-rod front suspension, a design which is quite unusual in Formula One. Although Maranello hasn’t categorically pointed to pull-rod suspension as the root of their problem, they have said that they are still learning the car and working feverishly on it.
The last time Formula One teams played with pull-rod suspension (on the front of their cars) was a good 10 years ago, back in 2001. The system went out of vogue for several reasons, not least because drivers said it didn’t give them the same sure-footedness that push-rod suspension did during the period of transition from bump to rebound, as the car rides the curbs and the suspension resettles itself into the track. According to drivers I talked with back then, pull-rod suspension endowed the car a less confident feel. And driver confidence is paramount.
Ferrari, however, must have had good reason for implementing pull-rods on the front of the F2012 because they are one of the industry’s leading constructors in Formula One: They know how to build championship-winning Grand Prix machinery. If Ferrari introduces another new chassis design before the end of this season, I will be interested to see if they eliminate pull-rods in favor of the more conventional push-rod suspension.
The possibility that Ferrari’s challenges are the result of pull-rod suspension isn’t the only question facing the team, however. Ferrari also appears to be short on rear downforce – the car seems to be sliding around – a predicament which rival engineers alluded to in the opening days of winter testing. A couple of months ago, Ferrari went so far as to say the car looked ugly, but the team was hoping it would work well on track. Unfortunately, when the F2012 hit the track, it didn’t perform at all well, leaving Ferrari’s engineers scratching their heads … and pondering the sight of a car both ugly and (seemingly) unpredictable.
Despite all that, however, Ferrari managed to pull off an incredible victory two weeks ago in Sepang. Certainly rain played a factor, but the discrepancy in the finishing position of Alonso and Massa proves Alonso’s worth to the team in terms of compensating for an unhelpful car. Massa is struggling significantly more than Alonso, trying to negotiate a car that doesn’t respond in a manner which inspires confidence.
Regardless of the race win, Ferrari isn’t resting on its laurels after scoring the victory. In his post-race press conference, Alonso was asked if the win changes the team’s approach to the season. Alonso’s response was an unequivocal no, stressing the win in Malaysia changes nothing and that Ferrari needs to work harder than before in order to bring the car’s performance up to speed. Although we could all hear the Ferrari management’s emotion on the radio after Alonso crossed the finish line, every Ferrari employee knows they have their work cut out; over the coming weeks no team will stand still in their quest to make their cars better. Ferrari needs to make progress and then some.
As we look ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix of China, it’s difficult to predict how Ferrari will fare. Due to the drastic reduction in the number of testing days, all constructors are in a state of uncertainty. Embracing the new specification Pirelli tires is a daunting challenge for drivers and engineers alike: The current 12 days of testing pales in comparison to the weeks of winter testing the teams used to enjoy.
Tires – their compound and construction – is the one aspect of car design over which teams have no control. An in-depth knowledge of tire management is critical to sustained race pace; it’s a real challenge deciphering that one significant (and initially unknown) component of car performance. In order to challenge for race wins on a regular basis, it is vital that the teams discover how best to extract optimal performance and durability from their tires.
In just a few short days, the teams will reconvene in China, a chance for us to see if Ferrari is once more up to the challenge. As ever, Italy expects!
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
In fact, during winter testing, indeed after the very first day, Alonso’s teammate, Felipe Massa, couldn’t veil his concern regarding the new Ferrari. To my ear, his comments suggested the new car seemed unpredictable in terms of mechanical balance. It seemed the team had a lot of work to do; the sense of urgency in the Ferrari camp was palpable.
Upon hearing Massa’s comments that day, I speculated their issues were the result of pull-rod front suspension, a design which is quite unusual in Formula One. Although Maranello hasn’t categorically pointed to pull-rod suspension as the root of their problem, they have said that they are still learning the car and working feverishly on it.
The last time Formula One teams played with pull-rod suspension (on the front of their cars) was a good 10 years ago, back in 2001. The system went out of vogue for several reasons, not least because drivers said it didn’t give them the same sure-footedness that push-rod suspension did during the period of transition from bump to rebound, as the car rides the curbs and the suspension resettles itself into the track. According to drivers I talked with back then, pull-rod suspension endowed the car a less confident feel. And driver confidence is paramount.
Ferrari, however, must have had good reason for implementing pull-rods on the front of the F2012 because they are one of the industry’s leading constructors in Formula One: They know how to build championship-winning Grand Prix machinery. If Ferrari introduces another new chassis design before the end of this season, I will be interested to see if they eliminate pull-rods in favor of the more conventional push-rod suspension.
The possibility that Ferrari’s challenges are the result of pull-rod suspension isn’t the only question facing the team, however. Ferrari also appears to be short on rear downforce – the car seems to be sliding around – a predicament which rival engineers alluded to in the opening days of winter testing. A couple of months ago, Ferrari went so far as to say the car looked ugly, but the team was hoping it would work well on track. Unfortunately, when the F2012 hit the track, it didn’t perform at all well, leaving Ferrari’s engineers scratching their heads … and pondering the sight of a car both ugly and (seemingly) unpredictable.
Despite all that, however, Ferrari managed to pull off an incredible victory two weeks ago in Sepang. Certainly rain played a factor, but the discrepancy in the finishing position of Alonso and Massa proves Alonso’s worth to the team in terms of compensating for an unhelpful car. Massa is struggling significantly more than Alonso, trying to negotiate a car that doesn’t respond in a manner which inspires confidence.
Regardless of the race win, Ferrari isn’t resting on its laurels after scoring the victory. In his post-race press conference, Alonso was asked if the win changes the team’s approach to the season. Alonso’s response was an unequivocal no, stressing the win in Malaysia changes nothing and that Ferrari needs to work harder than before in order to bring the car’s performance up to speed. Although we could all hear the Ferrari management’s emotion on the radio after Alonso crossed the finish line, every Ferrari employee knows they have their work cut out; over the coming weeks no team will stand still in their quest to make their cars better. Ferrari needs to make progress and then some.
As we look ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix of China, it’s difficult to predict how Ferrari will fare. Due to the drastic reduction in the number of testing days, all constructors are in a state of uncertainty. Embracing the new specification Pirelli tires is a daunting challenge for drivers and engineers alike: The current 12 days of testing pales in comparison to the weeks of winter testing the teams used to enjoy.
Tires – their compound and construction – is the one aspect of car design over which teams have no control. An in-depth knowledge of tire management is critical to sustained race pace; it’s a real challenge deciphering that one significant (and initially unknown) component of car performance. In order to challenge for race wins on a regular basis, it is vital that the teams discover how best to extract optimal performance and durability from their tires.
In just a few short days, the teams will reconvene in China, a chance for us to see if Ferrari is once more up to the challenge. As ever, Italy expects!
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
Spanish Grand Prix
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