Ferrari car fix means new crash test

Ferrari is already working on a major chassis modification that could require the F2012 to undergo a new FIA crash test.

That is the claim on Wednesday of Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The report follows Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s alarm at the team’s current situation, with Fernando Alonso expecting Ferrari will have to "suffer" early this season based on recent track testing results.

"I would like to understand why and above all understand how we can very quickly make the necessary changes," said Montezemolo at the Geneva Motor Show.

Gazzetta said the modification is to the 2012 car’s sidepod area.

Meanwhile, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told BBC radio on Wednesday that the team will take its updated car to Melbourne, despite its reliability and apparent handling problems at the final Barcelona test.

Team advisor Helmut Marko bluntly described the final day of pre-season testing, when Sebastian Vettel did a paltry 23 laps and was dead-last, as "shit", but said "sufficient" data was collected the day earlier by Mark Webber.