Ferrari F14T analysis

    The new Ferrari F14T carries inside its genes all changes forced by new technical regulations , some of which obliged designers to develop ugly in sight noses but aerodynamically most effective. Interesting spots on the new car are summarized below

 

1. New regulations force car’s nose tip to be no higher than 185 mm from reference plane. In Ferrari case the nose is built very low and flat, very different in philosophy from the high dolphin style thin nose tips seen on most  rival cars . Modern F1 cars require as greater empty space under the nose as possible, a trend decelerated  by constant regulation changes .

2. Front wing’s overall width  reduced from 180 mm to 165 mm. Updated versions are likely to be tested soon as all teams will work hard to regain back the lost downforce .

 

3. Nose camera height is also restricted by new regulations to be between 325mm and 525mm above reference plane . Ferrari winglets seems to pair aerodynamically with the low flat nose and suspension elements behind them .

 

4. Nose vanes are  new , their shape and function depend highly on nose structure

5. Ferrari chassis starts relatively high and drops rapidly close to bulkhead to meet new regulation needs on lower height dimensions ( front bulkhead must be of 525 mm maximum height )

 

6.Pull rod front suspension remains.

7. Driver position is now lower, meaning better centre of gravity and driver’s visibility but in the same time less space under the nose and thus harmful for the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.

8. Highly aerodynamic mirrors able to manage airflow around cockpit zone. Ferrari used to revise mirror shape and position during season searching for the optimum configuration

9.Bargeboards in launch version are nothing but simplified copies of 2013 season, logically will be replaced by new more advanced ones

10.Interesting L shaped sidepod panels, help to restrict lift created by  sidepod body itself

12.Small inlet for cooling airbox itself

 

13. Airbox inlet now feeds the turbocharger system instead of engine heads, therefore is much smaller than last season

14. Additional small   inlet  on the engine cover , aids  cooling further

 

15. New greater needs for cooling not only for the engine but for turbo parts and ERS as well, that meaning larger internal multi-task radiators . The extension of black color  around all the rear bodywork ( if it was red there is always a possibility of seeing dark spots on surface, visually annoying, caused by overheating issues)  and the large opening at sidepod tail may well suggest that overheating issues are expected to arise .

16.Completely new much shorter Ferrari engine, turbocharged , V6 , 1.600 cc combined with KERS and TERS . Fuel tank capacity also reduced around 40-50 kg .

17. New 8 forward rations gearbox , replaced the previous 7-speed

18. Multiple holes on floor just in front of the rear wheels are also present like last season , stimulate the diffuser

19.Central single exhaust pipeline, blows above the gearbox in a drastic attempt of FIA to restrict exhaust blown diffusers

20. Rear wing is swallower by 20 mm due to new regulations . DRS (drag reduction system) is also more effective as the moving flap opening window is greater by 15 mm .

21.Double wavy pillars hold the rear wing on car’s body as the beam plane is forbidden by  2014 regulations . This concept is not new as former Honda and Toyota teams used to race with double wing pillars a few years ago.

  General estimations

1. Weaker powerplants will force teams to reexamine car’s set up for high downforce and high speed tracks like Silverstone because they have now a shortage of power to sustain too high attack angles on wings.
2. The shallower beamless rear wing and the less wide front wing alongside with the more effective DRS  will boost somehow the top speed , if of course the maximum power (engine and KERS) output is exploited
3. The less downforce productive wings, the lower nose and the ban of blown diffusers will eventually slow down the car in fast turns .
4. Pirelli tyres management, especially the rear, would still play a significant factor

All images credited to Ferrari F1 Team

Ferrari 053

 

 

Chassis: F2004

Season: 2004

Total Displacement:2997cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :92°

Timing Gear:40, pneumatic distribution

Evolution :there were at least two evolutions of the engine , the 053B and 053C

Weight: 90-91  kg

Max. Power Output:880 – 920  bhp  18.800 – 19.100 rpm

Materials :  Aluminium

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed:Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition:Magneti Marelli  static electronic ignition

