Ferrari unveils 2010 F1 car

Ferrari have just released these images of their 2010 Formula One car, codenamed F10. They are the first team to show their 2010 racecar to the public, with a raft of reveals to follow ahead of next week’s testing at Valencia.

There’s no surprise in the livery and prominence of Santander sponsorship, that was pretty much confirmed last week. Rumours of Ferrari taking design cues from the 2009 Red Bull RB5 have proved correct, too, with this new Ferrari. Especially on the nose cone. Generally speaking, the 2010 car is a lot more rounded than last year’s F60.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali spoke at the launch, and here’s a bit of what he had to say, “This championship will be very important for us. We have two new drivers; Fernando Alonso, is a twice world champion.

“Felipe, we are talking of a new version of Felipe, but after such a dramatic championship like last year with the accident in Hungary and such a fantastic season, Felipe has all the assets to prove that he is a very successful one, he can prove that he wants to restart his pathway that destiny interrupted it in Hungary. Good luck to both of them.”

Ferrari were planning for Felipe Massa to give the F10 a brief shakedown at the company’s Fiorano circuit today, but that has been called off due to poor weather.

UPDATE: Video from today’s launch is now available below (thanks to Axis of Oversteer).

UPDATE 29 January: New images added, along with statements from Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Luca di Montezemolo.

Ferrari F10 – Technical specifications

Chassis

• Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
• Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
• Limited-slip differential
• Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox – quick shift
• Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
• Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
• Independent suspension, push-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
• Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 620 kg
• BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13”

Engine

• Type: 056
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium: V 90°
• Number of valves: 32
• Pneumatic distribution
• Total displacement: 2398 cm3
• Piston bore: 98 mm
• Weight: > 95 kg
• Electronic injection and ignition
• Fuel: Shell V-Power
• Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra

Alonso: “We have the best technicians in the world “

Maranello, 28 January 2010 – Fernando Alonso arrived at the convention centre for the press conference at the presentation of the F10, the new single-seater for the 2010 season, in the afternoon to answer the journalists’ questions. The Spanish driver’s first impressions of the new car were positive: “Regarding its comfort it seems to be more or less on the same level as last year’s car. There’s always something to improve in the cockpit – seat, elbows, pedals, which have a different inclination compared to the standard set up, while we’ve been working on the steering wheel mainly in November and December to simplify things a little compared to the past.”

Alonso was extremely calm regarding the possibilities of the F10‘s development: “I’m very calm regarding the work done by all the technicians at Ferrari. We have the best technicians in the world. The work we’re doing in February, with Felipe’s and my suggestions on the car, makes me really confident as far as the first race is concerned. We have a team that is able to set up the best possible car for you in a very short time. What raises our confidence are the technicians, the data from the wind tunnel, the suspension, the mechanics and the engine. It might even happen that the data on the track will be even more encouraging.” The Spanish driver has no doubts about his relationship with his teammate: “Felipe and I both race for Ferrari. It is important that a red car wins. We’ll both give it our all to improve our performance, we’ll both give 100%. I’ve always had strong teammates and I never had any problems with then. I have a great relation to all of them and it won’t be different with Felipe.” The role the simulator will play will be pretty important: “The simulator serves more and more every year, because the rules allow us less and less tests on the track. But reality is always different.”

The journalists were then mainly asking about the 2010 rules and especially about the fact that refuelling won’t be allowed anymore: “The new rules will also lead to some changes in our driving styles. The drivers have to adapt to every situation, especially during the first laps in the race. Without a warm up on Sunday we’ll have slower cars at the first brake points.” According to the Spanish driver more details will be available soon: “We’ll have a more precise idea after the first test; with the petrol load we can put into the tank we’ll all have a different load on board. We’ll concentrate on our work during the tests, without considering the lap times; we’ll see if we’ll be satisfied with the car or not.” Alonso also commented on the new points system: “It’s the same for all. Although as far as I am concerned, I’m a traditionalist; we’re losing a little bit of the statistics. Today in the top ten I’m on place four in terms of overall points in the history of F1. The statistics will get lost over time, because the drivers will earn more points. But the sport has to renew itself and they decided like that because they think that this is the best possible way.” Answering the question if there will be more or less overtaking manoeuvres Alonso said: “Nothing will change this year, you always have to take every opportunity to overtake, although, knowing nothing about the strategies of the other teams, the qualifying will be really important.

As far as the traditional predictions are concerned, Alonso commented: “Every season is exciting and interesting at the start; even last year I was very confident. It’s the same this year, although there are the expectations regarding Schumacher’s comeback, which is very good for F1, which might be well received by TV viewers. I think that there will be two teams fighting for the Drivers’ Title and two for the Constructors’ Title. Let’s hope we’ll be there. Winning the title. I’m not making a bet here, right now everything is too open.”

In the end the Spanish driver spoke about his dreams he wants to make come true with Ferrari: “All my dreams in my career came true: now the one to become a Ferrari driver. 10 years ago I met Ferrari managers, but back then it was about racing for a client team, like Prost.

Now the feeling is different, I can almost feel the car in Valencia, it’s very exciting. I hope to stay here for many years, because if you don’t win the Championship one year, you don’t have to consider to change the team.”

