Ferrari should introduce its KERS at the beginning of the season

To see Ferrari equipping its cars with the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) at the start of the season seems more and more likely. The chief engineer of the Scuderia claims that the system’s development is progressing in the best possible way.

The team from Maranello had openly stated several weeks ago that it was behind its rivals, particularly BMW-Sauber, which seems to be the most advanced team in introducing the new technology.

But with the tests at Mugello in Italy, Ferrari reviewed its approach following encouraging progress with the KERS. Some believe the team is not far behind BMW anymore.

Speaking in the motorsports section of Gazzetta dello Sport about the progress of the new F60, Ferrari’s chief mechanic Chris Dyer indicated that the main concern at the moment was the lack of tests with slick tires and not the use of KERS.

« For the moment, it is difficult to say how the situation will evolve, » said Dyer, who has a new role within the team after spending two years alongside Kimi Räikkönen as an engineer.

« As you know, the main innovations in 2009 are aerodynamics, KERS, and slick tires. »

« Regarding the first two, everything is going well, but unfortunately, we are falling behind in slick tire testing.

Speaking more specifically about the ongoing work on the KERS, Dyer continued: « We don’t use it on every test lap, but we use it quite often to study its safety. It’s a real challenge from a technical point of view. »

When asked if the development of the F60 was progressing well, Dyer said: « Yes. Yesterday, we covered over 500 kilometers and everything went well. »