Jerez de la Frontera, 7 February

No matter if you have seen many new cars, more than a few whose design bears your signature, the first day a Formula 1 car rolls out on track always has a special significance, however much you might be used to these sort of things. It is a universal truth and Scuderia Ferrari’s Chief Designer Nikolas Tombazis is no exception to the rule.

“It’s true that you always experience a special feeling when the car goes out on track for the first time and you cannot deny it,” said the Greek designer when he met with journalists who had gathered at the end of the first day of the Jerez test. “And today was no different to many others I have been through just like it.”

What was different was the work carried out by the team when compared to other debuts in the recent past, as Tombazis explained. “This car represents a clear break with the one that preceded it and it features concepts that are very different for us and that require much more fine tuning. That’s why today we absolutely did not have an eye on the stopwatch, preferring to concentrate on gathering as much data as possible in order to get as good an understanding as possible of the behaviour of the car. We have much to do, but all in all, there are reasons to be pleased with the three hundred kilometres that we put together with Felipe at the wheel. We had to experiment with different solutions and that will be the case for the next few days as well: it’s obvious that some delivered what was expected while others did not, but that’s the purpose of testing, getting to understand how a car behaves and how best to develop it.”

The 2012 is definitely a very different car to its predecessor and Nikolas vindicated the choices made. “We decided that the only way to make a step forward was to be much more aggressive in our approach to the design of the car. It’s true that the arrival of Pat in the role of Technical Director made a significant contribution to this change, but it was a direction our group had already initiated. It is obviously too early to say if this year we will be able to win or not, but no one will be able to accuse us of having been timid in the design of this car.”

Circuit:
Jerez Circuit – 4,428 km
Driver:
Felipe Massa
Car:
Ferrari F2012
Weather:
air temperature 5/18 °C, track temperature 6/26 °C. Sunny.


Maranello, 7 February - First day of testing in 2012 for Scuderia Ferrari who, with Felipe Massa at the wheel, gave the F2012 its debut.

For the full day, work centred almost exclusively on data acquisition relating to the handling of the new car: Felipe completed a total of 69 laps, the quickest in a time of 1.22.815.

Testing at this track continues tomorrow, again with the Brazilian driver at the wheel.

Jerez de la Frontera, 7 February

To the sound of popular Italian song “Ricominciamo,” “Let’s start again,” in English, the F2012 emerged a few metres out of the pit garage at the Jerez circuit. It was five minutes past nine this morning when Felipe Massa left the pits for the usual installation lap. After that, he spent the first part of the day working on data acquisition relating to the handling of the car. At the lunch break, which began shortly after 1pm, the Brazilian had completed 51 laps, the quickest in a time of 1.22.815. Quickest of all up to this point was Kimi Raikkonen, with a best of 1.19.670.

As always, it’s very hard to evaluate the times during testing because of all the usual unknowns, such as the amount of fuel on board and the type of tyres being used. That is even more the case on the very first day, when the work programme can differ a lot from team to team.

Maranello, 3 February

This afternoon, the F2012 set off on its journey to make its track debut, scheduled for 7 February at Jerez de la Frontiera, in Andalusia. The only car available so far was launched this morning to all the fans of the Prancing Horse through the medium of the Maranello company’s website and was then returned to the Car Assembly area where the final touches were put to it. Then, at dusk, on a very cold day that actually did not see any more snow fall in the end, it was loaded onto a high-speed transporter which then left for Jerez. It’s a long way to go, given the distance separating Maranello from the Spanish city is around 2,200 kilometres and it is due to arrive tomorrow night. Some members of the team will already be there awaiting its arrival, while the majority will fly out of Bologna on Sunday morning.

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: 640 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

The F2012 is the fifty eighth car built by Ferrari with the express purpose of taking part in the Formula 1 World Championship. It adopts a well established tradition of being named after its year of manufacture.

