Sakhir

Car 5: 295

Position: 7th

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 9th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal: “Honestly, what happened on the track today is only of secondary importance for us. We are very sad to learn of the death of Matteo Vignali, a young man who worked in the Gearbox department, who suffered a heart attack. He lost his life at just thirty two years of age, something that leaves us in a state of dismay. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and because of this, I find it hard to comment on our actual race result. What I can say is that what has been a very tough first run of races for us has now come to an end, although this is just what we had expected. We managed to limit the damage, at least as far as the Drivers’ championship is concerned. Now we must look to the future and make a step up in terms of quality which should allow us to fight for the podium and not just a points finish. That’s what I have been asking our engineers for several weeks and by Barcelona, I expect to already see the results of the effort we are expending in every area.”



A look at the Ferrari brake setup – note the many tiny drillings in the disc – where some teams go for much larger cooling shapes inside the disc.



Ferrari added a monkey seat wing to the rear of the car – seen here covered in flow vis paint.

Test 4: Mugello

Car: F2012

Drivers: Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa

Ferrari’s programme centred on experimenting with some new aerodynamic components introduced on the F2012, as well as a study of the behaviour of the Pirelli tyres. The F2012 had a very heavy rear end update fitted on the final day of the test with an all new exhaust layout far neater than previous versions.



Additional ducting has appeared in the form of gills along the rear of the car some behind the exhaust which could be considered flow capture ducts, which are specifically outlawed in technical directives issued after the technical regulations were published.



A small change was made to the base of the turning vane (above) with a smaller vane added to the protrusion.



The floor of the F2012 has a number of very fine vents in it also notice the very slim duct (partially blanked in this shot) just inboard of the exhaust exit where the plain carbon panels meet the red bodywork.

The engine cover has gained a hump, it has been suggested that this is part of Ferrari’s attempts at the DDRS and that the gerbox cooler duct serves some purpose in that system, though this is pure speculation.

Barcelona

Car 5: 295

Position: 2nd

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 15th

Driver: Felipe Massa



Ferrari revised the F2012’s front wing, with a number of small detail changes. Compare the new (above) with the old (below)



Monaco

Car 5: 295

Position: 2nd

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 15th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Stefano Domenicali: “First of all, I want to say that all our thoughts are with everyone who is suffering as a result of the earthquake that hit the Emilia region last week: we hope that this strong race from Ferrari will have allowed them, just for a couple of hours, to forget their troubles at such a difficult time. We are with you, in thought and deed, because our roots are there, in the ground that has continued to shake there for the past eight days. As for the race, we leave the Principality with a very positive result and, above all, with Fernando Alonso leading the Drivers’ classification and Felipe Massa having delivered a brilliant and feisty performance all weekend long. Both our drivers did a great job, from the first to the last lap and the team behind them was a match for the situation. I am particularly happy for Felipe who needed a positive result: I’m sure this weekend really represents a fresh start to the season for him. We have to be satisfied, but we must definitely not relax, especially as we are not yet the best in terms of performance, particularly in qualifying. As I usually say after a good weekend, keep calm and carry on!”

Pat Fry: “A very intense race, which ended with one car on the podium and the other in the top six. There was not a moment’s respite, right from the start, with the top six all together in just a handful of seconds. We all started a bit blind in terms of how the tyres would behave, both as far as durability was concerned and how they would perform in the first laps of use. Furthermore, the rain was always lying in wait and appeared right in the final moments. Fernando and Felipe both drove impeccably, without making the slightest mistake, as was the case for the crew during the pit stops. As for the strategy, day after day, the option of the one stop became ever more clear and, in the end it was the best choice.

Sure, with hindsight, it’s easy to say that if Fernando had stayed out on track for a few laps more, then maybe he could have also passed Rosberg and got on terms with Webber as well as Hamilton, given the time he did on his in- lap. I think this weather was a surprise for everyone, as was the difficulty encountered in getting the Softs up to temperature in their first laps. With just a few seconds to react, we took the most logical decision, which did all the same lead to a podium finish. It all goes to show how every detail is crucial in a championship as closely contested as this one. We need to continue pushing on the development of the car, because we are still not where we want to be in terms of performance.”



At Monaco Ferrari again revised the exhaust exit on the car. A conventional periscope style exit was fitted, note the additional cooling outlets forward of the exit, these are linked together by small slits – just visible here, and forward to the exhaust exit making sure that they comply with the single opening regulation, in other words this is just one hole!



