Ferrari still in trouble with KERS

Ferrari is still behind in the development of the energy retention and reuse system (KERS) which will be introduced in Formula 1 starting from 2009. Gilles Simon, head of the Prancing Horse's engine department, admitted last month that the Prancing Horse is struggling to implement the new technology, hinting that the 2009 car could even debut without any such system. The situation has pushed Force India, until now a Ferrari customer, to look around for a new supplier, and business director Ian Phillips confirmed in Japan the difficult moment in relations with Maranello.

"I cannot deny that we are behind" explained Ferrari's technical director, Aldo Costa, to La Gazzetta dello Sport, admitting that the progress made so far by Ferrari with KERS is minor compared to that of "most teams".

Costa added that Ferrari is aiming to debut its KERS system for collective testing in mid-January: "During the battle for the championship we spent a lot of resources on the F2008 and now we must also concentrate on next season."