Ferrari has regained its spirits
The beginning of the season for Ferrari is far from being as catastrophic as expected. After 7 races and with the updates to the F2012 seemingly bearing fruit, the Scuderia approaches the rest of the championship with newfound optimism and confidence.
Who, when flying to Melbourne, would have bet that Fernando Alonso would be just two points behind the championship leader after seven rounds? Surely not many. Yet, at the wheel of the unruly F2012, the double world champion has more than just salvaged the situation, and with numerous new parts expected for Valencia, the Scuderia can openly aim for the world title.
« Rightly or wrongly, Ferrari is expected at every race to fight for victory and to always be competitive. At the start of the season, we were not competitive, which was a big shock for me but also for my colleagues, » explains Nikolas Tombazis, the chief designer of the Scuderia.
It was necessary to focus on the weaknesses of the F2012, which was meant to be radically different from its predecessors, and find solutions to make it more competitive. « It was a difficult few months, but we tackled the problem calmly, and I think the last races have been a boost for everyone’s morale. It made us realize that we could do it. » adds the engineer.
The main issue with the latest model from the Maranello factory was the exhausts. After introducing an initial update in Barcelona, the Scuderia was using yet another new configuration in Canada.
« The exhaust system in Montreal was an evolution of the one we used in Jerez during the car’s presentation. The old one was more complicated and created various problems for us, which means it didn’t contribute much in terms of lap time. Therefore, we abandoned it. However, we are still working on developing the exhausts to create a simpler and more robust solution, but it remains based on the originally planned system.»
Thus, new developments will be made in this area of the car for Valencia, as well as a new front wing and a modified floor. For the moment, we are satisfied with where we are given our position in the starting hierarchy. However, we cannot be completely happy since we are not in a position to dominate the Grand Prix or at least win them all, which is always the goal, declares Tombazis.
In a season where the gaps between different teams are particularly small, every tenth of a second counts and developments, even the most minor ones, can make a big difference in the context of a championship that continues to surprise us.