A good look at the front brake setup of the F2012 in Monaco trim.



As at many other races the Ferrari team was liberal with the application of flow vis paint.

Montreal

Car 5: 295

Position: 5th

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 10th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Pat Fry: “We had a lot of work to get through today and we were worried the rain might come, which could certainly have made life complicated. Fortunately, the expected storm hit immediately after the end of the second practice session, so that we were able to get through everything we had set ourselves to do. We brought two different exhaust configurations here: one was the one used in the last two races, the other represents our latest interpretation of the concept that was part of the car when it made its debut in Jerez. From what we could see today, the latter configuration seems to be positive in terms of performance even if, obviously, we need to analyse the data very carefully to make the right choices for the race.

We are working very hard on developing the F2012 and we can now see tangible signs of progress. That is down to all our people, from those in the wind tunnel to those who manufacture the parts to ever tighter deadlines, without forgetting all the other departments and I wish to thank them all for their efforts. We must continue down this route, because while we have managed to close a good part of the gap which separates us from the best, it’s also true that we’re not yet on top. We have various updates here and the majority of them have lived up to our expectations and this too is a positive sign.

Stefano Domenicali: “There’s a certain feeling of disappointment this afternoon and there’s no point denying it. It’s the first weekend in which we have not got the most out of what we had, but it’s also down to the fact that the level of expectation was higher thanks to the progress we have made. Let’s not forget that yesterday we were fighting for pole and today, we were in the battle for the win right to the end: in Bahrain, a month and a half ago, not a year ago, we only got one driver into Q3 and we finished the race one minute off the winner. Today, we made two mistakes: we did not cover Vettel when the German stopped the second time and Felipe’s spin in the early stage of the race. All things considered, the first error cost us relatively little, while the second came at a higher price, because Felipe, who nevertheless had another good weekend after the one in Monaco, had the pace to stay with the lead group. Having made this preliminary analysis we need to look at the weekend in terms of the championship. Fernando is only two points off the leader and the F2012 is back to being competitive enough to fight with the best. However it was important to score points on a track that, going into the event, was definitely not one that suited us: knowing we can count on a driver like Fernando, capable of completing a year’s races all in the points is a factor that has its part to play when it comes to thinking about the title race. We must continue to push on the development to close the gap which still separates us from pole position: only when we have done this can we claim to have reached our first objective. Another theme we need to look into further is the tyre degradation, which is proving to be ever more the key to this season.”

Pat Fry: “To finish a race struggling with the tyres always hurts a bit, but for we engineers it’s best to evaluate the situation with a cool head and not with the emotive images from the television in mind. Today, Hamilton was quicker and the fact we were able to pass him was down to the strategy, by trying to do something different. Furthermore, given the behaviour of the tyres at that moment, from a certain point onwards, we decided on going for a single stop to try and at least make it to the podium. We did not manage it, but we tried right to the very end. Maybe we could have shadowed Vettel and come into the pits when he did: that was a mistake which cost us a position, but anyway Fernando would have finished outside the top three. A shame for Felipe, because he showed a good pace: a mistake early on meant he ended up in traffic and the last of the points places is definitely not the result that was within his grasp this afternoon. We leave Montreal convinced we have made a step forward in terms of outright performance, but aware that we did not pick up what was in our reach The F2012 has improved, but it is still not enough and we will have to work a lot on understanding the tyre degradation. We will head for Valencia with the aim of further improving performance and getting the most out of the potential available to us.”



A major update was made on the F2012 in Montreal and was centered on another new exhaust solution. This time very similar to the McLaren solution utilizing the exhaust plume to prevent the vortex from the rear tyre encroaching into the diffuser.



As a result copious amounts of flow vis paint was applied to most surfaces of the cars (above and below)



Valencia

Car 5: 295

Position: 1st

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 16th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Luca di Montezemolo: “This is Ferrari at its very best, the one everyone wants to see! Fernando was extraordinary and it’s hard to find the words to describe his race. I am very sorry for Felipe, who was really unlucky: he was going very well and I’m sure he could have brought home a good result if not for all the problems he had. Today has shown the spirit of a team that never gives up and it also reflects the spirit of our homeland in Emilia Romagna, where so many people are going through a particularly difficult time after the earthquake a few weeks back: let’s hope this victory will at least have put a smile on their faces!”

