36 replies to this topic

[narain fan]

NEW FERRARI SHOWS ITS COLOURS
Last Updated: Tuesday, 24, January, 2006, 10:44


Ferrari has officially unveiled its new F248 challenger to the world at the team's 2006 launch in Mugello on Tuesday morning.

The team hopes that the new car, which was demonstrated around the Italian track by Michael Schumacher, can bring it back to winning ways after a year in the doldrums.

Ferrari suffered a disastrous 2005 campaign which saw it win only once, in the ill-fated US Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

So technical director Ross Brawn, chief designer Aldo Costa and old hand Rory Byrne have gone back to the drawing board with the 248 F1, which shows a fundamental departure from the team's recent design philosophy.

Principally, the new car features a V-keel front suspension similar to that used on last year's championship-winning Renault R24.

There are several other detailed aerodynamic changes on the car including lower tighter sidepods that are hollowed at the rear, fixed forward pointing mirror stands, shorter exhaust pipes and a new centrally mounted rear-wing.

The team has also decided to continue with its centrally mounted, sprung, mini-wing at the front.

Schumacher was the first man to drive the new car at the team's Fiorano test track last week, but his new team-mate Felipe Massa has also completed 84 laps in it last Friday.


Ferrari upbeat at new car launch  

Brawn said he would like to stay on at Ferrari beyond this season
Ferrari have launched their new 248 F1 car first seen in testing last week at the team's Mugello circuit in Italy.
Michael Schumacher took to the track to show off the car which Ferrari hope will restore their fortunes after a disappointing 2006 campaign.

Designer Aldo Costa said: "We are very happy with the way it is performing."

Ferrari confirmed at the launch that Costa's predecessor, Rory Byrne, would be staying on for a further two years as a consultant.

The South African's contract was due to end this year, and Italian Costa was in charge of developing the new 248 F1's design.

Technical director Ross Brawn said: "We've made the final step we wanted to make where Aldo is totally responsible."

Brawn joined Ferrari from Benetton at the same time as Byrne after both had helped Schumacher win his first two titles.

Like team boss Jean Todt, his contract expires at the end of the year, but the Briton said: "I'm very happy at Ferrari, very pleased with the way things are and would very much like to be involved with Ferrari in the future."

Todt has said he wants to focus on making the 2006 season a success for Ferrari before considering his future with the team.




http://news.bbc.co.u...one/4643238.stm








ITV-F1.com

Edited by narain fan, 24 January 2006 - 12:53 PM.

[AutoRacer5]

You mean R25, correct?

Ah the number 5. Schumi's first Championship number and my lucky number.

[narain fan]

AutoRacer5, on Jan 24 2006, 05:25 PM, said:

You mean R25, correct?

COURTESY ITV-F1`

[Phoenix07]

Two things I note about the 248 F1;

It is aesthetically pleasing and a very nice and sleek looking automobile and

it just looks fast

Waiting with baited breath to see how it performs in testing.

Is it gona be a F2005 or a F2004? Lets find out...

[Karta]

narain fan, on Jan 24 2006, 01:28 PM, said:

Like team boss Jean Todt, his contract expires at the end of the year, but the Briton said: "I'm very happy at Ferrari, very pleased with the way things are and would very much like to be involved with Ferrari in the future."

Todt has said he wants to focus on making the 2006 season a success for Ferrari before considering his future with the team.
http://news.bbc.co.u...one/4643238.stm


ITV-F1.com

Todt is Briton? Am i missing something?

[monza gorilla]

Karta, on Jan 24 2006, 02:34 PM, said:

Todt is Briton? Am i missing something?

It was referring to Ross Brawn, not Todt. I think you misread it.

[ecapdeville]

Nothing new...the only difference is the number...I prefered it in red plain livery...

[narain fan]

what are they doing

[ecapdeville]

narain fan, on Jan 24 2006, 09:07 AM, said:

what are they doing

          ???

[monza gorilla]

narain fan, on Jan 24 2006, 03:07 PM, said:

what are they doing

They're having a group hug. See how happy Mr Frog looks?.

[Wez]

Wow its red.... amazing!

I like the way it has a 5 instead of a 1!

