Ferrari not chasing performance yet

2014 F1 season

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Accumulating mileage with the F14 T remains Ferrari’s priority for testing rather than chasing lap time improvements, according to deputy chief designer Simone Resta.

“We are still learning how the F14 T behaves in various situations and we are trying to gather as much data as possible,” said Resta after the second test began in Bahrain.

“One thing we are focusing on at this test is how the new power train is working and its interaction with the driver. Every new component is being watched carefully, such as the brake by wire system and all the software linked to the car, both of which we have worked on a great deal over the past two weeks.”

The team intend to “rack up the kilometres” at this test – finding more performance will be their next objective.

“The final updates for the Australian Grand Prix will arrive at the next test here in Bahrain and that’s when we will also start trying to get the performance out of the car,” said Resta.

The F14 T car has run more reliably than some of their rivals’ machines, particularly those powered by Renault. But the team are cautious over whether they might have an advantage over their competitors.

“The fact we had to change the power unit allowed us to modify the entire package, on which we have worked very hard, investing a lot,” said Resta. “But best not to commit the sin of arrogance in believing we have an advantage.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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27 comments on “Ferrari not chasing performance yet”

  1. Considering their lap times in testing so far have been quite respectable, this is very good news.

  2. Wow, if this is true, the F-14T looks promising. I would just hate it for ALO to win his 3rd WDC in such an ugly car but I guess it´ll have to do…

    1. No worries karter, a Ferrari will win the WDC, but Alonso will not be in the seat.

    2. I’ll take Alonso and Ferrari winning in something that looks like a Fiat Multipla at this stage!

      As for the F14T, I’m hopeful, but we’ve been here so often before. Before both 2011 and 2013 I remember the Ferraris looking strong, and being talked about as the main challengers to Red Bull. We know how those seasons turned out so it’s still early days.

      At least there doesn’t seem to be any major negativity around the car, and hopefully we’ve avoided having a slow, near-undriveable monster like the early spec F2012.

    3. @denovoinnc

      a Ferrari will win the WDC, but Alonso will not be in the seat.

      To early to say but, I remain quite confident who the better driver between the pair is…
      2WDC > 1WDC

      @colossal-squid

      I’ll take Alonso and Ferrari winning in something that looks like a Fiat Multipla at this stage!

      Hear hear!!!! I also agree with everything else you said! This F14T does look promising! **Fingers crossed**!!

    4. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      20th February 2014, 13:21

      @karter22 about your 2WDC>1WDC (which is obvious) please check this.
      Championships AT FERRARI:
      Kimi 1/3
      Alonso: 0/4
      Every statistic is relative to how one wants to look at it.

      1. Championships in the last decade:
        Button: 1
        Vettel: 4
        Alonso: 0
        Raikkonen: 0
        Hamilton: 0

        Both of you have terrible points. (Though I suspect Omar just wants to turn karter’s point against him)

        1. Let me fix that for you since a “decade” is 10 years @austus

          Championships in the last decade:
          Button: 1
          Vettel: 4
          Alonso: 2
          Raikkonen: 1
          Hamilton: 1

        2. OmarR-Pepper (@)
          20th February 2014, 17:08

          @austus last time I checked, a decade had 10 years, not 5

          1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
            20th February 2014, 17:10

            I almost forget the :P

      2. @omarr-pepper
        The 2007-2008 Ferrari machinery was leagues ahead of any of the cars Alonso has got to drive with Ferrari since 2010. Still, Raikkonen wasted the best car in 2008 and even lost to Massa that season.

        1. @kingshark

          Raikkonen wasted the best car in 2008 and even lost to Massa that season.

          Exactly!! How can somebody who is better than Massa lose to him! I just can´t seem to understand that!
          The funny thing is that it´s the same Massa, ALO beat 4 years in a row!!

