Ferrari F2012 (pre-launch speculation)

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Oh god yes, finally some encouraging news. Things are looking good.

If they just give Fernando a car thats quick enough in qualy and just a little bit better with the harder compounds, they're onto a winner.

Yes things are getting better. Neil Martin is a HUGE addition to the Scuderia. As I mentioned a couple posts earlier, the simulation software has been introduced to help optimize the car. This is an area that Ferrari has fallen behind the competition. Obviously in past years Ferrari has always been able to use Fiorano for testing and to see if CFD & wind tunnel data corresponded. Being they had the track out back, they didn't develop their simulations dept as other teams did. Fry is fixing this and Martin has already introduced new software to help the 2012 car. This is very good news. Hopefully the 2012 car will be much better than the 2011 car.

[raymondu999]

I could be wrong, but wasn't Neil Martin the Red Bull pitwall strategist? I don't remember ever seeing him in a position of a technical nature

[Crucial_Xtreme]

I could be wrong, but wasn't Neil Martin the Red Bull pitwall strategist? I don't remember ever seeing him in a position of a technical nature

At RBR he was a strategist, however at McLaren he was far more than that. He was hired to help with new simulation technology & research operations. See picture below for confirmation he's working with simulation. Source is latest AutoSport magazine.

[Ratatouille]

Meh, Ferrari have become the champions of pre-season hype and pre-season testing.

The fact that Mclaren has let all these people go just implies that they have a new generation of engineers, while Ferrari are getting the crumbs of what is left of the old school of aero-engineers.

BTW I read somewhere in the Sukhoi forums that Macca is hiring Russian aero expertise from that company as some kind of outsourcing, whom I may say are the best I can think of in the whole world.

So please stop the Ferrari pre-season championship. Even all those guys they hired have not produced a race-winning car in more than 3 years, that's why they left in the first place.

[Hemsy]

Meh, Ferrari have become the champions of pre-season hype and pre-season testing.

The fact that Mclaren has let all these people go just implies that they have a new generation of engineers, while Ferrari are getting the crumbs of what is left of the old school of aero-engineers.

BTW I read somewhere in the Sukhoi forums that Macca is hiring Russian aero expertise from that company as some kind of outsourcing, whom I may say are the best I can think of in the whole world.

So please stop the Ferrari pre-season championship. Even all those guys they hired have not produced a race-winning car in more than 3 years, that's why they left in the first place.

If that is the case then RBR also got "the crumbs" in the form of Newey and Prodromou and look where they ended up. Newey couldn't win a championship when Ferrari were dominating but people still talk of him in the same light as Byrne. Any one man is not responsible for a team's competitiveness rather it how well an organization works in synergy.

[beelsebob]

Meh, Ferrari have become the champions of pre-season hype and pre-season testing.

The fact that Mclaren has let all these people go just implies that they have a new generation of engineers, while Ferrari are getting the crumbs of what is left of the old school of aero-engineers.

BTW I read somewhere in the Sukhoi forums that Macca is hiring Russian aero expertise from that company as some kind of outsourcing, whom I may say are the best I can think of in the whole world.

So please stop the Ferrari pre-season championship. Even all those guys they hired have not produced a race-winning car in more than 3 years, that's why they left in the first place.

Or it could be a combination of other factors (not that McLaren simply didn't want these engineers any more).

These could include (but are not limited to):
Ferrari offered better pay
Once the one key man had gone, a lot of loyal people followed the good boss, rather than work for an unknown.
McLaren is well known for being extremely clinical in the way it works – many people don't like such a structured environment.

[raymondu999]

I could be wrong, but wasn't Neil Martin the Red Bull pitwall strategist? I don't remember ever seeing him in a position of a technical nature

At RBR he was a strategist, however at McLaren he was far more than that. He was hired to help with new simulation technology & research operations. See picture below for confirmation he's working with simulation. Source is latest AutoSport magazine.

Ah. Right. If I remember Prodromou was the first to introduce advanced simulation techniques/software, including building the CFD program of, McLaren. Does that mean when in McLaren, Martin was perhaps a subordinate, or perhaps successor to, Prodromou?

EDIT: I just wikied Neil Martin, and

Martin was responsible at McLaren for the direction of strategic development of technology and race strategies, developing software to provide instant access to data on specific car component while on track. His role came to public prominence at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when he helped Kimi Räikkönen win the race by making a key strategic call during a safety car incident, by sending an eMail from McLaren's Woking base to stay out rather than pit

That doesn't sound like simulation software to me to be honest...

[Crucial_Xtreme]

I could be wrong, but wasn't Neil Martin the Red Bull pitwall strategist? I don't remember ever seeing him in a position of a technical nature

At RBR he was a strategist, however at McLaren he was far more than that. He was hired to help with new simulation technology & research operations. See picture below for confirmation he's working with simulation. Source is latest AutoSport magazine.

