It's difficult to say, to many changes at the same time for Ferrari in key positions.
We saw how it went for Kimi with a simple new race engineer, now let's see how this new and inexperienced team principal, new head of engines, new inexperienced President (and maybe even a new aproach from the biggest sponsor) at the same time turns out to be.
This revolution will bring changes for sure but we will learn if they will be good or not later on.
Ferrari beginning to shift focus to 201517 Sep 2014
Ferrari have started to transition their focus onto next year's car and plan to track test components over the remaining six races of the season, according to engineering director Pat Fry.
The Italian team have suffered a disappointing campaign this year, scoring just two podiums - both through Fernando Alonso - and recently dropped to fourth in the constructors' championship, behind Williams, following a poor showing on home soil at Monza.
"At this stage of the season, the focus in the factory is shifting more towards next year's car," Fry told Ferrari's website.
"However, there is still quite a lot we can learn from track testing, therefore we will be bringing some specific test components for next year and other developments for the F14 T, which will help our understanding for next year."
Fry added that Ferrari are looking to immediately fight back at Singapore following their lacklustre outing in Italy, where Alonso retired and Kimi Raikkonen could only finish ninth.
"After the two races in Spa and Monza, run on low-downforce circuits, we now go to Singapore which is at completely the other end of the spectrum," he said. "It's a street circuit requiring very high downforce, where we will be running the soft and supersoft tyres on a track with similar characteristics to Monaco.
"Monza was a tough weekend for us, so now we are regrouping and we will keep pushing forward, concentrating on getting the best out of the package we've got."
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quoteFerrari’s 2015 Power Unit has been tested already
Following what can only be described as a catastrophic year in terms of results, Ferrari have recently run the 2015 power unit codenamed 059/4. The design team have found another 40 bhp over this year’s design but have the ambitious goal of finding another 60 bhp before the homologation freeze in February.
The inherent errors in the basic architecture have been recognised and addressed with the new version – which is being overseen by Mattia Binotto’s engine department with chief designer Lorenzo Sassi working hard to bring Ferrari back to the head of the field.
James Allison has requested a configuration that is less extreme than the current design; including moving the oil tank from inside the gearbox to the classic configuration between the chassis and the engine – thus improving the weight distribution and traction qualities of the new Maranello challenger.
Despite Ferrari, Renault and Honda seeking to open up the engine freeze rules next year, the teams are aware that this is not a given so everything is being scheduled for completion by the time the homologation freeze comes in at the end of February.
What is undoubtedly helping the Ferrari design team are the specialists who have arrived from both Mercedes and Audi – technicians who have been responsible for their previous companies respective hybrid systems.
Allied to this is the work that continues at Shell who have not been able to use a new fuel they have developed because of reliability issues with the current power train. This new chemical technology has been formulated from the lead of Petronas, Mercedes’ fuel supplier, which makes the fuel denser and brings about benefits in efficiency, power and volume.
With Ferrari having been promised no restriction on budget, it remains to be seen if these improvements allow for more than an occasional visit to the podium…
Interview made to Turrini by Formula Passion Italia, thanks to Finland87:
quoteSe Fernando dovesse andarsene, a tuo giudizio, chi potrebbe rimpiazzarlo: Sebastian Vettel in virtù di un “antico accordo sulla parola”? “Se Alonso dovesse andarsene – ipotesi molto probabile, lo ripeto – penso che alla Ferrari guarderanno al 2015 come a una stagione di transizione, con Raikkonen in coppia con il giovane Bianchi. Vettel aveva un “impegno tra galantuomini” con Montezemolo e Domenicali, persone che a Maranello non ci sono più, quindi non penso che sia una prospettiva concretizzabile quella di vedere Sebastian al volante di una Ferrari nel breve periodo. Purchè Sergio Marchionne non voglia riservarci qualche altra sorpresa proprio con un altro campione del mondo…” http://www.formulapassion.it/2014/09/f1-...titoli-di-coda/
Translation: If Fernando had to go, in your opinion, who could replace him: Sebastian Vettel by virtue of an "ancient word agreement"? "If Alonso had to leave - very probable hypothesis, I repeat- I think Ferrari will look at 2015 as a season of transition, with Raikkonen in tandem with the young Bianchi. Vettel had a "commitment between gentlemen" with Montezemolo and Domenicali, both of which are no longer in Maranello, so I do not think it's a certain perspective to see Sebastian at the wheel of a Ferrari in the short term. As long as Sergio Marchionne does not want a few more surprises in store with another World Champion. ... Personally, I don't see any of this happening, precisely because of what Turrini says in this very interview: winning with Ferrari is much more important that anything else Alonso could do in any other team and as long as he thinks like that, he will stay, even if that means remaining for ten years.