The project, which goes by the internal code number of 663, constitutes the Scuderia’s interpretation of the technical and sporting regulations that apply this year: the main changes when compared to 2011 concern the height of the front section of the chassis, the position of the exhaust pipes and the mapping for the electronic engine management. Practically every area of the car has been fundamentally revised, starting with the suspension layout: both the front and rear feature pull-rods, aimed at favouring aerodynamic performance and lowering the centre of gravity. The front wing is derived from the one introduced on the 150º Italia in the final part of its racing life and has been evolved from there. Further evolutions are planned in this area for the opening races of the season. The nose has a step in it that is not aesthetically pleasing: with the requirement from the regulations to lower the front part, this was a way of raising the bottom part of the chassis as much as possible for aerodynamic reasons. The sides have been redesigned, through modifications to the side impact structures, the repositioning of the radiators and revisions to all aerodynamic elements. The lower part of the rear of the car is much narrower and more tapered, a feature achieved partly through a new gearbox casing and a relocation of some mechanical components. In recent years, the area of exhausts has been crucial in terms of car performance and much effort was expended on this front, based on changes to the regulations introduced this year. The rear wing is conceptually similar to the one used in 2011, but every detail of it has been revised and it is now more efficient. Naturally, it is still fitted with DRS (a drag reduction system,) which is operated hydraulically. The front and rear air intakes for the brakes have been redesigned and work was carried out in collaboration with Brembo to optimise the braking system.

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Maranello, 2 February

There was no let up from the snow last night, which continued to fall on Maranello and the surrounding area and the situation does not appear to be changing this morning. The forecast is still bad both in terms of predictions of more snow fall and of a further drop in temperature.

Therefore, the decision has been taken to cancel the presentation ceremony for the new car, which was to have taken place at 10.30 tomorrow. The decision was taken because of the weather conditions and because of the difficulties that would have faced the 300 or so people due to attend from the team partners, the authorities and representatives of the media in their attempts to get to Maranello.

Maranello, 2 February 2012

What happens when a former World Rally Champion gets behind the wheel of an FF for a challenge on a forest track completely covered in snow? This exceptional event was captured on camera of Ferrari.com, who followed this very special day for Markku Alen on the Arjeplog track, in Northern Sweden, about 100 km South of the Artic Circle. The track is probably the most challenging surface for Ferrari’s latest 12-cylinder which features an innovative 4RM four-wheel drive system that has fascinated the international press and clients, and was highly praised by Markku, the Finnish ice track specialist and winner of the World Rally Championship in 1978.

At temperatures between -15° and -30° Celsius on the steep inclines and challenging corners of the 14km "Forest" track, Markku Alen was able to test the FF to extremes, particularly the car’s traction on surfaces with extremely low grip. Thanks to the perfect weight distribution and the car’s mechanical set up, the FF again demonstrated its safety, stability and performance, with Markku commenting that the FF is especially enjoyable to drive, even for a former World Champion.

Maranello, 26 January

Germany loves Ferrari: this has been confirmed by the readers of "Auto Motor und Sport" - the prestigious German car magazine, available all over the world, thanks to its international editions - who voted for the success of the two 8-cylinders with mid-rear engine from Maranello in the traditional "Best Cars" poll.

The 458 Italia was awarded winner in the "imported sports car" category for the second year in a row, while the 458 Spider won "best imported cabriolet ", taking over from the Ferrari California, which had been successful over the three previous years. Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa accepted the award from editor in chief Bernd Ostmann at a prize giving ceremony held in Stuttgart today.

The success of the 458 continues for both versions - coupé and spider - bringing the international award collection to over 40 prizes, including "Best Performance Engine 2011", dedicated to her 4.5 litre V8 engine. However the car is also a commercial success, considering that the coupé, in its life of two years , has turned into one of the most requested cars in the history of the Prancing Horse, while the 458 Spider, just three months after its launch, has already a long waiting list regarding orders.

Winkelmann: “Lamborghini concludes 2011 on a positive note and enters a 2012 full of potential”

Automobili Lamborghini has opened a new dealership in France, Lamborghini Paris Ouest (West), in the presence of Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

The showroom in 15 Boulevard Gouvion, Saint Cyr is managed by Lamborghini’s partner Neubauer Group, professionals in the Parisian luxury car market.
The entire product range can be admired at the new Lamborghini dealer including the two series models: the Gallardo and the Aventador LP 700-4.

This latest Lamborghini icon has won 29 international awards for its unique design and innovative technology, which make it the new reference point in the super sports car world. The Aventador has achieved both public and commercial success: all cars to be manufactured in the first 18 months’ production have already been sold, throughout the world.

Alongside the Aventador is the Gallardo. The last versions which were presented during 2011 are the Super Trofeo Stradale, inspired by the Super Trofeo which races in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo championship, and the Gallardo Spyder LP 550-2 with rear-wheel drive. The Gallardo product line-up is the most successful range in the company's entire history. Indeed, nearly 12,000 Gallardos have been sold since 2003.
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