Ah. Right. If I remember Prodromou was the first to introduce advanced simulation techniques/software, including building the CFD program of, McLaren. Does that mean when in McLaren, Martin was perhaps a subordinate, or perhaps successor to, Prodromou?

EDIT: I just wikied Neil Martin, and

Martin was responsible at McLaren for the direction of strategic development of technology and race strategies, developing software to provide instant access to data on specific car component while on track. His role came to public prominence at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when he helped Kimi Räikkönen win the race by making a key strategic call during a safety car incident, by sending an eMail from McLaren's Woking base to stay out rather than pit

That doesn't sound like simulation software to me to be honest...

Wiki is your source? Yeah cause they couldn't be wrong, lol. You should really hop off your high horse.

Here it is from the horses mouth Mr. know It All:

"Neil Martin, Head of Racing Strategies Management and Development, and Gabriele Delli Colli, Head of F1 Simulator Facilities.
Straight from Ferrari themselves.

Scuderia Ferrari Racing News n.22


In other news, Byrne wasn't expected back to Maranello until mid-Jan but he is back already with a new flat-bottomed (and diffuser) of the Ferrari 2012 is a true 'state of the art'
Mentioned in previous tweets that Byrne was working on the changes, and has come up with one of his 'genius' floor designs
The concept is so 'revolutionary' that affects many other parts, so he has met with everyone to try it as soon as possible
Once tested in the tunnel, if it works, take a long time to manufacture the new fund and redesign / build the rest of the parts affected
Since few test and it was thought that there would need to modify the chassis, that is the 'urgency' of the meeting of the top engineering
If works are ahead of Red Bull?, Patience, and still tried, only the head of Byne;)
In terms of timing, if it works, will hardly be for the first test because it affects 'long pieces' very slow to make
But if they tried this in the last test before the first race
It seems that the 'old' is in shape, made ​​an extraordinary flat bottom, but if it works its new 'idea' RB who will not take 1s to FER
Do not forget that the flat bottom is not a fixed part of the chassis, so if you do not have to modify the latter, follow the FIA crash
I have heard that there may be another problem with that new flat bottom, there could be problems with the FIA, decided Domenicali"

This is via 2 reliable sources, TruZoneF1 & Jose Louis. Time will tell if they are indeed correct again.

[Lorenzo_Bandini]

Some rumors again

"To complement the information from @ Truzonef1, the current flat-bottomed (and diffuser) of the Ferrari 2012 is a true 'state of the art'
Mentioned in previous tweets that Byrne was working on the changes, and has come up with one of his 'genius' floor designs
The concept is so 'revolutionary' that affects many other parts, so he has met with everyone to try it as soon as possible
Once tested in the tunnel, if it works, take a long time to manufacture the new fund and redesign / build the rest of the parts affected
Since few test and it was thought that there would need to modify the chassis, that is the 'urgency' of the meeting of the top engineering
If works are ahead of Red Bull?, Patience, and still tried, only the head of Byne;)
In terms of timing, if it works, will hardly be for the first test because it affects 'long pieces' very slow to make
But if they tried this in the last test before the first race
It seems that the 'old' is in shape, made ​​an extraordinary flat bottom, but if it works its new 'idea' RB who will not take 1s to FER
Do not forget that the flat bottom is not a fixed part of the chassis, so if you do not have to modify the latter, follow the FIA crash
I have heard that there may be another problem with that new flat bottom, there could be problems with the FIA, decided Domenicali"

[Holm86]

Some of it is a little hard to understand.

But from what i can get out of it it will be exiting to follow.

[raymondu999]

Wiki is your source? Yeah cause they couldn't be wrong, lol. You should really hop off your high horse.

Here it is from the horses mouth Mr. know It All:

Good Lord man wh are you so defensive? I only pointed out that a generally-reliable source said that, and you have to call me a know-it-all?

"Neil Martin, Head of Racing Strategies Management and Development, and Gabriele Delli Colli, Head of F1 Simulator Facilities.
Straight from Ferrari themselves.

that kind of translates to Martin being Head of Strategies, and Colli head of the simulator. Based on that Colli doesnt handle strategies, and Martin doesnt handle the simulator. The coma and and in the middle separate the two statements in that sentence.

What I'm saying is I don't ever remember Martin ever being in charge of simulation software at any team, and what you've told me above is that he is in charge of strategy, and COLLI on the simulator.

[MIKEY_!]

I'm reading that the same as you ray.

[raymondu999]

I'm reading that the same as you ray.

I take it you mean the one with Colli and Martin?

[beelsebob]

Some of it is a little hard to understand.

But from what i can get out of it it will be exiting to follow.

The only thing I really get from that is that it backs up this idea that Ferrari have thought of something special to do with their floor. Who knows what, but something.

[Tyler]

Sounds like whatever it is, it's quite a liberal interpretation of the regulations which may or may not get past the FIA.
I hope Ferrari can live up to their pre-season hype this year for once and that we get to see some exciting innovations next year.