Design: reliability extended to exceed 700 km, while conserving the required levels of performance and driveability

Engine rules change in 2004: a driver should use only one unit per racing weekend

Ferrari 052

 

Chassis:  F2003GA

Season: 2003

Total Displacement:2997cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :92° , wider than the 051 and thus of lower COG

Timing Gear:40, pneumatic distribution, had lighter valves and of  higher pressure to work better with new higher engine revs,

Weight: 85 kg , 90-91 kg with ballast

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec : 900-930 bhp ,  near 19,000 rpm , 200-300 rpm higher than the 051 at the start of the season

Max. Power Output Race-spec :

Manufacture: shorter cylinder heads and lowered , new crankcase design, the engine block is completely new and manufactured by microfusion

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed:Magneti Marelli

Ignition:Magneti Marelli

Ferrari 051

 

Chassis: F2002

Season: 2002

Total Displacement:2997 cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :90°

Timing Gear:40 valves

Weight: 95 kg

Engine Evolution :   051B  and  051C

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec : 860 – 880 bhp , 18.000 – 18.600 rpm

Max. Power Output Race-spec :   835 – 840  bhp ,  17.800 – 18.100 rpm

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed:Magneti Marelli

Ignition:Magneti Marelli

    The 051 was a refined 050 and it  had a very low centre of gravity and greater horsepower .

Ferrari 050

Chassis: F2001

Season: 2001

Total Displacement:2997 cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :90°

Timing Gear:40 valves

Evolution :there were at least two evolutions of the engines the 050B and 050C

Dimensions :  smaller than the 049

Weight: 94 kg

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec : 835 – 850  bhp ,   18.000 – 18.500 rpm

Max. Power Output Race-spec :   810 – 842 bhp , over 18.000 rpm

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition: Magneti Marelli digital electronic ingition

Ferrari 049

Chassis: F1-2000

Season: 2000

Total Displacement:2,997 cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :90°

Timing Gear:pneumatic valve gear, 40 valves

Valvesprings: Pnuematic pressurised to 200 bar

Evolution :there were at least two evolutions of the engines the 049B and 049C

Dimensions :  aprox. 600 mm l

Length: 615 to flywheel
Width: 597.6
Height: 365.5

Bore: 96.0
Stroke: 41.4
Conrod: 110.0
Compression ratio: 12.0 to 1

Weight: 100 kg ,  106kg with clutch

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec : 810-830 bhp , 17.800 rpm

Max. Power Output Race-spec :   over 800 bhp , 17.500 rpm

Materials : die-cast aluminium

Cylinder block: Investment cast aluminium, 7 percent silicon
Cylinder head: Sand cast aluminium
Rocker covers: Investment cast aluminium
Liners: Wet type, nikasil coated alloy
Crankshaft: Vacuum cast extruded billet

Pistons: Mahle forging
Aluminium/beryllium (later banned)
Connecting rod: Forged titanium

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition: Magneti Marelli digital electronic ignition

Ferrari 048

Chassis: Ferrari F399

Season: 1999

Total Displacement:2,997 cc

Configuration :V10 , 2 camshafts per bank (4OHC)

Cylinder angle : 80°

Timing Gear:40 valves

Evolution :there were at least two evolutions of the engines the 048B and 048C

Weight: 048  112-114 kg  ,   048B 107 kg  , 048C 105 kg

Dimensions :  625 mm l / 542 mm w / 380 mm h ,   the 048C was by 5 mm shorter

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec 048 :    800 – 805 bhp , 16.800 rpm

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec 048B :    815 – 820 bhp , over 16.900 rpm

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec 048C :    830 – 840 bhp , max revs 17.300 rpm

Max. Power Output Race-spec :   780 – 790 bhp , aprox. 17.000 rpm

Materials :  Beryllium and Barium alloys

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed:Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition:Magneti Marelli static

Ferrari 047

Chassis: Ferrari F300

Season: 1998

Total Displacement:2,997 cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle :80°

