Ferrari's new 248 F1 - not the end of an era says di Montezemolo

Then came Aldo Costa, creator of the 248 F1, to reflect on Byrne's role and the characteristics of the car in detail. He declared, "it was mainly to do with the V8 engine and we imposed a radical change from both a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view. The aerodynamics are still at a preliminary stage and will be until the first race of the season.”

“As regards the chassis, this is totally new, above all in the centre section. We decided on this in order to optimise the weight distribution and lighten the entire structure. The same goes for the suspension, especially in the completely redesigned rear end. The transmission too is all new (though constructed from composite materials) and also the differential. In building these two new elements in particular, we had to pay close attention to the characteristics of the V8. The greater vibrations generated by the engine brought more initial problems.”

The gathered journalists then asked questions to which Brawn replied that "from the midway point of last season when we realised we could not challenge for the top spots, we began concentrating more on development, especially the blend of the aerodynamic configuration and the characteristics of the new V8. Despite the progress that the Bridgestone tyres have made with the reintroduction of tyre changes, we expect to see lap times that are a second or two slower than last year.”

In conclusion, and related again to the tyre issue, Brawn responded to newsprint journalists and emphasised how having Bridgestones this year would be an advantage as they will supply four teams, enabling Ferrari to compare development and the progress being made with other Bridgestone teams. This was a luxury Bridgestone could not offer in 2005 and in many ways, was the crucial element in Ferrari’s downfall.

Paolo Martinelli discusses theV8

Paolo Martinelli is Ferrari’s Formula 1 Engine Director, and Gilles Simon, the head of planning and engine development. Martinelli and Simon faced the journalists next.

"It is a totally new project", said Martinelli, adding that, “it is also a return to the past, as the name of the car demonstrates. “

“We started working on this engine midway through 2004 and then tested it on the bench. Last August it made its first outing, at Fiorano, and in the autumn of 2005 we completed the V8. Now we are close to the final version. Obviously, in the course of the season we will have to cope with a very steep learning curve.”

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