Ferrari unveils 2006 F1 Contender 248 F1

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Automotive News - Jan. 24, 2006 Mugello, Italy - Scuderia Ferrari officially unveiled its next shot at the world championship in front of the Italian and world press on Tuesday. The team believes that the 248 F1 will be the company's and Michael Schumacher's redemption in F1 2006.

(L to R): Aldo Costa (ITA) Ferrari Assistant Chief Designer; Paulo Martinelli (ITA) Ferrari Engine Director; Luca di Montezemolo (ITA) Ferrari Team Manager; Pierre Lardi Ferrari (ITA); Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari Test Driver; Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari; Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari; Jean Todt (FRA) Ferrari Sporting Director.

The car, originally known only by its 657 project name, has been christened the Ferrari 248 F1.

Both Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa have already tested the car in shakedowns at Fiorano, but it was Schumacher who drove the first public laps in the 248 F1 at Mugello.

The 248 F1 is the first Ferrari developed entirely under Aldo Costa, successor to the team’s famed design chief Rory Byrne. Byrne opened and underlined how his role in the company was changing. He was progressively filling a consultancy role for all the new House of Maranello projects and, in particular, regarding the engineering of the cars.

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"Ferrari F1 2006 Redesigned" "The 248 F1 will be the company's and Michael Schumacher's redemption in F1 2006."

Photo by Ferrari S.p.A.

Aldo Costa, creator of the 248 F1, reflected on Byrne's role and the characteristics of the car in detail. He declared that: "it was mainly to do with the V8 engine and we imposed a radical change from both a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view. The aerodynamics are still at a preliminary stage and will be until the first race of the season."

"As regards the chassis, this is totally new, above all in the center section. We decided on this in order to optimize the weight distribution and lighten the entire structure. The same goes for the suspension, especially in the completely redesigned rear end."

“The transmission too is all new and also the differential. In building these two new elements in particular, we had to pay close attention to the characteristics of the V8. The greater vibrations generated by the engine brought more initial problems".

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"248 F1 Chassis" "Optimized the weight distribution and lightened the entire structure."

Photo by Ferrari S.p.A.

After Aldo Costa, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne came Paolo Martinelli, Formula 1 Engine Director, and Gilles Simon, head of planning and engine development, spoke with the journalists.

Martinelli began: "It is a totally new project. It is a return to the past, as the name of the car demonstrates. We started working on this engine midway through 2004 and then tested it on the bench. Last August it made its first outing, at Fiorano, and in the autumn of 2005 we completed the V8. Now we are close to the final version.”

Gilles Simon's success in planning and development was underscored with: "the calculations were made long ago and even if the regulation changes were related to us rather late in the day, fundamental modifications such as the selection of the center of gravity had already been made".

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"248 F1 Modifications" "Fundamental modifications such as the selection of the center of gravity."

Photo by Ferrari S.p.A.

Martinelli Continued: "The rules outline global constraints but do allow a lot of space for projectual experimentation. The 90 degree angle was our choice as was settling on the minimum weight for the non-moving parts. The real challenge, however, was lightening the weight of the moving components."

"For the first time in ten years, a drop in performance was recorded and this was fundamental. The change in power meant some greater investment, but, in the long run, it will be more economical. The overall output of the engine remains unchanged and so some factors were the same as on the V10."

Martinelli also revealed that there had been some dialogue between the engineers who work on road-going cars and those who concentrate on racing models. "We met the people who work on GTs and exchange opinion in analyzing problems and the methods to resolve them. It was by no means a one-way communication."

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"248 F1 Engine" "All-new Formula One V8 engine."

Photo by Ferrari S.p.A.

The Engine Design
At the new car's heart is an all-new Formula One V8 engine that is central to the team's hopes for another World Championship title this year.

The new Ferrari V8 was developed in record time. Sweeping technical rule changes announced by the FIA last spring spelled the end of the V-10 era. While still allowed with rev-limits, the 3.0-litre V-10 gives way in 2006 to a new crop of V8 engines limited to 2.4 liters in displacement.

Ferrari’s president, Luca di Montezemolo, then spoke about the technical changes: "We are living in times of significant change from a technological point of view. We had been fans of the V12 for many years and then, in the mid-1990s, were forced to switch to V10 engines with which we had great success. Now we are back to the V8s that we last used in 1964 when we won with Surtees. It is a big challenge in terms of power and reliability. It drives us all on to do our best along with our partners and technical suppliers."

Michael Schumacher. He stepped forward immediately after the contributions of President Montezemolo. Schumacher reflected on the new design and stated that: "it has already given positive results in the little testing that it has been possible to carry out here. Despite the fact that only a few laps were run, the car seemed well balanced and enjoyable to drive even though it is less powerful."

"As to the engine, many have asked me how it will change the style of driving with a V8. It is a question to which I always answer in the same way: that there will not be such a big difference. It is like going back to the levels of power we had ten years ago. What I think will alter radically is the race strategy and not the style of driving."

As the season opener approaches, the full effects of the 2006 rule changes are yet to be seen, but are the topic of much speculation. With 20% less displacement, pundits wonder whether this year's F1 cars will have 20% lower horsepower, or whether some teams will be successful in liberating more power from their new V8s.

The impact of the new rules on fuel economy and pit stop strategy is another major tactical consideration for 2006.

Reliability will continue to be an important factor for all concerned, as the FIA has kept in place its one-engine-for-two-races rule. Ferrari is ready

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