Massa: “I expect that we’ll rapidly learn the race strategies and how to manage the car”

Maranello, 28 January 2010 – A serene and motivated Felipe Massa spoke to the press during the conference at the presentation of the F10. The first question was about the 2010 rules, which alter the approach to the races noticeably: “How do you think the races will look like with the new rules?”

“We’ll start with less petrol into the weekend, while we will start into the race with enough petrol for the whole distance. Then there are other details, such as the points assigned to the first and second in the races. Having all these changes in mind we have to pay a lot of attention and learn rapidly in terms of strategy and, as far as I am concerned, regarding driving the car to be immediately competitive.“

Felipe should have driven the F10 at its debut in the afternoon, but the weather conditions weren’t right. So the Brazilian driver spoke about his enormous contribution to the single-seater’s development: “Many things happened in 2009, resulting in difficult conditions for us to work on the car. We started very early thinking about 2010. We were asking for many modifications not just regarding aerodynamics, but also the engine and the tank. Everything was really important considering the 2010 rules. What’s very important is that every single detail can bring tenths of a second.”

Another topic were the great expectations regarding his teammate Fernando Alonso: “The expectations as far as my teammate is concerned I’ve been living for many years now. When there’s a new driver at Ferrari there are great expectations and the goal is to work well as a team, to be complete. I’ll have a very strong teammate. I’ve always done good work, learned a lot, shown many times that I’m able to win and fight, whoever my teammate was. Michael is a friend and I learned a lot from him, but on the track we’ll be competitors. Although we’ll have a good relationship, as always. I’m happy that he’s cheering for me.”

The journalists also wanted to talk about Massa’s accident last year: “I had a really unbelievable accident. But naturally safety is something we’re working on every single day. We have to continue like this and there will be much more work to do also amongst us drivers and on the tracks to improve. On a personal level I’m happy that with everything that happened nothing has changed in my work.”

In the end there was a private question: what is more exciting: the baptism of the F10 or the upcoming one of your son?

“Felipinho was born in November and it was an incredible feeling. I’m so proud and happy. This here today is a different child: the F10; we have to let it grow rapidly and lift it to a higher level. What we can see here today is the result of many months of hard work on the car, let’s hope that we’ll be competitive right from the start.”

Luca di Montezemolo: “The team worked with great determination and unity I haven’t seen for a long time”

“The presentation was very emotional, because I was excited. For me, Ferrari, together with my family, is the most important thing in my life.” With these words Chairman Luca di Montezemolo opened the press conference held in Fiorano at the presentation of the F10 this morning.

“This is a very emotional moment I’m confronting with anticipation, but I won’t know where we stand before the Saturday of the qualifying in Bahrain. The team worked with determination and unity I haven’t seen for a long time.”

The numerous journalists present at the press conference asked him about his point of view regarding Schumacher’s comeback and the Chairman replied: “I like Schumacher and I’m this misdeed’s author. It was me who woke his desire to come back to racing and honestly I never thought I’d see him in a car that wasn’t a Ferrari. He’s a competitor, an opponent, like many others. I’m not worried about the possibility that he might have taken material from our development.”

Regarding the situation of the Scuderia Ferrari drivers the Chairman confirmed: “When Ferrari decided in 2005 to take Raikkonen the alternative was Alonso, who now finds himself in a fundamental moment of his life. He’s matured, young and strong; he has won two World Championships, one in 2005 and one in 2006, beating us 100%. We don’t have any problem as far as our drivers are concerned. We have Massa, who is back with further enthusiasm, we have Alonso I just told you about and then we have Fisichella as the third driver and two very experienced test drivers: Marc Gene and Luca Badoer.”

The journalists asked many questions regarding renewals and stability for Formula 1: “Formula 1 needs a season of great renewal with three main objectives: technology, because it has to become the avant-garde to anticipate extreme and innovative technology for road cars; it has to regain credibility and it needs justice to guarantee stability. Furthermore the cost is an important factor – I don’t want a Formula 1 with lower performance – and also stable rules.

As far as the rules are concerned the Ferrari Chairman said he was “very much in favour of qualifying without full tanks like in the past and the choice of tyres. This is a start, with the collaboration from all of us. I think that teams and Federation can look ahead and do many things.”

One journalist asked about Valentino Rossi’s possible arrival at Ferrari: “I want to be a little more general: I spoke about the possibility of a third car, but I didn’t say that Ferrari needs to have three cars. I’m well aware of the objections coming from the small teams. I was talking from the point of view of the interest of Formula 1 and of potential new entries in Formula 1. The third car could also be helpful for young drivers, to let them grow. It’s not right that a boy, who has never driven in Formula 1 starts into a race without training and tests. Here’s the idea: I would happily give a Ferrari to an American, German or Australian team and let the car be managed by them. They would definitely spend less than if they had to build a car on their own from scratch. They could hand it over to a talented and strong driver or try it with a young driver with a certain potential. I told Domenicali to work on the possibility that some teams, like ours, could hand over cars to other teams.”

Talking about Valentino the Chairman said: “He’s a friend and an undisputed champion, from Emilia-Romagna, a great fan of Formula 1 and engines, and also a potential Formula 1 Champion. If there was the possibility in 2011 and he wanted to do it and had the possibility for testing and adapting to F1, then why not?”