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Feb 19
Pat Fry has contradicted reports Ferrari is heading into the 2013 season with another fundamentally-flawed formula one car.
Last year, the famous Italian team had a memorably bad start to the championship with the F2012′s initial configuration. Felipe Massa, however, sounded much happier with the new F138 at Jerez recently, and he set the fastest lap of the entire test week, although some reports say his body-language gave away the real story of the car’s early potential.
Jan 30
Ferrari will call its 2013 car F138.
Until now, insiders have referred to the famous Italian team’s next contender as ’664′ — its working project title. But following last year’s car F2012, there has been speculation Ferrari would not simply call its successor F2013 — perhaps because Fernando Alonso failed to win the title with the conventionally numbered ’12′, and because of the prominence of the unlucky number 13.
Jan 19
Ferrari is sticking with its novel ‘pull-rod’ front suspension layout for 2013, technical director Pat Fry has confirmed.
Last year, the Italian team stunned its rivals by reviving a concept not seen in F1 since Minardi raced around at the back of the grid in 2001. Fernando Alonso ultimately came close to winning last year’s title, but it is true Ferrari initially struggled with its F2012, which even when heavily developed was never the most competitive car in the field.
Nov 20
“I had it available, but I decided I’d be better with the old one. That was the only difference.”
As was rumoured before F1 arrived in Austin last week, the latest developments for Fernando Alonso’s title-contending Ferrari did not work. New pieces, including a new diffuser, were tried in a straight line at the Idiada facility in Spain, prior to the US grand prix.
Nov 14
Felipe Massa has confirmed he had talks with some other teams before Ferrari re-signed him for 2013.
Earlier this year, as the Brazilian’s form slumped to a low, it was an open secret that the Maranello based team was seeking a new teammate for Fernando Alonso. “There seemed to be a black cloud above me. Nothing was going right,” Massa was quoted this week by Italy’s Tuttosport.
Nov 13
Mark Webber has warned that the 2012 championship finale may not be as spectacular as some are expecting.
The Australian’s Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, are separated by just 10 points with only the Austin and Brazil races now to come. But Webber told WA Today: “They may not even see each other on-track — that’s the way it turns out sometimes.
Nov 12
Ferrari is still pushing hard to give Fernando Alonso a title-winning Ferrari for the final back-to-back head-to-head with Sebastian Vettel.
With Red Bull and Vettel’s qualifying problems allowing Alonso to claw back 3 points in Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard is still 10 points adrift with just Austin and Brazil to go. And with the red F2012 still not a match for the Adrian Newey-penned RB8, Alonso said after finishing second in Abu Dhabi: “We need to keep working and in Maranello they work day and night to bring new parts.”
Nov 01
“Starting higher up means we can put pressure on the Red Bulls. So far Sebastian has been driving away too easily.”
Ferrari is focused on improving the rear wing of its 2012 car, as Fernando Alonso pushes to rescue his dwindling championship challenge to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said the Italian team has acknowledged that while Red Bull is not far away in race pace, the F2012 is struggling primarily in qualifying.
Oct 31
“We have small improvements coming to Abu Dhabi, and more in America”
Fernando Alonso has dismissed as “not true” reports in the Italian press of a post-qualifying row with Ferrari team members in India last weekend. La Stampa newspaper claimed the Spaniard took exception to media comments by Ferrari’s British technical director Pat Fry, and threatened to publish a ‘tweet’ about a lack of aerodynamic progress during his fading 2012 title battle.
Oct 30
Fernando Alonso almost lost his temper ahead of last Sunday’s Indian grand prix, the Italian newspaper La Stampa reports.
The newspaper said the Spaniard was furious after the Maranello based team’s technical boss Pat Fry blamed the drivers for a sub-standard qualifying performance. “The result reflects our current potential,” said Fry after Alonso qualified fifth in India.
Oct 24
Ferrari has travelled to India with some improvements for its 2012 car, test driver Marc Gene has revealed.
Despite admitting its wind tunnel has not always been up to scratch this year, the Italian team remains determined to fight back after Fernando Alonso lost his long-standing championship lead to Red Bull’s on-form Sebastian Vettel two weeks ago in Korea.
Oct 23
Ferrari have admitted they are concerned crucial upgrades to the F2012 car will not work as expected.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali has said the Italian squad needs to find at least 2 tenths of a second to boost Fernando Alonso’s chances of competing for the title against Red Bull’s on-form new championship leader Sebastian Vettel.
Oct 22
Sebastian Vettel is reportedly following Fernando Alonso’s lead, as the pair knuckle down for their four-race battle to the 2012 title.
We reported a week ago that Spaniard Alonso has imposed a ‘media muzzle’ on himself for the decisive flyaway trek through India, Abu Dhabi, the US and Brazil, and will even slash the time he spends with Ferrari’s crucial sponsors.
Oct 18
Indeed, 20 Minutos claims Alonso will be running the Massa-specification on his own red car next weekend in India.
Ferrari raced an all-new Red Bull-style exhaust on only Felipe Massa’s car in Korea last weekend, according to the Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos. The news would explain the Brazilian driver’s better pace than teammate Fernando Alonso in the sister F2012, and also the Spaniard’s confidence that he is still in the running to beat Sebastian Vettel to the title despite a new 6-point championship deficit and Red Bull’s recent dominance.
Oct 09
McLaren’s drivers have conceded that they are effectively now out of the chase for the world championship.
After Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won in Suzuka with title leader Fernando Alonso out at the first corner, pundits up and down the pitlane agreed that the pair will now have a head-to-head battle for the championship over the last five races of 2012.
Oct 07
Fernando Alonso has repeated his insistence that Ferrari must up its game as the 2012 chase enters the final stretch.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton both have clearly faster cars. Alonso, who spun into retirement at the first corner at Suzuka, has described his continuing lead as a “miracle”. “In 2010, they (Red Bull) were over a second faster than us and still we led the championship until Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Sep 24
Fernando Alonso has urged Ferrari to give him a better car to keep defending his diminishing lead in the world championship.
The Spaniard saw his 37-point lead become 29 on Sunday, as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won under the Singapore lights. Alonso, despite going into the race weekend with high hopes, could manage just third place at the chequered flag, having qualified fifth.
