Ferrari: Pat Fry, “More targeted work in Brazil with a view to 2015”

Ferrari F1 – After the North American stage in Austin, the Circus della formula 1 is preparing to fly for eight thousand kilometers in a southerly direction and, in particular, towards the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo where the Interlagos track. However, what separates the two circuits is not just the distance in kilometres, since we pass from the modern structures of the Circuit of the Americas to the narrow and characteristic paddock of Interlagos. On both circuits you turn anti-clockwise but the Brazilian track, the second shortest in the championship after Monaco, requires a different approach, as Scuderia Ferrari Engineering Director Pat Fry explains to www.ferrari.com: “Under the downforce profile, the level needed to make the tires work well in Brazil is slightly lower than that adopted in Austin, which was very close to the maximum configuration. The characteristics of Interlagos mean that at certain points you have to brake when cornering and this makes it more difficult to find optimal car balance, because there are greater lateral forces to take into account. It is also necessary to identify the right level of resistance to be able to perform well in the slow and medium speed curves without compromising the speed in the big uphill curve that leads to the finish straight".

Pirelli had originally decided to bring Hard and Medium tires to Brazil, however the supplier subsequently changed its mind due to the fact that the track was resurfaced. “When it became known that the new surface would be kinder to the tyres, it was decided to opt for a solution that would leave everyone calmer, and so we will have the Medium and Soft compounds” – says Fry – “In the past the wear on this route was very pronounced and pushed the technicians to opt for multi-stop strategies. However, I cannot say with certainty what the conditions will be with the new asphalt, we will have to wait to see the activity on the track to understand more."

However, very often at this time of year slick tires are not needed, as rain was often the protagonist of this race. The forecast currently calls for thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, with sunny and hot conditions for the race. However, it is too early to consider them reliable. A Friday of free practice in the dry would be very welcome by Scuderia Ferrari, as Fry explains: “Even though we are coming from the Austin race, we still have a large number of parts that we need to test and evaluate. This is obviously a more targeted job for 2015 than for the current season."