Will Ferrari be Ready to Adapt to their New Car?

The new Formula One season is upon us with the Australian GP coming this weekend.  For the first time in a while Ferrari will be attacking the season with two championship challenging drivers.

Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso will be the number one and, well, number one drivers for Ferrari and both feel confident about the upcoming season.  Alonso has been the designated lead driver for some time now and both drivers have been diplomatic in answering questions about sharing the number one seat.  They have said that they will be racing each other as always and taking each situation at a time as each one arises.  I now wonder whether if and when the time comes one of them will be able to step aside and let the other challenge for the drivers’ championship.  Read more about the two working together here.

Alonso won twice last season in China and Spain, but  Alonso finished second  in the Drivers’ championship to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.  Raikkonen won with Lotus in Australia and finished the season fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.  The driver he has replaced in his move from Lotus, Felipe Massa, made the podium just once last season but scored points in all but four races last year.  He finished eighth in the drivers’ standings.  Naturally, Kimi will be looking to beat that, and Ferrari will be looking to improve on their third place finish in last year’s constructors’ championship.

While both ultimately are looking to battle for the Drivers’ Championship (they will be working together to help Ferrari win the Constructors’ Championship) they both agree (in interviews on the Scuderia website) that there are many factors with the new car that will decide how effective they will be on track.  Reliability has been the key word thrown around all teams this year.  Scuderia’s Engineering Director, Pat Fry, knows that all too well:

In the past, the reliability of Formula 1 cars has been incredible, but this year, their sheer complexity means it will be challenged, particularly in qualifying and the race.

The managing of tyre wear and aerodynamic performance will be complicated by trying to manage the new electrical system and how to use it in different situations.  Fry says once they get past the reliability question marks, the new electrical system, and how to use it, is the real problem:

In some races, we will be fuel limited and we will have to work out the best way to save fuel.  Effectively we will be balancing electrical energy against fuel consumption and it’s our job to work out what the best combination is for the race.

Alonso and Raikkonen have three World Championship wins between them.  The boys at Ferrari are hoping that having two of the best drivers in their stable will help them gain the necessary information faster than some of the other teams in hopes of gaining a leg up on the competition (especially Mercedes who seem to have the early advantage judging by testing results).  Ferrari should be looking to get results this weekend in Australia which (minimum) justify their testing results. That would be a good start and Ferrari have an excellent record Down Under.  Seven trophies from Australia sit in the Ferrari trophy cabinet, and three of them have come from their current driver lineup.

 

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