Ferrari aim to revive KERS for Bahrain

Ferrari will decide after next month’s Spanish grand prix whether to abandon development of the current F60 single seater.

In Malaysia, the word was that the Maranello team had endured its worst start to a season since 1992.  Another pointless race in China means the rot has not been this bad so early in a campaign for 28 years.

A major raft of car improvements is due when the European season begins in Barcelona, but if the championship is still in a downward spiral, Ferrari could turn its focus to 2010, team boss Stefano Domenicali admits.

“I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are,” the Italian said in Shanghai.

“In that period we will see really what can be the situation, so when we come back to Europe basically,” said Domenicali.

Observers are wondering if, in the post Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher era, elements of Ferrari’s overly reactive and shambolic past are creeping back in.

But Domenicali insists he is thinking dispassionately about what road to take.

“I think we have to wait.  We need to stay cool.  It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly,” he said.

Ferrari aim to revive KERS for Bahrain

Ferrari will try to reinstate a KERS system into its package for this weekend’s Bahrain grand prix.

Due to reliability and safety concerns, the Italian team pulled the technology from its F60 single seaters in China.

The heavier Kimi Raikkonen didn’t seem to mind not having the power boost, but diminutive Felipe Massa admitted in Shanghai that it is “definitely a handicap in my case”.

“This is another area where we must work, to go back to using it as soon as possible,” said the Brazilian.

Substantial improvements for the car will have to wait until Barcelona next month, but team boss Stefano Domenicali said Ferrari will attempt to bring back KERS immediately.

“The car will be the same as here,” he said before leaving China, “even though we will look at running the KERS again.”

Down from seven in Australia and Malaysia, only three cars were using active KERS systems in the Chinese grand prix.

Renault has for now withdrawn the technology, with staunch opponent Flavio Briatore quoted in the Spanish media as saying the energy re-use systems would best be used as “anchors in the sea”.

“We are going to analyse the data, the numbers.  BMW were most in favour of them and it seems they have discarded it now,” the Italian said.  “I believe it has been a dramatic exercise in throwing away money.”

Brawn GP is not yet using McLaren-Mercedes’ customer unit, but boss Ross Brawn believes KERS will be “a crucial aspect in the second half of the season”.

source: GMM