Stefano Domenicali: “We are very pleased with this victory, but we won’t let it go to our heads. Yesterday, we had said that the result of qualifying did not reflect our potential and I think today’s performance proves we were right. A shame for Felipe, who really got hit with one misfortune after another, first with debris ruining the balance of his car, then with the fact the Safety Car period came immediately after he had pitted and finally, the collision with Kobayashi: he had started in fine style and had everything in hand to get a really good result. Fernando was spectacular, in terms of showing aggression and in the way he managed the car and tyres. We could tell that this weekend felt very special to him and the win was really emotional for him and the whole team. Today, some of our competitors had reliability problems and that serves as a reminder that this aspect is crucial for success: in such a closely matched season, a no-score carries a high price in the classification. We said it at the beginning: these twenty five points will definitely not go to our heads. We are well aware how things can change in the blink of an eye and we must continue to work on improving the car’s performance, because it is still not at the level we want.”



The evaluation of the new exhausts continued at Valencia, with the ever present flow vis paint. The underside of the front wing was coated with paint hand the resulting run coated the front suspension and brake ducts.



Silverstone

Car 5: 295

Position: 2nd

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 4th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Stefano Domenicali: “We have picked up thirty very big points here at Silverstone. Once again, Fernando drove a great race, for the umpteenth time this season and has gained points over the majority of his nearest rivals, but let me tell you that I am particularly happy with the display put on by Felipe, who was in the fight for pole yesterday and for the podium, right down to the last, today. It is a nice result for him, which is particularly important for us in terms of the Constructors’ championship, where thanks to the biggest points haul of the year, we have managed to move up to second place. We also did a good job in terms of the team, both when it came to strategy and how we managed the race on track.

Obviously, when you lose the lead, just a few laps from the end of a race, there’s a hint of regret, at least in the heat of the moment, but then it dawns on you that this is a really important result for both championships. I am glad that the spectators were finally able to enjoy a dry day at the track and were able to witness a great show: here, one can feel that the passion for motor sport is really strong and it is always a pleasure for us to come and race in front of such enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans. We were at the same level as the team everyone reckons is currently the best and be sure, it definitely is. And we also held our own against some very strong competition from other rivals. Certainly, there is much more to do to improve the car, especially in terms of top speed, where we are still suffering. We now come to a pair of back to back races in Hockenheim and Budapest, for which we will try and improve our performance level still further: that will be our primary goal over the next few days.”

Pat Fry “A very close race, from the start to the chequered flag. With Fernando, we were fighting for the win and with Felipe for the podium all the way to the finish, confirming that our package – the team, drivers, car – was competitive at this track. After two days affected by rain, today the skies cleared, but that was not something one could have predicted with absolute certainty the day before the race. We did not have much of a reference point in terms of tyre behaviour, because we only had FP3 in which to assess performance, especially over a long run. That was partly why we opted to run different strategies with our two drivers and, all in all, we have no regrets, given how things went: clearly, on the Softs both Red Bulls were quicker than Fernando and we need to look at how we can improve our tyre performance in similar situations in the future.

Fernando and Felipe both drove impeccably throughout the race, and the pit stop guys were faultless whenever the call came. This championship is very close and so it is vital to always bring home as many points as possible. I think today we achieved that goal and it is very significant that we have managed to make up no less than two places in the Constructors’ classification. We must continue to push on car development, because we are not yet the quickest: there is still much work to do to achieve this objective.”



Ferrari Introduced a new front wing at Silverstone, with a different endplate vent layout.



A nice view of the F2012 unclothed, note the electronic control box under the sidepod air duct.

Hockenheim

Car 5: 296

Position: 1st

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 12th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Pat Fry: “Once again, Fernando was fantastic. He made the most of pole at the start, then he waited until he had built up a useful window in which to make the first stop and managed to do so ahead of his main rivals. Once he was on the Mediums, the first few laps were rather difficult: both Vettel and Button were able to close up but our driver was brilliant in managing the situation and never once left himself open to an attack. Then it was Button who pitted early, but we had enough of an advantage to be able to react immediately without running the risk of being overtaken. The team was equally adept in the pit stops and the remote garage back in Maranello played an important part too, as was the case yesterday in qualifying. We are disappointed for Felipe who paid a high price for the collision at the start. We tried to get him back in the race by seeing if we could do just one stop, but it was clear that wasn’t possible. A shame, because the pace he showed throughout the race would have definitely seen him finish in the points, even starting that far back on the grid. We still do not have the quickest car: we were aware of that and we saw it again today. We must carry on working hard to reach that objective, but it is definitely gratifying to end the first half of the season with our driver heading the classification…”



Ferrari ran a revised exhaust exit at Hockenheim the position and exit were similar to earlier versions but only a single additional cooling slot featured. Like other designs the cooling slot is linked by a slit in the bodywork to the exhaust canal, meaning that is counts as a single opening.