      3. @omarr-pepper

        Championships AT FERRARI:
        Kimi 1/3
        Alonso: 0/4

        True but, Alonso has 2wdc, kimi before arriving to Ferrari had 0 WDC, 2007 Kimi lucked out since Lewis and Alonso took points off each other… he was just there with enough points at the end. Another point is, Kimi got beat by Massa!!! The thought of that is almost incomprehensible to me. Massa, the guy that Alonso had as his “whipping” boy for 4 years! (And don´t come to me with the “Massa wasn´t the same after the accident” story… that´s old.)
        Alonso on the other hand, first season there took it to the end and was royally done over by terrible team strategy! and in 2012, even though he drove a great Brazil gp, everybody got out the way (some even braked) for SV! And all this with “inferior” machinery. Kimi had the best by far back in the day.

        All in all, it´s a matter of personal opinion and the fact that you might loathe ALO. I for one, do not loathe Kimi, I just think he is a bit over-hyped (I do consider him to be good but not better than ALO). Honestly I am happy Kimi is back because he at least is more professional than Massa. Massa always tried to destroy ALO´s races like Spain 2011 where he could have held Vettel back for a while but no.. he left the door wide open for SV after the back straight (great team player!)! And there are so many other cases.

        Anyways, the season hasn´t even started yet, lets wait and see. My money is on ALO though.

        1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
          21st February 2014, 14:54

          @karter22 i don’t loathe Alonso, I just think the other good drivers are usually underestimated when you say “Alonso vs John Q”. Kimi didn’t “luck” into his WDC, as Hamilton didn’t into his. They were at the right place and at the right time and able to get the most of the moment. Don’t forget Kimi won as many races as Alonso in 2006, but that McLaren was more fragile than any car that Alonso has ever driven (maybe Minardi only :P).
          And come on, Massa being a bad player? in what planet was that? Massa has been so bad sometimes that he left the door open for everybody, not just for a specific race where he made a mistake against Vettel. And that “old” story about a different Massa before the accident is an old, true story.

          1. @omarr-pepper
            I don´t underestimate Kimi, I think he is quite good and is a perfect addition to the scuderia. Now the team will actually have both cars constantly in the points! I just don´t think Kimi is better than ALO.
            And yes, i will hold my ground, saying Massa deliberately sabotaged some races. Only when directly threatened to be sacked would he perform. On the “old” story, I have said it once and I´ll say it many more, if he was not the same, then maybe he should have stayed out! There is no point in racing if you know you aren´t 100% back or have just “lost it”. He should have retired, at least that would have been more honorable than seeing him be 3/4 of what he used to be. And if he really wasn´t the same, where did that Massa from hockenheim 2010 go? He was leading wasn´t he? I rest my case. Massa is just fragile of mind.
            Come on Omar, give credit where it is due… ALO is freaking awesome in race days! He might not be great on saturdays but he´s “the bomb” on sundays!!

    1. Interesting! If true… I suspect it would be deemed ilegal?

      1. Not if it is less than 5 degrees off from centerline, and lies within 100mm of centreline (middle 20 cm where others have monkeyseat) @karter22, and from what I saw on the f1technical.net forum it is likely canted, and within those limits @gunusugeh, but the single rear wing mount is also offset at the base, set also at that 100mm outer limit to make it possible

      2. @karter22
        Yes it is legal, if i’m not wrong there is a tolerance of 10cm when it comes to the initial exhaust position

    2. Cant Lotus make a symmetrical car at all?

    3. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      20th February 2014, 13:25

      @gunusugeh I can’t help but ask everyone please check how hard things are going in Venezuela right now. The riots are Barhain-esque and 7 people have died this week.
      That logo says “Venezuela: knowing it is your destiny”… well my friends, take a look at the news about that country.

      1. That is what happens when a regime imposes an ideology over free people!!
        And given the riots, that is why the president has ousted 3 USA diplomats from Venezuela. I guess he is trying to keep the truth from coming out!

  3. Ferrari haven’t been chasing performance for 5 years…

    1. Yup, instead they’re chasing Santander’s money.

  4. It is not a certainty that the faster teams at the moment ARE already in the process of chasing lap times… gotta love the media competition in pre-season testing!

  5. Unfortunately, last year they were still saying the same thing when they arrived in Brazil.

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