XX Programmes – FXX K testing concludes at Imola
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Imola, 5 June – The FXX Ks are all primed to put on a great show in Budapest during the Ferrari Racing Days from 26 to 28 June at the Hungaroring. The final track tests concluded on Friday at the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” autodrome in Imola. This extraordinary Ferrari has 1050 total horsepower, 860 of which comes from the V12 thermal engine and 190 from the electric motor with over 900 Nm of maximum torque. The examples on the Santerno track again on Friday completed six 30-minute sessions and a final 40-minute one.
Queens of the track. The FXX K will therefore make its next appearance in three weeks at the Hungaroring. The cars are eagerly anticipated because the Budapest event will mark the real start of the car’s two-year programme, during which the special client-testers will be the valuable partners of Ferrari engineers. Indeed, the engineers will use their recommendations in designing the cars of the years to come.
Spoiled for choice. The Ferrari Racing Days are always a triumph of passion, technology and style, three key concepts for the Maranello marque. And never will people be so spoiled for choice as at the Budapest track. The FXX K will share the circuit with the spectacular 458 Challenge EVOs, taking part in the Ferrari Challenge Europe, the Trofeo Pirelli and the Coppa Shell, but also with the Formula 1 Clienti as well as with Sebastian Vettel and the F60 who will participate in an adrenalin-charged Scuderia Ferrari track Exhibition.
XX Programmes – Final test at Imola for the FXX K
Posted: 04.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Imola, 4 June – The final two days of testing of the Ferrari FXX K have begun at the “Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari” in Imola. The car of the new research and development programme will officially debut later this month at the Ferrari Racing Days in Budapest and will then appear on tracks around the world. The tests were attended by Ferrari’s Senior Vice President for Commercial & Marketing, Enrico Galliera, and the head of GT and Corse Clienti Sporting Activity Director, Antonello Coletta.
Two-year programme. As we know the letter K is for “KERS” kinetic energy recovery technology, which maximises on track performance. Unfettered by homologation and racing regulations, the FXX K will never be used in competition. It was, in fact, developed to be completely uncompromising, incorporating technological innovations that will guarantee an unprecedented driving experience to the exclusive group of Client-Test Drivers with whom the Prancing Horse will roll out a test programme over the coming two years.
Extreme performance. At Imola there are six examples of a car whose huge potential can be summarised in a few but significant figures: 1050 total horse power, 860 of which comes from the V12 thermal engine and 190 from the electric motor with over 900 Nm of maximum torque. The HY-KERS system has been evolved specifically for pure performance with the result that the driver can control the function logics from the specific 4-setting Manettino on the centre console: Qualify, for maximum performance within a limited number of laps; Long Run to optimise performance consistency; Manual Boost for instant maximum torque delivery; and Fast Charge, for a fast recharge of the car’s battery.
Refined aerodynamics. A focus on delivering maximum efficiency at every stage of every track lap has resulted in extensive but integrated work on the entire car body in terms of both active and passive aerodynamics. The result is a 50% improvement in downforce in the low drag configuration and a 30% improvement in the more aggressive downforce configuration, resulting in a figure of 540 kg at 200 km/h. The cars were given 30-minute runs on the first day. Tomorrow the second and final day of testing before the official debut of the Client-Test Divers on the occasion of the Ferrari Racing Days in Budapest, when as well as the Ferrari Challenge Europe, Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell, and the F1 Clienti there will also be the performance by Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel at the wheel of an F60.
Ferrari Challenge North America – Smiles for Romanelli, Zoi and Cagnazzi
Posted: 07.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 7 June – Just before the Formula One cars were staged on the straightaway at Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve, the second race of the North American Ferrari Challenge weekend in Montreal was underway. Twenty-three 458 Challenge EVOs competed in today’s race amidst the Formula One fans of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Trofeo Pirelli. The drivers’ championship points after yesterday’s results decided today’s the starting grid. This lead to local Canadian Emmanuel Anassis (Ferrari Quebec) starting as the day’s polesitter. However, Gregory Romanelli (The Collection) quickly overtook Anassis after the restart due to an incident between Carlos Conde (Miller Motor Cars) and James Weiland (Ferrari of San Francisco) in the first lap. And just like yesterday, the young Romanelli would lead a majority of the race to his ultimate victory on top of the podium steps as the overall winner and first place finisher for the Trofeo Pirelli class. Anassis came in second and John Farano (Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale) finished in third place.
