Ferrari, a tight battle in Spain

In theory, Formula 1, on a three-week break, has enjoyed a period of rest since Felipe Massa took his F2008 to victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. In practice, however, this period was very intense both on the track and in Maranello: in the workshops, all the data collected during the first three races were carefully analysed, while the Vairano track was the setting for an aerodynamic test. Massa, together with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen took part in a four-day test session on the Catalunya circuit, which will host the fourth round of the World Championship this weekend.

Although it has been declared the primary objective of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro to introduce small changes to the single-seater at every race of the season, the changes that will make their appearance in Barcelona during the race can be described as a new aerodynamic package, and the most The opening on the muzzle is visible. The media reaction to this new component has met with some response within the company, as there are some rumors regarding what the press has found about this part. News regarding the nose vent design has been circulating since last December and the team has never denied rumors that something unusual was being incorporated into the design, which could arise at some point in the season. The idea that this nose was the winning "secret weapon" of the championship is, however, an exaggeration. "The influence of this modification to the nose on the performance of the car has been strongly emphasised" – declares Chief Designer Nikolas Tombazis. "You cannot measure the effect of a component by itself and the nose is a part of a larger aerodynamic package and in fact, its effect is not so decisive. Above all, we expect that the new package aerodynamic can improve some aspects of performance, but it would be wrong to define it as the winning element for races". In any case, the muzzle itself is an element of great interest for technical reasons. "The greatest challenge of this component is represented by the design and workmanship - continues Tombazis, given that we have actually produced an element which, by virtue of its opening, contains less carbon fibre, less material and must in any case conform to the usual crash tests imposed by the FIA, which were successfully passed. This was a great challenge for the people involved in the production."

The actual purpose of the opening on the nose, the simplest explanation for its introduction, is that it is able to improve the air flows towards the bottom of the single-seater. With a conventionally shaped nose, air becomes trapped in one place towards the bottom of the car, whilst the nose now allows some of this air to escape, thus enabling more efficient performance for the bottom."

The tests held last week in Barcelona focused on three key points: development of the car, specific preparation for the Spanish Grand Prix and general reliability. The overall test results were positive. Felipe Massa had two productive days, and declared himself satisfied with the balance of the car. Taking to the track on the last day, Kimi Raikkonen had less time to spend behind the wheel, as the day was affected by rain. In fact, he only managed one lap in the dry, but he still declared himself happy with the work done by the team. On Wednesday, the now well-known motorcycle racer Michael Schumacher got into his car to test three different types of experimental Bridgestone tyres, developed in view of the changes to the regulations in force starting from 2009 and the return to slicks. The F2008 has been modified with the removal of aerodynamic elements, such as the aerodynamic appendages and deflectors to replicate as much as possible the downforce levels that will be in place in 2009. Apart from the alteration of the downforce levels experienced for the In these test sessions, the tires were tested with and without the benefit of preheating within the thermal envelope.

The race in Barcelona marks the start of what in the world of Formula 1 is called the "European season", although the event in Spain will be followed by some others in Asia, in Istanbul and Canada just two races after the one in next Sunday, and the European season seems to be more of a nostalgic definition than a realistic snapshot of the situation. In any case, Spain marks the return of the colors and spectacle given by the team's trucks and motorhomes and on this front there is nothing new to report in the Ferrari context. Before the Formula 1 circus moves to the Catalunya circuit, the Fiorano track will be the protagonist this Wednesday of the final shakedown of the two F2008s that Kimi and Felipe will use this weekend and, as always, this shakedown will be the test driver official of the Scuderia, Luca Badoer.

"We go to Spain with every reason to be optimistic, after the victories in Malaysia and Bahrain" – declared Stefano Domenicali. "The tests went well and we hope to maintain these results by further improving. However, our rivals have certainly not rested, so we can expect a difficult battle which we will face, as always, with maximum concentration at every stage of the weekend."

Last year, Felipe Massa took victory in Spain, setting the stage for victory by starting from pole position, and then battling it out with Alonso from the first two corners. Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, was in third place when, during the ninth lap, an alternator problem saw him retire, finishing with zero points one of only two times this happened in his career with Ferrari.

Ferrari