Timing Gear:40 valves

Evolution : there were many evolutions during season like 047B , 047C , 047D

Weight: 120 kg

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec 047D : over 800 bhp  

Max. Power Output:750 – 770  bhp , 17.200 rpm

Fuel & Lubricant:Shell

Fuel Feed:Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition:Magneti Marelli static

Ferrari 046/1B and 046/2

Chassis: Ferrari F310B

Season: 1997

Total Displacement: 046/2   2998.1 cc

Configuration : 046/2 , 046/1B    V10

Cylinder angle : 046/2 ,  046/1B     75°

Timing Gear: 40 valves

Weight:  046/2     120 kg

Max. Power Output Qualifying-spec : 046/2  760-770 bhp

Max. Power Output Race-spec : 046/2  730-740 bhp , 17.000rpm

Fuel & Lubricant: Shell

Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital injection

Ignition: Magneti Marelli static

Ferrari 046/1

the first F1 Ferrari V10 ever constructed

Chassis: Ferrari F310

Season: 1996

Total Displacement: 2998.1 cc

Configuration :V10

Cylinder angle : 75°

Timing Gear: 40 valves

Weight: 120 kg

Max. Power Output: approx. 700 bhp , 16.000 – 17.000 rpm

Fuel & Lubricant: Shell

Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronical injection

Ignition: Magneti Marelli static

The name F310 refers to the engine type, a 3 litre, 10 cylinder

Ferrari 044/1

Chassis: Ferrari 412T2

Total Displacement: 2,997.343 cc

Configuration :V12

Cylinder angle : 75°

Timing Gear: 48 valves

Weight: 132 kg

Max. Power Output: approx. 600 bhp , 16.000 – 17.000 rpm , rumors suggest it could reach 760 bhp

Fuel & Lubricant: Agip Petroli

Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection

Ignition: Champion 10 mm spark plugs, Magneti Marelli static

Materials : Light alloy block and head

Engine rules change in 1995 : Engine’s capacity was reduced from 3500cc to 3000

Ferrari F138 – Rear wing , Melbourne spec

D spec – second Barcelona test on March

       At second Barcelona test one more new wing spec appeared which at a first glimpse looks alike with the previous version but any similarity collapses with a closer look in details . The upper part of the wing is completely new , it has new endplates with a less intense cut on top and shortened gills which allowed the construction of a longer second flap, all changes to improve downforce production . Finally the new spec gives more freedom for mechanics to adjust the attack angle of the flaps as it sports additional adjustment points on the outer section of the endplates for that cause .

      The D spec came by with a new higher downforce front wing to keep the aerodynamic balance of the car unaffected .

At Melbourne and Sepang Ferrari discarded the beam winglet favoring greater top speed  but kept the rest wing characteristics unchanged .

E spec  –  Melbourne and Sepang

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• Ferrari F138 – Rear wing , Jerez test updates (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
• Ferrari F138 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

Ferrari F138 – Rear wing , Jerez test updates

B and C specs – Jerez test on February

     A revised wing ( B spec) made its debut at the first pre season test at Jerez having an additional single profiled winglet ( also called beam winglet or monkey seat), which was mounted on the allowed centre zone of the beam wing to increase the overall efficiency of the wing .

     Later during the Jerez test Ferrari attached on the trailing tip of the second flap (highlighted in yellow , C spec – inset) a large gurney tab . Gurney tab makes the wing act like having a larger chord than it actually does and moreover allow steeper flap angles preventing stalling, hence produce more downforce with a small drag penalty.

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• Ferrari F138 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

Ferrari F138 – rear wing, launch version

A spec – Launch
blue arrows show the airflow extraction from the vaned endplates

   F138 since launch was gifted with an innovative rear wing, which sports vaned endplates. They, accompanied by multiple blade shaped elements hanging from the endplate bottom, help to extract air from inside the endplate’s zone to the outside hence improve the efficiency of both the diffuser and the wing itself . The DRS activation mechanism is also much slimmer than last year .

