Ferrari: The evolution continues on the streets of Valencia

After the North American interlude in Montreal, the European season resumes seven races from the final round in Monza, the last of those scheduled in the Old Continent. Hosting the European Grand Prix this weekend is the street circuit of Valencia, the most recent venue for European races, now in its fifth edition of the world championship event.

At its debut the track was renamed the 'Spanish Monaco' due to the similarities with the race in the Principality, such as the port location, the presence of an unusual drawbridge like the Monaco tunnel, and the particularly picturesque location of the pits, in a the area originally occupied by the fish market. However, the characteristics of the track are very different: the barriers are further away from the circuit, some corners have escape routes and the cars run with less aerodynamic load. Despite being a new circuit, the track surface, although abrasive, is much smoother than Monte Carlo. However, the circuit is littered with slow corners and places that require good traction.

Until recently the F2012 had little traction, then as demonstrated in Montreal, a track not suited to Ferrari's technical package at the start of the season, considerable progress has been made in this sector. “It all depended on the enormous amount of work, the number of people employed and the particular attention paid to aerodynamics, design and production,” said Nikolas Tombazis, Chief Designer of Scuderia Ferrari. “The intense work of the last few months has produced a much improved car. We worked with determination to address all the critical issues encountered already during the first winter test."

One of the most noticeable changes in the F2012 in Canada was a return to a similar exhaust configuration to that of the debut. “The Montreal exhaust design was a cousin of the one tested in the Jerez tests” explained Tombazis. “It created several problems for us at the beginning, because it didn't contribute much in terms of lap time nor did it seem to represent an advantage for the driver. We then abandoned that solution and addressed other weak points of the car, until we achieved the first major change which arrived in time for the Spanish Grand Prix. Thanks to a different configuration of the exhausts - central - a new front wing, a new diffuser, a new rear wing and different brake cooling ducts we have produced what, as far as aerodynamics are concerned, can be defined as a new car . However, by continuing to work on the drains to develop a more effective and simple system, but still linked to the original one, we arrived at the one introduced in Canada".

It was truly incredible the progress made from a car with which our drivers struggled to get into Q3 to one that now seems to be able to fight for the front row of the grid and the top step of the podium, but Tombazis wants even more. “At the moment we are reasonably happy with where we are, compared to where we started, however we cannot be completely satisfied because we are not yet able to dominate the races and beat everyone, which has always been our goal,” he said the designer. “We have very strong competitors who are continuing to develop their cars and we believe that this technological race will continue until the end of the season. Our work is continuing with the same intensity and our plan is to introduce developments at each race, starting from Valencia: this weekend the updates will concern the front wing and the bottom, and we will have further developments for the exhausts . Other updates are in the works for the following races and I believe it will be like this until the last race."

Top speed is not a priority on the Valencia track, but it still remains a weak point for the Scuderia which we continue to work on to improve. “Speed ​​in Formula 1 is now a more complex factor than in the past, due to the DRS system, because it has changed the optimal level of resistance of the cars on any circuit,” explained Tombazis. “It is not simply a coincidence that a wing has been produced that generates slightly less downforce and drag to deliver higher speeds. We had to work on the DRS itself and on the resistance generated by the rest of the car body. We have made progress in this area, but still not enough to fully close the gap with the best in this area.” Tombazis and the rest of the team have never been intimidated by the work, but the designer admits that recent advances have made his life easier. “Rightly or wrongly, we expect that, like Ferrari, we win every race and are always competitive. Not being competitive at the start of the season was a real shock for me and my colleagues. They were a very tough two months, in which we kept our heads down and solved the problems calmly. The last few races have been a great stimulus for all of us, because they have shown us that we can achieve the results we work so hard for."

In the early years of the Formula 1 World Championship other stages of the calendar were given the honorary title of European Grand Prix. Since it became a separate race it has been held twenty-one times starting in 1983, with a break from 1986 to 1993, before stopping in 1998. Valencia is its fifth venue, after Brands Hatch, Nürburgring, Donington Park and Jerez . With six victories under its belt, Scuderia Ferrari has a good record, better than any other team. Our current drivers have always done very well here, Fernando Alonso has won twice with other teams at the Nurburgring, in 2005 and 2007. Felipe won at the wheel of a Prancing Horse car after starting from pole position in the inaugural race of Valencia 2008. After numerous problems the Brazilian repaid the hard work done in Maranello, with more competitive performances in the last two races. The Valencia event has quickly established itself as one of the most popular events on the world championship calendar, with many spectators coming not only for the regattas, but also for the Summer Solstice Festival which brings crowds of people together on the beach near the track to celebrate the longest day of the year. Despite the entry of a Spanish Formula 1 team, the main attraction remains our very own Fernando Alonso. The Oviedo driver deserves credit for transforming what was previously a little-followed sport on the Iberian peninsula into one of the most popular and it is no coincidence that the Valencia city circuit was built the year after winning the title in 2005 and in 2006. Having finished second in his first home race in Barcelona just over a month ago, Fernando will no doubt be hoping that a more competitive F2012 will allow him to climb to the top step of the Spanish podium, whatever the current name of the Grand Prix.