[narain fan]

Schumi only cares about number one



  


Speaking at the launch of the new 248 F1 car in Mugello Michael Schumacher said he still feels more than up for the challenge from the young guns in Formula One.

While at the launch Schumacher was asked about the relevance of his age to the up coming F1 season, to which he responded that age really wasn’t the stick by which to measure someone’s capabilities.

"I don't really need to feel anything different," said the 37 year-old.

"There's one thing that is in your passport and another thing that you feel in your body and your brain," he said at the news conference.

"I've seen those guys around for quite a while now, I know them pretty well -- we play soccer and do things together – and I don't have a feeling that I am an old man hopelessly lost
against these young guys," added the German.

Schumacher was even confident enough to say he could still teach the young stars a couple tricks.

"Not at all. In a lot of areas I am still able to show them what's possible."

Schumacher will have the number five on his car this year, not his usual number one. The German though was in a fighting mood and said he didn’t care to much about what number was displayed on his car unless it was the number one.

"It's back to what it used to be," he said. "It's not so long ago not to remember it. I don't really care very much what is there other than the number one."

Schumacher, like many in the Ferrari camp on Tuesday, seemed to be confident about the potential of the new 248 F1 car.

"Conditions are not really optimal for running a Formula One car. Nevertheless, we've been running this morning trouble-free.

“We did almost 40 laps," he said.

"I have to say I quite like this style of presentation, where actually you drive rather than just standing around and show something. We were able to show a good, competitive car.”

"How competitive we will only find out when we start testing with the others and finally go racing. But the indications are very positive."

Schumacher would not even take questions about his future in the sport, preferring rather to focus on the newest member of the Ferrari team, the 248 F1
planetf1.com

The V8 Ferrari makes its debut

After Aldo Costa, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne came Paolo Martinelli, Formula 1 Engine Director, and Gilles Simon, head of planning and engine development, to face the journalists during the press conference to launch the new 248 F1. "It is a totally new project", began Martinelli. "It is a return to the past, as the name of the car demonstrates. We started working on this engine midway through 2004 and then tested it on the bench. Last August it made its first outing, at Fiorano, and in the autumn of 2005 we completed the V8. Now we are close to the final version. Obviously, in the course of the season we will have to cope with a very steep learning curve.



Gilles Simon's success in development was underlined: "the calculations were made long ago and even if the regulation changes were related to us rather late in the day, fundamental modifications such as the selection of the centre of gravity had already been made".



"The rules outline global constraints but do allow a lot of space for projectual experimentation", continued Martinelli. "The 90° angle was our choice as was settling on the minimum weight for the non-moving parts. The real challenge, however, was lightening the weight of the moving components". "For the first time in ten years a drop in performance was recorded and this was fundamental. The change in power meant some greater investment, but in the long run, it will be more economical. The overall output of the engine remains unchanged and so some factors were the same as on the V10".



Martinelli also revealed that there had been some dialogue between the engineers who work on road-going cars and those who concentrate on racing models. "We met the people who work on GTs and exchange opinion in analysing problems and the methods to resolve them. It was by no means a one-way communication"



"We were certainly on shared ground", added Simon. "However, there are many differences, for example in our time schedules. We made a lot of input and so did they. It was a process of cross contamination".





gp2006.com

Edited by narain fan, 24 January 2006 - 03:28 PM.

[Wez]

narain fan, on Jan 24 2006, 05:28 PM, said:

Schumi only cares about number one

And guess who's number 1     

[narain fan]

Massa eyes victories  




Felipe Massa is ready to fight for races victories as he will join the F1 grid as Ferrari race driver this season. The Brazilian said the team won't hold him back and give him the chance to win races.  


At the launch in Mugello Massa was asked whether he would have to help Schumacher in his race to what could become his 8th title. Massa said Ferrari will let him race his own races: "The ambition is to win as much as possible. My first aim is to get my first podium and my second aim is to get my first victory. After that the championship title, and then we'll see…"

"I would say a team like Ferrari must have both drivers always getting as many points as possible, so I'm sure Ferrari will push for both Schumacher and myself to have a chance to win and to finish as high as possible during the races, to get points for the championship. So I will try to do my best and will try to get to the top as soon as possible and show what I'm able to do."

