Ferrari F310

Active: 1996
Team: Scuderia Ferrari SpA

Designers: John Barnard (CD), Giorgio Ascanelli (Technical Director Track), Paolo Martinelli (Technical Director Engine)
Drivers: Michael Schumacher (1) and Eddie Irvine (2)

The Ferrari F310 is a remarkable one in the history of the Scuderia as its the first Ferrari Formula One car to be powered by a V10 engine. In Ferrari's naming tradition, this car was also appropriately named after its 3l V10 engine. It also became the first car with which Michael Schumacher competed, having made the switch from Benetton after becoming World Champion in 1995.

Ferrari's move to V10 was influenced by regulations, as maximum engine capacity was reduced from 3500cc to 3000cc for the 1995 season. In that year, Ferrari still ran a 75° V12, but it was set to be its last. In 1994, Claudio Lombardi was responsible for not only the V12 (type 044/1 and 044/3), but also, with the assistance of Gilles Simon and Osama Goto, for a 75° V10 engine. This V10 may have been bore/stroke 88/49.3 = 1.78 since it is known to have been of longer stroke than the next version. It would have been logical to use a Bore which was the same as a previous engine because then most of the cylinder head detail drawings and the associated tooling would exist, probably with many spare parts. Even with the large funds available from FIAT and sponsors this would have been a consideration.

The very first V10 ran 1st in May 1995 and a further evolution developed under the helm of Ferrari's new engine department chief, Paulo Martinelli. This ran in September 1995 and was probably the type 046 (or ‘Evolution 2’) 90/47.1 = 1.91 engine which later was used 1st in Qualifying at the 7th race in 1996 (San Marino).

It appeared that the V10 required 10% less cooling surface than the V12, suggesting lower friction at lower RPM (higher Mechanical Efficiency). Both engines were compared by Ferrari test driver Nicola Larini at Fiorano in October, in which the V10 car was found to be 2.5% faster (106.2mph vs 103.6). According to John Barnard, the chassis designer, the V10 had nearly the same Peak Power as theV12 (1009) so the better lap speed presumably reflected a more useful Torque curve. It seems like this test finally settled Ferrari's engine decision, resulting in the F310 being powered by a V10 engine.

Still, the transition wasn't as smooth as Ferrari could have hoped, as it was found that the vibrations of the engine, which did not have a balance shaft, cracked the Ti-alloy casing of the gearbox carried over from the smoother 1995 V12 where it had been satisfactory. The team rapidly adopted an earlier gearbox to resolve the issue, even though that came with different suspension pickup points, hence compromising the rear suspension geometry.

Specifications

Chassis: Carbon-fibre and composite honeycomb
Front Suspension: Independent, push-rod activated torsion arms
Rear Suspension: Independent, push-rod activated torsion arms
Tyres: Goodyear
Wheels: 13" (front and rear)
Transmission: Rear-wheel drive, semi-automatic sequential electronically controlled transverse 6-speed gearbox + reverse, limited-slip differential
Clutch: Daiko (races 1 to 8), Fichtel & Sachs (117mm, 3 plate carbon to carbon, as of the 9th race)
Wheels: BBS
Brake pads: Carbone Industrie/Hitco
Brake discs: Ventilated carbon-fibre discs by Carbone Industrie/Hitco
Brake calipers: Brembo
Steering: Ferrari
Radiators: Secan
Fuel tanks: ATL
Battery: Magneti Marelli
Instruments: Magneti Marelli

Dimensions

Length: 4,355 mm
Width: 1,995 mm
Height: 970 mm
Front Track: 1,690 mm
Rear Track: 1,605 mm
Kerb Weight (with water and oil): 600 kg (including driver)
Wheelbase: 114.2 in/2900 mm
Track: front: 66.5 in/1690 mm; rear: 63.2 in/1605 mm
Formula weight: 600 kg including driver

Engine

Designation: Ferrari 045 and Ferrari 046
Type: Naturally aspirated 75° V10
Total Displacement: 2998.1 cc
Max. Power Output: over 600 bhp
Bore/Stroke: 88/49.3 (type 045), 90/47.1 (type 046)
Timing Gear: 40 valves (DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder)
Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronical injection
Ignition: Magneti Marelli static
Sparking plugs: NGK
Electronics: Magneti Marelli
Fuel & Lubricant: Shell