Ferrari presents its F138 and reveals its ambitions
After a bitter 2012 season, during which with a car considered weaker than the competition, Scuderia Ferrari almost managed to clinch the drivers' title, the team from Maranello returns with an evolution of the F2012 designed to be more competitive, aiming to make up for delays in certain areas while keeping intact those that worked well.
Based, like most of the cars already presented, on its predecessor, the Ferrari F138 unveiled at the headquarters of the Italian brand in Maranello is nonetheless reworked compared to the car that almost allowed Fernando Alonso to win the world championship title in 2012. The objective is clear: beat Red Bull.
If, in terms of design, the changes seem minor, the Scuderia nevertheless claims to have reviewed and revised the parts one by one in order to maximize the performance of the 2012 version, which was notable for its inability to perform well in qualifying while demonstrating a much more convincing race pace. Moreover, the team’s aim is also to maintain what was one of the strengths of the F2012, its flawless reliability.
In detail, first of all, there is no change in the suspension as the F138 retains the pull-rod suspension system. A system that has also been adopted by McLaren on the new MP4-28. Although the system is the same, it has nevertheless been reworked to its limits, all of this, of course, to maximize the aerodynamic advantage. As for the “body” of the car, it has been redesigned to allow changes in the position and layout of the famous exhausts.
The air intakes, whether it’s the air intake above the cockpit or those on the pontoons, have been redesigned to once again optimize their aerodynamic performance while maintaining the engine cooling system as it was in 2012. Just like observed on the McLaren, the rear of the car is narrower.
Regarding the front and rear wings, their design essentially comes from the latest versions tested at the end of the 2012 season, notably by Felipe Massa, when the development of the 2013 car coincided with the battle for the 2012 title. Aerodynamically, the first observation is obviously the rudimentary nature of certain elements that will become more refined as the car’s development progresses. As for the DRS, the system has been modified on the rear wing to take advantage of regulatory changes in this area. There’s also a redefinition of the brake duct design.
More broadly, the design and production phases of the car were an opportunity for the Scuderia teams to focus on reducing the car’s weight as well as increasing the chassis rigidity.
« The main objective we must have is to immediately provide our drivers with a competitive car. Unfortunately, in recent years, at the beginning of winter, we have not been able to be at the top right away, » stated Stefano Domenicali, the team director, referring to a slow start last season, despite a surprise victory at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. « We have tried to modify our organization to be more effective in preparing for the upcoming week ».
