Tyres and KERS very important in 2011

This year’s Formula 1 season features several technical and rule changes, from the return of KERS to the arrival of Pirelli as tyre supplier, from the abolition of the double diffuser to the adjustable rear wing. This is what the Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari had to say on these and other topics. “As far as tyres are concerned, the results of the first test we ran at Abu Dhabi last November are positive and clearly it will be very important for the designers and race engineers to find the best balance of the car. Furthermore, I feel we will go in a different direction to last year, with tyres maybe exhibiting greater degradation which will make for more changeable racing, which itself will make grid position less significant in terms of the final result. At the moment, the real unknown concerns the handling of the cars in the wet, but we can expect it to rain at some point during the fifteen days of testing, so we should get a clear picture of the situation.”

The kinetic energy recovery system makes its return after the absence of a year, which one could describe as a sabbatical and Ferrari will be able to count on the experience gained in 2009. “We hope it could constitute an advantage, at least in the early part of the season,” commented Domenicali. “We have continued to work on this system, trying to improve it especially in terms of weight, even if the rules regarding its useage have remained unchanged. The costs? I have read some figures, but what I can say is that one has to look at how they were calculated. For example, as far as Ferrari is concerned, the costs relative to research and development are down to us and are not passed on to our customers.”

Other hot topics included the moveable rear wing and the 2013 engine rules: “In recent weeks there have been some clarifications from the FIA, but clearly until it is actually used on track, it will not be possible to give an overall assessment of this system,” said Maranello’s head of motorsport activity. “As for the engines of the future, the decision of the FIA World Council clearly set out the design and obviously, we are already working on it, because time is pressing. It is not the solution in terms of the split we would have preferred, but we respect the decision. However, we have to analyse the costs carefully, taking into account that today in Formula 1, there are four companies supplying all the engines and, in the current economic climate, we have to be cautious and make sure no one pulls out, which could put the system under pressure, before getting preoccupied at the thought of new arrivals. One priority that needs to be considered is the sound of the engines as it’s important for race fans should not be underestimated. Let us not forget that if Formula 1 ought to have a link to industrial production then Ferrari is on the front row on that topic, but we also have to take into account the unique values that are dear to our hearts.”