A new front wing appeared in Germany, here we get a good look at it from a couple of unusual angles, from the top you can see the number of elements in the wing, it is incredible how the complexity of front wings has increased since the current generation of aerodynamic regulations was introduced in 2009. From the underside you can see the most important surfaces. Note the strake design and also how the camera position complements the wing itself.



Ferrari fitted a very nice set of small turning vanes at the base of the main sidepod turning vane.



The three vertical elements are very sculpted and likely the result of PIV work at the TMG wind tunnel in Cologne.



A nice view of the diffuser and related aero parts at the rear of the F2012, not the sculpted upper element and the Toyota syle serrated lower rear wing end plate.



Hungaroring

Car 5: 296

Position: 5th

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 9th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Stefano Domenicali:“Definitely a case of the glass being half full! Fifth place for Fernando has allowed him to extend his lead in the classification, which is a very important achievement on a weekend in which we definitely did not have the performance to fight with the best. It was a very hard race, decided for the most part by grid positions and the start, with the only variables concerning tyre degradation and the different strategies adopted. I think that, as far as the latter is concerned, we made the right choices, which resulted in Fernando getting ahead of at least two cars that were quicker than his. In fact, it was the start that had a negative effect for Felipe: the places he lost then could not be made up, despite having a race pace that matched those ahead of him. As I said at the start, the outcome of this weekend is not a negative one, but clearly we need to look closely at the way the weekend went as a whole to discover the reasons why we were not as competitive as in the last few races. Now we still have a week of work before the summer break: there’s a lot to do to reduce the performance gap and to be as well prepared as possible for the last two races still to be run in Europe. At Spa and Monza we will race in very different conditions and at very different tracks to Budapest, so anything can happen. It will be important to be ready for every eventuality. We will be able to take a breather for a few days, but I’m sure all our guys have just one thought in mind…”



Another good look at the F2012 diffuser, note the double element ‘monkey seat’ winglet.



A new front wing endplate made its debut in Hungary, compare the older specification with the new version in the picture above. The vents in the endplate seem to be a major focus for the Italian team.

Spa-Francorchamps

Car 5: 296

Position: DNF (Grosjean)

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: 5th

Driver: Felipe Massa

Stefano Domenicali: “First, the good news: Fernando is fine. All of us and I think also all Ferrari fans went through a heart-stopping moment after the accident, especially as we could not communicate with him. Only when we saw him emerge from the cockpit could we let out a first sigh of relief and then we began to breathe normally when we saw him make it back to the garage. Clearly, after that came the great disappointment at what had happened at the start, because it was within our ability to get the podium finish that was our target after yesterday. Today, the F2012 had a good pace, as Felipe demonstrated, driving a great race. We are happy for him, because a good result is just what was required at this point of the season. As for the accident, I can only say that the judgement falls to the FIA: what is certain is that, it would be better if, starting with the junior formulae, rules relating to on-track behaviour were enforced in an inflexible manner, so as to have drivers as well prepared as possible when they reach this, the highest level of motor sport. My duty, as head of the team is to ensure everyone focuses on their own tasks, especially at difficult times: therefore now we must quickly put this day behind us and look to the next Grand Prix, the one in Monza, a track that is particularly dear to us.”



A good look at the critical blown diffuser area of the F2012, the exhaust gasses are channeled to a space just inside of the rear wheel (possibly via the slots in the floor) and prevent the vortex from the tyre entering the diffuser area. This effect only really takes place on throttle as off throttle blowing is essentially banned. Note the additional cooling hole is blanked off in this picture.



A new front wing was run at Spa with revised rear element

Monza

Car 5: 296

Position: –

Driver: Fernando Alonso

Car 6: 294

Position: –

Driver: Felipe Massa



A look at the low drag rear wing used on the F2012 at Monza.



Much of the aero has to be changed for Monza with high average speeds these brake ducts are more about flow conditioning than downforce generation (we think!)