Maranello, 30 August – The day after a poor Belgian Grand Prix for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the overriding sentiment in Maranello is that the weekend had been unsatisfactory. The team arrived in Belgium expecting to continue the trend that had seen its performance move forward as from Valencia and which, as from Hockenheim had also begun to deliver results, but the verdict from Spa, putting to one side all the external factors linked to the weather and incidents, was a negative one, especially in terms of the outcome of the race itself.

The usual Monday morning debrief, attended by President Luca di Montezemolo, centred on analysing the effects of the new components introduced on the F10 and the reasons why it proved impossible to make use of all the potential of the package. One can never count on new solutions that have never been track-tested before immediately delivering results: that has been the case several times this year for all the teams. On top of that, the changeable weather during Friday’s free practice certainly did not make the job any easier for the engineers. With this in mind, as well as in order to test the aerodynamic configuration to be used in the Italian Grand Prix, there will an aero test at the Vairano straight over the next few days. After the debrief, Montezemolo had a meeting with Team Principal Stefano Domenicali, as well has having lengthy telephone conversations with Felipe and Fernando.

The Monza round beckons and if the home race is always something special for the Scuderia, this year’s edition will be very important in terms of keeping alive the hope of fighting for the titles right to the end. Everyone in Maranello is aware that if more ground is lost, it could compromise any chance of a comeback. Therefore there is a strong desire, from the team, as well as the drivers, to make up for the Spa setback: the plan is to be in the fight for a victory at Monza, something which has not happened since 2006.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/Ne...t_in_Monza.aspx

And let's not forgot Canada where hot the **** they didn't see that they will encounter Trulli who is not only a backmarker but he is the worst...

i still cant get out of my head why they didnt bring in felipe when they saw lewis stayed out and put him on intermediates

Martin Brundle mentioned Massa had overshot his starting marker by 2 metres, before the lights went out, but from the non action by the stewards, I thought Massa had reversed back into the proper starting position. I couldn't see Hamilton or Alonso getting away with that. Maybe it was not an issue because no team complained and asked for it to be investigated.

Martin Brundle mentioned Massa had overshot his starting marker by 2 metres, before the lights went out, but from the non action by the stewards, I thought Massa had reversed back into the proper starting position. I couldn't see Hamilton or Alonso getting away with that. Maybe it was not an issue because no team complained and asked for it to be investigated.

I don't think so. Based on this year, Hamilton would have got away with it again, and Alonso would have been punished with a drive through penalty as usual!

I don't know how good this guy is. But i can assure you that if I was the chief strategist at Ferrari I could have done better. I could have never let Alonso to qualify on a wet setup in Belgium. Never...

I don't think so. Based on this year, Hamilton would have got away with it again, and Alonso would have been punished with a drive through penalty as usual!

It's the first time this year that LdM has kept silent about FIA race stewarding, yet had that been a McLaren, he would have voiced up yet again!

Jamesallenonf1

Stories that RBR strategist Neil Martin is heading to Ferrari are wrong, according to Ferrari. Martin has left RBR however

Regarding the strategies, the development, the performance of the F10, and the management in general, I just wanna say:

What's wrong with the development and the performance?

What's wrong with the development and the performance? The drivers are to blame here... Alonso is making mistakes which is costing him and Massa is just slow in comparison apart from the odd weekend.

Just watched the video of alonso's start at spa, and its pretty encouraging for you guys. as in Hock and budapest the ferraris launch was way better than the cars around it.

Added to that, he was bouncing off the limiter straight away on the first lap, even with a lift for eau rouge!!! no wonder he had trouble passing people. If the work being done at vairano will sort out the low DF package and any issues with this new diffuser, I think monza could be a very very close race indeed. if they qualify in the first 2 rows and get a launch like they have been doing i think one of them could be leading into turn 1.

suprised they screwed the gear ratios up THAT badly though at spa. he was on the limiter very early.

I disagree. Massa was a title contender untill the end in 2008. He kept Kimi Raikonen honest in alot of races. And Alonso made a mistake, sure, but its not like he started on pole with a half second advantage to number two, did he?

The performance is good but not good enough, and the development has boiled down to straight copying of other teams inventions. Thats not how it should be done in the most succesfull F1 team ever.

also, is it confirmed that they lost the higher-DF wing (the one with three elements) because it would have failed the tests?

For the wings we are using here at Spa, we have not made any modifications, because they are okay. The high downforce front wing we have will require some small adjustments though.

Woops! could have sworn i posted the vid. must be old age.

also, is it confirmed that they lost the higher-DF wing (the one with three elements) because it would have failed the tests?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPT_9zacOOg
You can hear hes on the limiter at the top of the hill, and i think coming towards bus stop as well. its geared very low, he was getting into 7th before fagnes.

edit! he doesn't hit the limiter before bus stop, as he has to have a big lift for sutil just before. but you get my drift im sure!

I'm talking about Massa this year and Alonso has made alot of mistakes this year which could cost him the title.

The current regulations don't allow for much invention.

From this Q&A with Aldo Costa it seems to me that they would not have run the 3 element wing at Spa regardless of the new tests (just because it is not appropriate to the circuit) and that it will need some modification (I assume for Singapore) but that this is minor.



The fact of some small adjustments does suggest non-linear flex though, doesn't it?