Pirelli Am. Mike Zoi of the Trofeo Pirelli AM class finished today’s race not only first in his class, but also recorded the fastest lap of 1:39:376 overall. Zoi, who was in competing between two Trofeo Pirelli drivers throughout the race, was followed by Marc Muzzo (Ferrari of Ontario) as the second place finisher and Quebecois Patrice Brisebois (Ferrari Quebec) who returns to the series this year for the Canadian Challenge races.
Coppa Shell. Chris Cagnazzi (Ferrari of Long Island) found himself on the podium for the second time this weekend, this time as the victor of his Coppa Shell team class. Joe Courtney (Miller Motor Cars) finished in second place after Barry Zekelman (Ferrari of Ontario) went too wide in Turn 3 mid-race. Third place finisher Al Delattre (Miller Motor Cars) was all smiles on top of the podium, changing his fate after yesterday’s incident. The fifth round of the 2015 season will continue July 17-19 in Canada in Toronto’s famed Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, also known as Mosport.
Ferrari Challenge North America – Romanelli, Zoi and Zekelman win Race-1 in Montreal
Posted: 06.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 6 June – The Quebecois sunshine welcomed Formula One fans and Ferraristi to Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal today for the first North American Ferrari Challenge race of the weekend. The 458 Challenge EVOs and their drivers competed in what was to be called a very surprising race for all involved.
Trofeo Pirelli. The dramatic action began as the green flag wove above the straightaway. Canadian Emmanuel Anassis (Ferrari Quebec) immediately overtook polesitter John Farano (Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale) at Turn 1. But the fight for first position didn’t end there. Farano reclaimed his lead on the second lap, increasing his gap ahead of the Trofeo Pirelli drivers. However, he spun out halfway through the race, leading Gregory Romanelli (The Collection) to collect the lead and first place finish overall and for his class. Damon Ockey (Ferrari of Ontario) finished in second place and Doug Peterson (Miller Motor Cars) placed third.
Pirelli AM. The drivers in the Trofeo Pirelli AM maintained a tight contingency. Mike Zoi (Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale) started today’s race in fourth place. With the continuous lead changes ahead of him, Zoi maintained his steady and fierce ground, finishing first in his class. Although the gap between Marc Muzzo (Ferrari of Ontario) and Steve Johnson (Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale) was never closed, both the Canadian and American swept the podium with a second and third finish, just four tenths behind each other.
Coppa Shell. It was Barry Zekelman’s (Ferrari of Ontario) first time racing in Montreal, but that proved no less of a challenge for the Canadian. Between the incidents during the race and the circuit’s tight corners and long straightaways, Zekelman lead in his class from start to finish. Joe Courtney (Miller Motor Cars) was overtaken by Chris Cagnazzi (Ferrari of Long Island) with a consecutive second and third place finish. The second Challenge race will be held tomorrow at 11:00 AM EST before the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix at 2:00 PM EST.
Ferrari Challenge North America – The series returns to the acclaimed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 5 June – The North American Ferrari Challenge heads to Montreal, Canada, during the Formula One weekend for the fourth stage of the 2015 season. Supporting the Canadian Grand Prix with two races, 25 Challenge drivers and the 458 Challenge EVO will take to the racetrack at the Parc Jean-Drapeau, named after the famous Ferrari driver, Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve.
