Ferrari hoping to retain engine customers
2013 F1 season
Ferrari’s head of engines Luca Marmorini says he is keen to ensure the team continue supplying customer engines in 2014.
Toro Rosso, who use Ferrari’s engines, are considering a switch to Renault power. That would leave Ferrari supplying only Sauber as well as their own team, while Renault would have five teams.
Marmorini said the more customers Ferrari have, the more engine development they can do: “A customer team is a very important opportunity for an engine supplier.
“First of all we can test more engines. With there being no test during the season we can collect a much wider database. In this sense it’s very good having customer teams.
“It’s also important to have a reference with a car with basically the same engine, to have a good relative comparison to your car. So Ferrari is strongly committed to supplying a competitive engine to customer teams.
“I don’t know if Toro Rosso will be next year with us. Still now we’re working very well with them, it’s an important contribution for Ferrari engine development.”
Marmorini added he does not expect teams to find a “similar amount of performance advantage” from exhausts as they had at the end of last year.
“The advantage of the exhaust is not making the car much faster than another one, he said. “It is contributing to the last few tenths.”
“So at the moment we are working on a different solution, we are testing both on the dyno and the wind tunnel a completely different solution. Then we put on the car what we think is best on our car.”
He added he is not concerned by problems arising from the new version of F1′s standard ECU supplied by McLaren Electronics:
“We are working with them. We had some problems but we were expecting them at the beginning, this is a brand new ECU.
“So we are working with them, everyday they are having some update on the software and I am confident we are able to race with a reliable system but even to be done. But still we have a lot of development to do be done. So no panic at all, lot of work yet to be done.”
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infy (@infy) said on 21st February 2013, 13:35
“The advantage of the exhaust is not making the car much faster than another one, he said. “It is contributing to the last few tenths.”
“So at the moment we are working on a different solution, we are testing both on the dyno and the wind tunnel a completely different solution. Then we put on the car what we think is best on our car.”
Interesting!
HoHum (@hohum) said on 21st February 2013, 13:41
I read only yesterday that McLaren have a hybrid supercar in the pipeline using the 3.8 turbo currently used combined with an extra 150 odd HP and torque, I imagine Ferrari will follow suit and will want to be seen to succeed in producing a good (better?) powerplant in F1 turbo-hybrid. 3.2L V12 turbo anyone?
BasCB (@bascb) said on 21st February 2013, 14:42
as in – 2 of the f1 engines bolted together @hohum?
HoHum (@hohum) said on 21st February 2013, 14:52
@bascb, that would be what they would like potential customers to infer, but in reality a road engine would probably be less “oversquare” than the race engine and have a lower max. rpm.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 21st February 2013, 15:16
yes, that sounds as a likely approach.
dodge5847 (@dodge5847) said on 21st February 2013, 14:13
Ferrari will probably loose toro Rosso but will probably gain Force India. However, I think they would rather have both.
MJ (@mjf1) said on 21st February 2013, 15:07
exactly my thoughts
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65) said on 21st February 2013, 14:16
Imagine what’d have happened had Red Bull stayed with the Ferrari engines! It’d have been brilliant to see another car winning races and championships so “easily” with the red cars behind.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 21st February 2013, 14:34
Only its well possible that they would not have won as much with that engine!
IMO Renault working intensively on the engine mapping with Red bull (and the Enstone team) was key to that, along with the tight packaging
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65) said on 21st February 2013, 16:18
@bascb probably, yeah !
falconspatrol (@falconspatrol) said on 21st February 2013, 14:32
what difference does it make for Ferrari having more than 2 teams? Isn’t it the same for them having 1 or 2 and having 3?
BasCB (@bascb) said on 21st February 2013, 14:39
its all there in the article @falconspatrol:
HoHum (@hohum) said on 21st February 2013, 14:54
Not to mention economies of scale.
Hairs (@hairs) said on 21st February 2013, 15:09
Given Horner’s disingenuous moaning about the Renault’s lack of power, and the massive disadvantage they had in 09 and 10, it’s surprising how many teams now want that engine.
Let’s face it, teams are just looking for a back door into red bull’s exhaust trickery. Everyone wanted the Mercedes a few years ago.
q85 said on 21st February 2013, 22:51
its always been a very useable engine. What Horner said was done for political reasons.
Remember alonso verses MS at imola in 05(yes it was the V10) and same again at Turkey the year later(V8) the car was slower but the low down traction kept alonso firmly ahead.
Its a great engine.
I Love the Pope said on 21st February 2013, 15:28
If STR is out, FI is in, and so is Jules Bianchi.
Francorchamps (@francorchamps17) said on 21st February 2013, 16:03
Clever! +1
Enigma (@enigma) said on 21st February 2013, 17:41
If Toro Rosso switch to Renault and Force India to Ferrari, Mercedes would only have 2 teams – would they supply Marussia then?
Brace (@brace) said on 21st February 2013, 18:36
I think Marussia will go with Mercedes since Cosworth is out after this year anyway.
Enigma (@enigma) said on 21st February 2013, 22:57
@brace Yep, and they’re already cooperating with McLaren. Makes sense.