The future of Fernando Alonso in Ferrari team has been questioned lately- again. This time the stir was caused by team boss Marco Mattiacci who claimed in Singapore that the terms of co-operation has to be specified. For the first time since 2010 when Alonso arrived at Maranello someone has questioned his position inside the team. This explains partly the irritation of Alonso to italian press when they talked about the possibility of leaving the team. From Alonsos point of view the recent three weeks have been unfortunate.At the very same day when Luca di Montezemolo announded his departure, the drivers personal friend and supporter Emilio Botin died. Botin was the main architect of Santander brand and sponsoring the Ferrari team four years ago. It emerged Alonsos negotiations with Ferrari were well advanced with Luca di Montezemolo, meaning Alonso would have driven for Ferrari to 2018 and practicly at the end of his career. According to information from the close circles of Alonso, the salary and the option year for Ferrari were the only things that were unsolved. But the negotiations changed completely when Luca di Montezemolo couldnt negotiate anymore and his place were taken by Mattiacci.Serchio Marchionne will take Montezemolos place at the half way of october. According to our knoledge, it was quickly very clear to Alonso, the negotiations with Mattiacci were much more challenging than with Montezemolo. The sources from Italy tells Mattiacci has denied the pay raise, also the performance clause regarding the right to leave the team every year if the certain point limit have not been reached was terminated by Mattiacci. Alonsos demands of choosing the best engineers and mechanics before the team mate wasnt also approved. The deal Mattiacci offered to Alonso is sort of cleaned version for 2017-19 without termination clause and advantages over team mate. Serchio Marchionne has proved to be very unwilling to sacrifice a lot of time for F1 negotiations and he has given free hands to Mattiacci to deal with the agreements with drivers and engineers.Mattiacci has turned out to be a very hard negotiator and he has had a few clashes with Alonso. For the five years Alonso has driven for Ferrari and during that time the team hasnt won any championship. Last two years Alonso has given signs he wants to go somewhere else if the team doesnt give him winning car.With those kind of statements his credibility has faded a bit inside the team. Alonso has noticed he is between the rock and a hard place as Mercedes probably dominates the field as before and Alonsos deal will end at the end of 2016. He has to buy himself out of the team. There seems not to be any better team at sight for the moment so Alonso may have to stay in the team with weaker terms than earlier. Mclaren with the help of Honda has been very interested in hiring Alonso but going back to the team he left with banging doors doesnt seem very logical. Someone has to pay 30 million euros to Ferrari in order to have Alonso plus Santander has to pay their sponsorship money to Ferrari even if Alonso would not drive there anymore.
ouch. seems like new boss is the guy who starts asking - we gave you everything, what's good is for us out of this? It should work for a benefit of the team, not one person. In my opinion last few years all pundits are saying - Alonso is the best driver, Ferrari is not good. I can imagine a team boss being quite annoyed with this. 'Aonso cult' is becoming bigger than 'Ferrari cult' (at least if judge by the press) and it's always a problem for a team when it starts to damage team's reputation. I have a feeling that this is what's happening now - team has started to suffer and as I remember 'No driver is bigger than Ferrari'...
Nomad, you're the rider so mysterious Nomad, you're the spirit that men fear in us
one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star - it's a satanic drug thing you wouldn't understand...
Have read today that Alonso is very very close signing to McLaren who in turn thru Honda would buy over Alonso contract with Ferrari a and made an offer to Nando higher than what is now. This would made the best ever paid F1 pilot. Wait and see
Quote: jpp47 wrote in post #719Have read today that Alonso is very very close signing to McLaren who in turn thru Honda would buy over Alonso contract with Ferrari a and made an offer to Nando higher than what is now. This would made the best ever paid F1 pilot. Wait and see
It seems inevitable at this point. The only question everyone seems to be asking is when will it be announced? And will Ferrari or Fernando announce first?
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Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:42 pm
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