Situation. The Canadian Emmanuel Anassis (Ferrari Quebec) has swept a victory at each of the races this season, and continues to lead the drivers’ championship with 112 points for the Trofeo Pirelli class. Behind him with 80 points in his class is the Mexican driving for Ferrari of Houston, Ricardo Perez. And standing within six points of on another behind Perez are John Farano (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale), Gregory Romanelli (The Collection) and Scott Tucker (Boardwalk Ferrari). As for the drivers in Trofeo Pirelli AM, Carlos Conde of Miller Motor Cars now leads his class with 80 points, ahead of Arthur Romanelli (The Collection) who stands second with 72 points and Mike Zoi (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) with 59 points. Continuing after the races in Sonoma in April, a contention still remains for the drivers in Coppa Shell category. Jean-Claude Saada (Boardwalk Ferrari), Joe Courtney (Miller Motor Cars) and Dan O’Neal (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) stand within three points of one another.
Schedule. Two practice sessions are scheduled today at 11:55 AM EST and 4:35 PM EST. Saturday is reserved for a qualification session at 11:15 AM EST and Race 1, which goes green at 3:30 PM EST. The second race of the weekend will precede the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix at 11:00 AM EST.
Ferrari Challenge – World Finals 2015 return to Mugello
Posted: 04.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 4 June – It’s now official: the 2015 World Finals will be held at the Mugello circuit from 5 to 8 November. After the long haul to Abu Dhabi last year, Italian fans of the Prancing Horse will again be near Maranello, thronging the stands of the Ferrari-owned Tuscan track.
Unmissable programme. No one should miss this event, packed with the excellence that again this season only Ferrari offers at all levels. The three Ferrari Challenge series, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific as well as the World Championship titles will be at stake in a competition where the leading drivers in the three championships will battle it out on the undulating 5,245-metre circuit.
Formula 1 and XX Programmes. In addition to the 458 Challenge EVO, the Mugello event will see the cars of the Ferrari Formula 1 Clienti and the XX Programmes laboratory cars including the FXX K, which will debut officially at the Ferrari Racing Days in Budapest at the end of the month. Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 will also be there with one of its drivers, taking a leading role in the traditional exhibition with simulated pit stop, lightning starts, spectacular burnouts and fast laps.
Alteration. A change to the schedule of the Ferrari Challenge North America was announced along with the date and venue of the 2015 World Finals. Ferrari Racing Days originally due to be held at Laguna Seca from 31 October to 1 November will take place at NOLA Motorsports Park, on the outskirts of New Orleans from 2 to 4 October so as not to clash with the big event at Mugello.
Keanu Reeves: Ferrari is the dream
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
The Star visits Maranello
Maranello, 5 June – Fiorano, the assembly lines, the Tailor Made atelier, the Classiche Department, the New GES building…Keanu Reeves insisted on seeing them all when he was our special guest for a day here at Maranello. The American star of classic films of the likes of the Matrix, Speed, Point Break and Little Buddha, has an innate passion for speed, particularly of the two-wheeled variety. However, he also proved he is pretty skilled behind the wheel when he test-drove the Prancing Horse’s newest arrival , the Ferrari 488 GTB, at Fiorano. “It’s a car you instantly feel an incredibly synergy with,” he declared. “It’s like it’s tailored around you, an extension of your body and your mind. There’s no doubt about it: Ferrari is the dream….”
Keanu also spent some time in the New Mechanical Machining Area where he was fascinated by the engine production process, and in the Tailor Made atelier, where he got a first-hand impression of the truly endless quantity and spectacular quality of the materials available for personalisations. He then visited the 8-cylinder production lines where he happily posed for photographs with the staff.
When the actor toured the Classiche department in the second part of the afternoon, he fell in love with two just-restored cars: a Ferrari 500 Mondial and a one-off single-seater built in the 1950s for the legendary Indy 500. “You can really feel how the values of the past are being passed down here. They’re a legacy that deserves to be carefully preserved and that’s just what you’re doing here by keeping the designs and plans for every single model in your incredible archive,” he said.