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• Ferrari F138 – technical specifications (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

Ferrari F138 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary

Chassis :  F138

Engine :Ferrari typo 056

 

    Ferrari eager to claim the champions from the start of the season and F138 seems capable of playing that role . On the contrary F2012 faced serious performance issues from its first day on track . The most eye catching features on the new F138 is the large chassis duct under the nose to feed chassis electronics with cooling air and  improve the undernose aerodynamic efficiency at the same time , oversized front wing pillars and vaned rear wing endplates . Detailed changes to the design of the front and rear brake ducts  also occurred .  Finally the driveshaft is also housed inside the lower wishbone of the rear suspension system for drag reduction like Mc Laren, Mercedes  and Red Bull .

Winter testing updates :

     Ferrari practiced every possible aid to collect and evaluate track data , such as pitot rakes , fluorescent paint and sensors housed around the car . All the previous mentioned come and gone according to testing needs . However a heat sensor is planted permanently  inside the support of  sidepod panel to monitor front tyre temperature.

    Speaking about the changes that took place from launch the major ones are the following

– at Jerez Ferrari tried cockpit gills to aid cooling and a new wider chassis duct to aid cockpit ventilation

– at Barcelona test on February the exhausts pipeline gained an additional support to decrease vibration and a revised engine cover to improve cooling further.

– at last pre season test at Barcelona numerous updates added on the car including  a new front wing , longitudinally vanes on nose cone sides, revised exhaust outlets , new diffuser and rear wing .

 

 

EVALUATION :

Aerodynamic performance :  seems to have overcome last season rear end stability issues

Speed :. Very fast on low fuel load but average on long runs under heavy fuel load

Tyres management  :   quite consistent but suffers  degradation leading to significant and gradually  lap time loss . The problem seems to be worse on medium and hard compound

Reliability  :  overheating issues came up at Jerez but seems to be gone now. Massa also suffered a suspension upright failure

 

 

 

Vaned rear wing endplates                      

 

 – Internal ducts to feed different components inside the sidepod tunnels

– a heat sensor is planted permanently  inside the support of  sidepod

 panel to monitor front tyre temperature.

 

 

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• Ferrari F138 – technical specifications (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

Ferrari F138 – technical specifications

 

Chassis
Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
Limited-slip differential
Semiautomatic sequential electronically
Controlled gearbox – quick shift
Number of gears 7 +Reverse
Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
Independent suspension, pull-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
Weight with water, lubricant and driver 642 kg
OZ Wheels (front and rear) 13”

Engine
Type 056
Number of cylinders 8
Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium V 90°
Number of valves 32
Pneumatic distribution
Total displacement 2398 cm3
Piston bore 98 mm
Weight > 95 kg
Electronic injection and ignition
Fuel Shell V-Power
Lubricant Shell Helix Ultra

 

 

Ferrari F2012 – Middle zone updates at China

Launch spec

 

       The F2012 had already received  several front wing updates before China , thus meaning that  some parts of the car should be re-examined to cope better with new aerodynamic elements .

China- racing spec , old bargeboards and turning vanes are shown in the inset , the yellow arrows present the exact spots were changes took place .

The first step to this direction was taken at China where new turning vanes and bargeboards replaced the old ones . The new turning vanes had a reshaped sharper end with  an additional vertical fin, while the bargeboard gained a winglet close to the turning vanes. Furthermore the large triangular chassis vane was replaced by more elegant double winglets spotted just behind the mirror, aiming to reduce further the amount of lift created by the sidepods .

China – tested only ,the new double chassis winglets were tested even without the rest updates

The new chassis winglets were even tested with the old turning vanes-bargeboards,  giving the impression that Ferrari was sure on their positive effect but had doubts on the rest updates .

 

 

 

Ferrari F2012 – New nose vanes at Mugello test

          Ferrari has introduced since Mugello test a new front end aero package with the nose cone no longer featuring the  L shaped vanes . As a consequence a new set has been transferred to the underbody of the chassis . Compared to the old units the new set is more complex and actually  consists of two elements with a curved upwards lower section , lacking also the  horizontal connecting winglet ( pointed in Alonso illustration via an arrow)  . Both versions are designed to boost the airflow underneath the raised front section of the chassis, but additionally the new set creates significant vortexes over the vertical axis aiming drag cut and a better flow to the diffuser  .

