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Author Topic: Why Is The Ferrari Launch So Secretive?  (Read 1375 times)

davewilson

  • Guest
Why Is The Ferrari Launch So Secretive?
« on: January 13, 2007, 10:41:48 PM »
The new Ferrari car may not appear at its own launch and Ferrari are not allowing photographs of it, when it is launched, why? I suggest the real reasons why the Ferrari launch is to be kept under wraps, and what it is that is so special about the new Ferrari that must be kept so secretive. Over the last few days media speculation has been rife as to whether or not the Scuderia's 2007 title challenger would be ready in time for its January 14 launch. Ferrari insiders were stating that it was yet to be completed and may not even be presented at its official launch.

This is not a new problem, in years gone by Ferrari have pushed the development window to the extreme however they have always presented a 'new' title challenger, even if it did look remarkably similar to the previous years. No doubt at these launches there were significant mechanical modifications to the car, hidden from prying eyes; however these new weapons of war from the Ferrari stable although new, were largely dressed in old armour.

So why not more of the same this year? What's so different about 2007? Well not a lot to be honest, and herein lies the problem. The FIA's 2007 regulations have been quite stringent on a technical front, without a doubt the biggest performance advantage last year came from tires, these now have been fixed with Bridgestone the only tire supplier for 2007 and beyond. The power war is now being restricted through 19,000 rpm rev limits on all engines, further limiting any advantage one team had over another in 2006, with engine drivability instead of power now the key development factor. The next biggest variable between a good car and a great car is through aerodynamic design and development; and this is the crux of the invisible Ferrari launch.

Is the car still being developed as Ferrari have stated? Without a doubt, but the car will be developed throughout the year this is not new. The real reason for the car not being presented during the official launch is to do with aero secrecy. It is easier to protect the secrets of the engine, electronics, tire compound, etc, but aerodynamics.they are for all to see.

Ferrari will not have the car present for the official launch is because it wants to keep its design under wraps for as long as possible. After all 2007 will be an aero war, and in any war the element of surprise can bring victory.

All the teams are aware of this, but still they are launching with 'new' cars but largely sporting last year's aero appendages. Toyota is the first example of this, although there are subtle changes nothing of great significance was shown on the TF1-07. Ferrari have done the same in the past, new chassis, old aero; it's a well practiced formula for all F1 launches. So why the change for 2007, why not show a car with last years aero on a new chassis for the sake of a launch? Well here's why...

In previous years Ferrari has never launched a car with its definitive aero package; more often than not the aero of the car was from the previous year's design, with the only clear design change being seen on the side pods of the Ferrari. So although the chassis was new it wasn't a large enough change to make it impossible to attach the previous year's aero appendages on the car. That was until 2007.

The reason is simply because the 2007 chassis is too different to house the 2006 aero, thus the overall shape of the Ferrari has undergone significant change, more so than in the last 10 years. Now the 2007 chassis is not a revolution in design, it is still an evolutionary step but a much larger step then what has been seen in previous years.

These significant aero changes should have been expected; many of you may remember reading about the ongoing investment by F1 teams into aero development, from super computers to highly advanced wind tunnels. Teams have been readying themselves for this war for the past 2 years.

There is no more tire war; engine performance has been peaked; now the only other area for large performance gains is through aero advancement.

What we have now is the realization of this; Ferrari has recognised the importance of aero design and is trying to hold their cards close to their chest. The best way to do this is not to show a car at all. But Ferrari doesn't have an option, this years car will be significantly different more so then our competitors, so a 'hybrid' type launch simply cannot be done.

Ferrari will only test with their definitive aero at private tests, updated aero responsible for cooling will be seen at Bahrain, but not performance based aero, especially not at a shared test session. Ferrari know what advantage their aero will give them through their private tests at Mugello and Fiorano only to make sure the performance and cooling parameters are ok.

We are entering a new phase in F1 battle, and it will be fought in the air.

The launch of the new Ferrari Championship contender will be tomorrow, the 14th of January. Be sure to visit Ferrari 1 for in depth technical reviews, photographs, driver and team interviews and of course glorious high resolution desktop wallpapers.


I suggest Michael has not finished testing it yet,and sorted the problems.Ferrari said he would have an input and woudn't you want to test drive the new car?
I bet he has been in it, in secret, somewhere testing.
Dont You?

The Stig
« Last Edit: January 13, 2007, 10:57:36 PM by The Stig »



 


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