Gareth, there fastest times were set on the high downforce wing in FP1 and 2. Alonso looked really hooked up friday.

Oh, interesting. Thanks. I assumed from Costa's comment ("the wings we are using here at Spa") that they did not use the high downforce wing at Spa.

To me it seems like 2008 should have been won by either Kimi or Massa but that there were million errors in judgements and bad strategy on pit wall. I also have strong feeling that Domenicali was anti-Kimi, like some kind of fanboy or something, and that this impartiality made them give preferential treatment to Massa as soon as Domenicali came in (except for when Massa was injured and SURPRISE! all of the sudden Kimi is able to succeed lightyears better than when they were also running Massa).

I feel like Domenicali has been all about having a particular ethnically-related culture in Ferrari rather than wanting to just have the best talent. So I feel that Ferrari has been much worse than they were before Domenicali took over.

Is there any other names that people know of that might be seen as possible replacements for Domenicali? Ferrari has traditionally not hesitated at all to get rid of people when they are not winning. It seems to me that now the person left to replace is Domenicali. And in fact I think he should have been the first one to be replaced.

Anyway, let's say Piero and Luca start seeing things the way I do. Is there anyone else? Renault are actually doing better now after a very sudden deposition of their 2 top guys. Ferrari I think only need to replace one top guy and if they can get someone good in there then it could become a much more successful era for Ferrari.

Ferrari changes the car for Monza:

> the exhaust exits back to the top of sidepods
> no F-duct
> new lo-downforce front wing

http://www.auto.it/autosprint/formula_1/20...filo+di+Vairano

I'm using my phone to view the link you posted. It makes no mention of the changes you proposed.

Sorry, I don't speak italian.

Autosprint is as good as Autosport, IMO.

Sorry, I don't speak italian.
I took my conclusion based on the photo, that I presume an air shot from the test.
But yes, maybe a premature conclusion, by-the-eye.
Maybe it's an old photo, but I don't think Autosprint would post an old one to talk about the Vairano test.
Autosprint is as good as Autosport, IMO.

Ferrari made a major step with their car for spa, with a new diffuser as well as new rear wing. The diffuser was a development work stream long in development, but it seems the blown version of the diffuser was brought to the races first. With this new diffuser design they are catching up to where Renault, McLaren and red Bull have got to with their double diffusers.

Although not visible when on track, their diffusers feature a much later inlet under the car that feeds into the upper deck of the diffuser. This larger inlet drives more flow through the diffuser to create more downforce. However to create a larger hole in the flat floor it needs to be partially masked by curved vanes inline with the flat floor. These meet the flat bottom rule as they are curved to the maximum allowed radius and do not create an opening visible from below.

Externally the only visible changes are a slight alteration to the horizontal sections splitting the upper lower decks of the diffuser. To aid top speed on the long fast sections at spa, Ferrari had two wing specifications. The first was the usual tapered rear wing, with shallower sections towards the endplates. Massa preferred this wing to the newer format. This newer format sported an additional inlet in the main plane as exploited by many teams. The narrow 15cm inlet is ducting through an expanding hollow section inside the wing to feed a wider slot in the rear face of the wing. It was Alonso who preferred to race this format wing.

http://f1.automoto365.com/news/controller....p;news_id=42096

To be honest I find that article hard to follow.

1. What big step forward is he talking about? Ferrari are investigating why the updates didn't work as supposed to.
2. Massa used the new rear wing and Alonso used the old version with the 15cm opening on the main plain.
3. Red Bull don't have a diffuser design similar to the Mclaren and Renault. On the contrary, it is much closer to the Ferrari version. Ferrari are only now trying these larger inlets under the floor... To my knowledge Red Bull don't have them.

Here we go again...

Fisico already tested the F10 Monza spec at Vairano, however the text doesn't inform if the F-Duct will be used.

http://www.auto.it/autosprint/formula_1/20...i+F10+per+Monza

From that article is that an actual pic from the test, if so that is one trick front wing.

It that was Ferrari's Monza Spec, they will be really slow High downforce front wing, high downforce rear wing....

It that was Ferrari's Monza Spec, they will be really slow High downforce front wing, high downforce rear wing....

To be honest I find that article hard to follow.

1. What big step forward is he talking about? Ferrari are investigating why the updates didn't work as supposed to.
2. Massa used the new rear wing and Alonso used the old version with the 15cm opening on the main plain.
3. Red Bull don't have a diffuser design similar to the Mclaren and Renault. On the contrary, it is much closer to the Ferrari version. Ferrari are only now trying these larger inlets under the floor... To my knowledge Red Bull don't have them.

The big step is that Ferrari have only at spa started the blow the exhaust fumes through a slot in the diffuser. It didn't work.
Previously they only blown it over and to the sides of the diffuser.

oh, here we go again .... "back in the future"

With the car in it's current config Ferrari are surely safe for third in the WCC and even with significant improvement it's going to be tough to catch 2nd and 1st place, so the income from that avenue seems pre-determined at this moment in time.

A 'Spa' like weekend at Monza could leave Fernando 60+ points off the WDC leader, and with 4 drivers ahead of him. If that happened then I think it makes a lot of sense to shift development to the next season, it's a choice of chasing 'meaningless' (as in they wont win you the WDC) wins this season vs improved chances for next year.

Of course they could be trying to apply a little bit of pressure ahead of the WMSC meeting