The 24-year old Massa is happy to be able to join a team such as Ferrari already at his age. "It's a good satisfaction to get in a team like Ferrari at 24 years of age," the Brazilian said. "This has come quicker than I imagined, but the important thing is to be here, and we must concentrate on getting the best possible result.

"In my life I got very quickly to where I wanted: I got to F1 at 21 and did three years of single seaters before that. Things have come quickly, but I'm happy to arrive at Ferrari with a bit of experience as race driver in another team. I've also been lucky to be able to do one year as test driver here at Ferrari. I learned a lot and met the people here. I have been well received and I have a good relationship with everyone. It's impressive to get inside Ferrari and see the organization here and the level of work."
F1racing.net


New Ferrari 'radical' according to designers.






The traditional Ferrari launch ceremony may have been transplanted from Maranello to Mugello in order to facilitate the team's test and development programme, but that did not lessen the media's enthusiasm for the event, in which the new 248 model was officially unveiled.

Despite returning to the team's former identification policy to reflect the return to the use of V8 engines - 248 standing for 2.4-litre V8 - designers Aldo Costa, and Rory Byrne, along with technical director Ross Brawn, were quick to point out that the new car was anything but retrospective.

"We imposed a radical change from both a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view, mainly due to the V8 engine," Costa revealed, "The aerodynamics are still at a preliminary stage and will be until the first race of the season, but the chassis is totally new, above all in the centre section.

"We decided on this in order to optimise the weight distribution and lighten the entire structure.The same goes for the suspension, especially in the completely redesigned rear end. The transmission, too, is all new, and constructed from composite materials, as is the differential. In building these two new elements in particular, we had to pay close attention to the characteristics of the V8, and the greater vibrations generated by the engine brought more initial problems
crash.net

[monza gorilla]

Wez, on Jan 24 2006, 03:17 PM, said:

Wow its red.... amazing!

I like the way it has a 5 instead of a 1!

  
They sure know how to surprise people!

[ben_3001]

Not impressed....the only thing I really like is that their isn't a 1 on the nose anymore  

[AutoRacer5]

I know, 5 is my lucky number!

[Jenson_Rules]

just the same really, just the front wing seems much lower, and theres a different real wing!

[Senna]

ecapdeville, on Jan 24 2006, 03:06 PM, said:

Team Spirit!

[michelfx]

Senna, on Jan 24 2006, 10:18 PM, said:

Team Spirit!

Todt looks a little camera shy

[Senna]

Yes.  

PS That Ferrari does look nice.

Edited by Senna, 24 January 2006 - 10:23 PM.

[red is an ugly colour]

[Senna]

red is an ugly colour, on Jan 24 2006, 10:24 PM, said:

why not?

because "red is an ugly colour" ?

[ecapdeville]

Senna, on Jan 24 2006, 04:25 PM, said:

why not?

because "red is an ugly colour" ?

I think because...the car is the same over and over again...its getting boring

[michelfx]

Senna, on Jan 24 2006, 10:23 PM, said:

Yes.  

PS That Ferrari does look nice.

Yes and the amazing thing is that no camera ever reproduce the real ferrari red. everytime you see it on the track, you unmistakebly go: oooohhhh look at that!

[red is an ugly colour]

Senna, on Jan 24 2006, 11:25 PM, said:

why not?

because "red is an ugly colour" ?

Yes!! Red is an ugly colour especially on a ferrari.

[michelfx]

red is an ugly colour, on Jan 24 2006, 10:37 PM, said:

Yes!! Red is an ugly colour especially on a ferrari.

You hate it that much? it must be that time of the month for you

[red is an ugly colour]

michelfx, on Jan 24 2006, 11:40 PM, said:

You hate it that much? it must be that time of the month for you

Well...I´m pretty glad I don´t have those months since they are red.

[Senna]

ecapdeville, on Jan 24 2006, 10:27 PM, said:

I think because...the car is the same over and over again...its getting boring

It is predictable, but quite nice nonetheless…

[monza gorilla]

michelfx, on Jan 24 2006, 10:27 PM, said:

Yes and the amazing thing is that no camera ever reproduce the real ferrari red. everytime you see it on the track, you unmistakebly go: oooohhhh look at that!

It's not Ferrari red!! It's Marlboro red. I despair. Senna, help me. Please. Before I spontaneously combust.