      Massa adopted right away the new set from the Spanish race after the Mugello test but instead Alonso continues to race ( up to Hungary) with the old ones . It is not the first time to observe Ferrari duo follow different development routes reflecting primary the difference between Alonso’s and Massa’s driving style . Alonso is manhandling the car squeezing the most out of it thus needing a very predictable car and probably the new vanes may have improved the overall aero performance but likely may have caused instability in certain conditions . Another example this season is the Red Bull drivers , Vettel and Webber (exhaust configuration difference this time) .

Ferrari F2012 – rear wing evolution from Monaco to Silverstone (including Mugello Test)

 

G spec – Debut : Mugello test on May , raced : Not yet
Notices : It is actually the wing raced in Spain (F spec) without the mini plane .Ferrari tested at least three new types of rear wing ( F ,G and H spec) at Mugello before the Spanish race .

H spec – Debut : Mugello test on May , raced : Not yet
Notices : It is actually the Spanish wing ( F spec) with a small vane on top of the endplate ( in yellow circle ) aiming drag cut . The endplate vanes featured since the Australian spec ( C spec ) force the air flowing at the outside surface of the endplate to follow a similar pattern with the air flowing inside them . When the two air-flows meet and mix at the trailing edge of the endplate will eventually create weaker vortexes favoring top speed .

I spec – Debut : Monaco , raced : Monaco
Notices : New wing for Monaco.It is actually a hybrid between the Australian ( C spec) and Spanish (F spec) wing . The second flap recovered the V-less profile while the gills reshaped curvy once more . The mini plane is also new having now a double profile, a wavy main flap and supports having the front edges to curl outwards, all to create more downforce ( the old mini plane  in inset) .

      Beyond Monaco Ferrari brought back the Spanish spec .Of course some adjustments on wing attack angle were made from race to race to suit better with each track special characteristics .

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• New rear wing at almost every race from Scuderia Ferrari (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

Ferrari F2012 – Frenzy exhaust evolution

           From the very early testing, Ferrari understood that one of the weak spots of the F2012 was the exhausts. Due to new 2012 regulations all teams forced  to move away the exhaust outlets from the floor level .However the ardent desire to take advantage of the exhaust blown effect yet remained strong and thus Ferrari  designed the exhausts to blow through the zone between the rear wing endplates and the wheel . The hot emissions bent progressively downwards as they travel to the rear of the car and seal the diffuser sides improving its efficiency . Another interesting thing is the common bodywork opening for exhaust pipes and radiators cooling exit .

        At least  nine different configurations tested  from Launch to Melbourne and are all summarized in the illustration above  . The launch exhaust abandoned very quickly because it caused tarnished dots on the bodywork around the exhaust outlets,indicating overheating .Since then the exhaust zone suffered several changes before Melbourne . The revisions that took place include :

–              Horizontally cut exhaust pipes ( specs  B, C and D )

–              Cuts on the bodywork ( specs C, D, E, F, G and H )  to both improve cooling and the strengthen the  downwash effect of the emissions

–              Carbon heat protective patches on the bodywork ( specs C, D, F, G, H and I )

–              Shifting of the exhaust outlet angle initially upwards and then inwards

      First steps in exhausts evolution  obliged the team to even place carbon heat shields on the bottom outer surface of the rear wing endplates for protection. Finally numerous thermometer stickers placed  on the suspension wishbones and car body to investigate overheating issues displayed by each different exhaust system tested.

Jerez test on February
visualization of gas flow in red,
yellow arrows point out the thermometer stickers

Jerez test on February
smaller heat shield

     The target for Ferrari with this continuous and frenzy exhaust evolution was  cooling improvement, car protection from heat and rear down-force gains .Nevertheless the quest of extra more never fades away .

 

 

 

 

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