I've made it no secret that I'm not mechanically-minded; but, here is yet another version of what's not right at Ferrari...
((Yes, I shudder to use the word "wrong"!!
))
p.s. I did a LOT of editing...
, Tom Brooks wrote:">
What's Happened to Ferrari?Ferrari. The word, or rather team that's on everyone's lips currently in the Formula 1 paddock. Their performance this season has been the worst on record since the early-to-mid 90s slump where they failed to score a win in three years.
So, what is it that's wrong with the legendary Italian marque? Is it the car, the drivers or the management at fault? Is it a combination of all three? ...
...The Car
Firstly, lets start with the car. Due to the new lower nose regulations that were put in place for this season, many teams decided that to get the airflow underneath the car, thus creating downforce, that they needed to have a skinnier nose tip, thus why we have seen the like of the ant-eater and phallic-shaped noses.
The Scuderia decided to go down an all-together far more revolutionary route, with an almost vacuum-cleaner-esque front end...
... However, with the removal of different components at the rear of the car, such as the rear-wing beam and also change in exhaust positioning where it was previously used to blow onto the diffuser, giving traction and grip, allowing a driver to exit a corner and have more downforce in high-speed corners, Ferrari's somewhat bold design has proved to be less effective that originally planned...
...The aerodynamic problems are most certainly not aided by another fault in the design of the F14 T – the turbo cover...
... Essentially the ballistic turbo cover does what it says on the tin – it protects the turbo in the event of it either catching fire or exploding, which is a far more realistic possibility than it may sound given how hard the cars are pushed. In order for the cover to fulfil its purpose, it has to be strong and made from metal as a heat-guarding material. Now, strong and metal are not two things that a Formula 1 car designer likes to hear, because that means that it's going to be heavy. And heavy isn't good.
Ferrari found a loophole in the technical regulations and instead of manufacturing a bespoke cover, they decided to use the rear part of the engine cover (where the turbo is situated) instead. Essentially they strengthened it and made it so that in the event of the previously mentioned, it would be able to withstand such circumstances.
This all seemed like a good idea, but it still made the rear of the car heavier and with the centre of gravity being higher, it caused a severe reduction in traction, not helped by the lack of downforce, meaning that the car is incredibly difficult to get around and out of a corner.
The Drivers
One would imagine that the drivers are merely victims in this horrible situation where the Technical Director has designed a poor car, however their performance is ultimately what could bring the results...
Starting with Alonso, his ability to work magic behind the wheel of an uncompetitive car seems to know no bounds...
... He is easily their best chance of a debut victory under 2014s regulations, but with the main focus for the team on 2015, it will be increasingly more difficult to do so.
Forward to Raikkonen, probably the hot topic for most reading this article and I'll start off by saying what most of you are thinking – Yes, he has performed poorly. There's no denying it at all, his pace over a hot-lap has been between 0.5 and 1 second off of Alonso's, and over a race distance it becomes even more evident after having only beaten the double-World Champion in just one race out of 14 on the calendar so far.
But is it really his fault? There have been a fair few internal and structural problems at the Ferrari team, as is evident with the car that they have produced for 2014. The thing with Alonso's performances are that he has been driving Ferrari cars for just under four years now, whereas Raikkonen hadn't done so for five years...
... You can see a pattern emerging here, and although it all seems relatively obvious, it's all fact. Allison himself even went as far as to say at the Belgian Grand Prix that Raikkonen's driving style doesn't suit the design, and that speaks volumes for the Italian brand.
The question is now, what can the drivers do? Aside from giving constant feedback and asking for changes, not a great deal unfortunately...
...The Management
There have been key movements within the Ferrari camp this year, perhaps most importantly was Stefano Domenicali's departure from the Maranello-based outfit. He quit reportedly due to the poor performance from the team throughout recent seasons.
...the Italian states that he 'walked before he was pushed', demonstrating the cut-throat nature of Ferrari. Following Stefano, in came Marco Mattiacci... Performances have improved, and the car has gradually gotten quicker, but it's still around 0.5 of a second behind the likes Mercedes and Red Bull on a good day.
Marco's debut into Formula 1 was never going to be an easy one, and that wasn't helped by a further resignation from the Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo. Although Luca's involvement with the Formula 1 outfit wasn't exactly pivotal, his loss has certainly been felt within the team and indeed, the fans...
...Although Ferrari's 2015 plans regarding management are currently unclear with names such as Ross Brawn re-circulating and potentially Martin Whitmarsh, I do wonder whether the Italian-marque need to get the infrastructure sorted before too long, as 2015 is only six months away from lights out.
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!
