Schumacher gives V8 thumbs up

Ferrari's No 1 driver Michael Schumacher (left) with new team member Felipe Massa.

Ferrari has built an all-new 2006 Formula One car around its V8 powerplant, an engine it last used when John Surtees won the world championship in 1964.

"Seeing the new car, with the new sponsor logos and, above all, the numbers 5 and 6, is a return for us at Ferrari to a distant past," said the director general of the race team, Jean Todt.
"It will be a great incentive to improve. The entire squad wants to get back to top spot".

But why an all-new car?

Aldo Costa, one of three engineers behind the project, said: "It was mainly to do with the V8 engine, and we imposed a radical change from both a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view."

"The aerodynamics are still at a preliminary stage and will be until the first race of the season.

"As regards the chassis, this 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 [composite] transmission too is all-new and also the differential. In building these two new elements in particular we had to pay close attention to the characteristics of the V8. The greater vibrations generated by the engine brought more initial problems".

The Ferrari team expect slower lap times than last year with the less powerful car.

Said team member Ross Bawn: "Despite the progress that Bridgestone have made with the reintroduction of tyre changes, we expect to see lap times that are a second or two slower."

But he said that having Bridgestones would be an advantage. "Bridgestone will supply four teams. Ferrari will be able to compare development and the progress being made with other Bridgestone teams."

So what do the drivers think of their new car?

"It has already given positive results in the little testing carried out," said former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, who teams with new partner Felipe Massa.

"The car seemed well-balanced and enjoyable to drive even though it is less powerful.

"As to the engine, many have asked me how it will change the style of driving with a V8.

"It is a question which I always answer in the same way: there will not be such a big difference.

"It is like going back to the levels of power we had 10 years ago. What I think will alter radically is the race strategy and not the style of driving."

Ferrari's president, Luca di Montezemolo, said he considered Schumacher the "best driver who has ever driven for Ferrari, not only in terms of speed but also of consistency.

"Michael bonds with the team even when things are not going well and is able to pull out extraordinary performances that we all remember. He has perhaps built something unrepeatable at Ferrari."

Montezemolo said the technological and engine changes in Formula One were significant.

"We had been fans of the V12 for many years and then, in the mid-1990s, were forced to switch to V10 engines with which we had great success," he said. "Now we are back to the V8s that we last used in 1964 when we won with Surtees.

"It is a big challenge in terms of power and reliability. It drives us all on to do our best along with our partners and technical suppliers".