In preparation for the 2022 Formula One season, team boss Mattia Binotto motivated Ferrari to take radical design routes to find their way back to the top
This season marks the beginning of a new technical era in Formula One and represents a great opportunity for Ferrari to fight their way back to the top after two seasons without a race win. In developing the new car, it was therefore important for team boss Mattia Binotto to be “completely unbiased”.
When asked about the level of innovation in the F1-75, which was unveiled in Maranello last week and features an aerodynamic design that sets it apart from the other models, Binotto explains that he wanted the team to follow radical design paths and be open before committing to a direction.
“It was important for us to have a completely open approach. It wasn’t about just continuing the concept of the previous car and adapting it to the new rules,” the Italian stressed, referring to the new challenger.
Binotto: Development guided by aerodynamics
“When we looked at the new regulations, from the beginning we tried to approach it with a completely open mind and understand where we can improve the aerodynamics and the overall performance of the car.”
“The design and development of the new car was led by aerodynamics and all the mechanical decisions were a consequence of that. The integration of the power unit was a consequence of the aerodynamic decisions. “
The revised aerodynamic rules and the increased weight of the cars will ensure that they behave differently to their predecessors. The overall aim is to improve on-track racing and allow the cars to engage in closer wheel-to-wheel duels.
Ferrari made it clear early on in 2021 that it would focus the majority of its resources and development on the 2022 car, resulting in last year’s SF21 receiving no aerodynamic updates after the British Grand Prix.
The result of “unconventional decisions “
The team also benefited from extra testing time in the wind tunnel compared to Mercedes and Red Bull due to its sixth place finish in the 2020 Constructors’ Championship and the new handicap system for aerodynamic testing.
“When we went into the wind tunnel at the very beginning, we tried all possible directions and then chose the one we thought was the best for the final performance,” Binotto reveals of the development process.
“Then we designed and developed the car like that. If you look at the car, there are a lot of unconventional choices in terms of the aero shapes. That’s the first innovation you can see.”
The Ferrari team boss goes on to tell us that Ferrari followed a similar line of thinking when developing the power unit: “We have a new fuel with ten per cent ethanol and we took the opportunity to check the combustion ourselves.”
“The power unit and the engine are certainly a big innovation for us compared to the past in terms of design. (…) I think overall this car has a lot of innovation. That was the way we approached it,” Binotto concludes.