Last but not least, after admiring the LaFerrari on display in the atelier and the F1 Clienti single-seaters, particularly the ones driven by Michael Schumacher of whom he is a huge fan, Keanu took a spin in the California T: a very fitting end to a fantastic day for a Hollywood star.
| Circuit | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – Montreal |
| Date | 07.06.2015 |
| Laps | 70 |
| Distance | 305,270 km / 189,727 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF15-T | 311 | Scuderia Ferrari | 5. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF15-T | 312 | Scuderia Ferrari | 4. |
Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal, 7th June 2015
Posted: 07.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “If we look at the race pace, it was good, but a lot of circumstances occurred which prevented us from getting a better result. Sebastian drove a great race, making up thirteen places from the grid position. The upgraded engine gave us a positive feedback, but the weekend just wasn’t a good one. As for Kimi, he was scheduled for a one-stop race, then we switched to two tire changes when he fell behind Bottas. His spin at the hairpin is something we haven’t fully understood yet, it may be a case of contributory negligence as he said the same thing happened last year. It would be wrong to blame either him or the team in any case. He was pushing hard, too, but some issues slowed him down at some stages in the race. We must remain humble and try not to let the podium slip off from under our feet as it happened this time. We’re still the second strongest team, but we must look ahead instead of behind us”.
Kimi Raikkonen: “The result of today is not ideal, we expected more than what we got in the end. My start was pretty good but then I did not have enough speed to go through and try to pass the Mercedes at the first corner. The tires were working pretty much ok, but in this kind of circuit fuel saving plays a big part and this obviously limited our speed today. My spin is exactly the same story of last year, I had no problem in any of the sessions during the weekend, but for some reason today in both the outlaps something odd happened with the throttle, and I could not control it . It’s a very unfortunate thing. Then we tried to recover from that but we found ourselves on different tactics than the Williams. Overall we had a pretty good weekend, we definitely improved in certain areas but of course this is not the result that I was expecting this morning. We’ll keep on working and improving things”.
Sebastian Vettel: “It was an entertaining race and I had a good recovery, but obviously there was not much more we could have done. In the opening laps I was not very happy with myself, I was very aggressive but I could not find the gaps, I wanted to go crazy but there was no room, so I had to be patient and it’s a shame because these are the moments when if you are lucky you can gain easlily five, six , seven or eight seconds in total race time. It did not happen so we had to fight back afterwards, but the pace was good, I felt happy in the car and especially toward the end the speed kept coming. I lost time at the first pit-stop and I am not sure it was totally on me, something went wrong at the back of the car, but the guys have done a super job so far and they shouldn’t be blamed if sometimes things go a bit slower. About the move on Hulkenberg, I noticed that I was already ahead of him on the outside, and I think he braked too late and could not make the corner. We did our best today and I am quite content with 5th, but it’s a bit of a shame because around here there is a very nice podium and without the penalty I think we could have had a shot at it.”
|
Race |
||||||
| Pos. | Time | Gap | Laps | FL | L | |
| RAIKKONEN | 4° | 1:32.38.770 | + 45.625 | 70 | 1.16.987 | 42 |
| Pit-stop | 1st stop | lap 26 | New Soft | |||
| 2nd stop | lap 40 | Old Supersoft | ||||
| VETTEL | 5° | 1:32.43.048 | + 49.903 | 70 | 1.17.105 | 59 |
| Pit-stop | 1st stop | lap 7 | New Soft | |||
| 2nd stop | lap 35 | New Soft | ||||
|
Weather: air 24/25 °C, track 34/35 °C. Sunny |
||||||
Canadian Grand Prix – Raikkonen and Vettel finish fourth and fifth
Posted: 07.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 7 June –Kimi Raikkonen was fourth past the chequered flag at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, finishing 5 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The Finn was third for much of the race, until he spun at Turn 10 on lap 28, handing the position to Valtteri Bottas.
Sebastian Vettel put in a gritty drive, starting from 18th on the grid. The German worked his way up to fifth at the end and at times he was the quickest man out on track. The race was won by Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes while Vettel and Raikkonen lie third and fourth in the Drivers’ Championship classification.
Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal, 6th June 2015
Posted: 06.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen: “The car has been feeling good all weekend. We had no problems, apart from the one Sebastian had in qualifying, and everything ran smoothly. We have been making sure that all the small details were correct, we have learned from the past difficult races how small things can make a big change and enable you to get the result you want .We still have some work ahead, obviously we are not happy to finish third in the grid but in the race we’lll try to do better. It’s hard to say what will happen tomorrow but at least we did a better qualifying than normal and we’ll be in a better position for the race. So far it has been ok but tomorrow is the big day. I expect that we can be stronger and challenge for a competitive race . The weather has been tricky these days, so it will be a bit of uncertain tomorrow. Tonight we are going to analyse a lot of data and will try to make the right decisions”.
Sebastian Vettel: “Right from the start we didn’t have the full power available, so when I went out for the first run we tried to fix the problem, but we couldn’t. Due to the lack of power we couldn’t make it further. For sure we have to investigate but I don’t think that there’s anything to do with the engine. I think it has more to do with the electronical side, but I am confident that we can fix the problem in time for tomorrow’s race. We have plenty of tyres and anything can happen. We have a strong car and a strong pace, so I should be able to score good points. The problem we had this morning in FP3 was completely unrelated.”
|
RAIKKONEN – Chassis 312 |
VETTEL – Chassis 311 |
|||||
| Q1 | P6 | 1:16.259 | New Soft – 7 laps | P16 | 1:17.344 | New Soft – 2 laps New Supersoft – 4 laps |
| Q2 | P4 | 1:15.348 | New Supersoft – 3 lapsNew Supersoft – 3 laps |
– |
– |
– |
| Q3 | P3 | 1:15.014 | New Supersoft – 3 lapsNew Supersoft – 3 laps |
– |
– |
– |
|
Weather: air 20 °C, track 35/36 °C. Sunny |
||||||
Canadian Grand Prix – Raikkonen third
Posted: 06.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 6 June –Qualifying produced mixed fortunes for Scuderia Ferrari today in Montreal. Kimi Raikkonen secured third place with a lap in 1.15.014 at the end of a very closely contested session held under sunny skies at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. Pole went to Lewis Hamilton, who produced a 1.14.393 in his Mercedes.
Sebastian Vettel was out of luck this afternoon in Canada. The German was stopped with an electrical problem at the start of Q1. The engineers managed to get him out on track with a few minutes remaining, but Sebastian encountered further issues with the electrical system, which meant he could do no better than 16th place with a time of 1.17.344.
A scrappy session
Posted: 06.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Kimi and Seb end free practice in second and eighth places
Montreal, 6 June – The final free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix ended with Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes topping the time sheet with a 1.15.660, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari, who posted a 1.16.233 and Romain Grosjean who lapped in 1.16.772 in the Lotus.
In the other SF15-T, Sebastian Vettel was eighth, courtesy of a lap in 1.17.197. The session was red flagged after Felipe Nasr ended up in the wall at Turn 12 and then again when Jenson Button parked his car at the side of the track, with just a few minutes remaining. The team completed the programme that had been left half done yesterday because of the rain and also carried out qualifying simulations, in preparation for the session that gets underway at 1pm local time, to decide the grid order for tomorrow’s race.
Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal, 5th June 2015
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen: “Today everything worked as we expected, we went on with our program trying as always to improve and we are quite happy with the way things worked. The weather was a bit tricky: the rain was expected in the afternoon, then we had to change a bit our program and decided certain things to be done in the morning. It’s hard to say where we are, because we did not get enough running, but it was all fine. It’s only Friday and we have to wait and see. There’s still a lot of work to be done to do well in qualifying, for sure here is easier compared to Monaco, but it will depend on many things, the weather conditions first of all. Tomorrow we’ll see where we are and then we’ll do the best over the weekend.”
Sebastian Vettel: “The rain reminded of me the race on Sunday four years ago, back then we had also massive rain for a long time, it was a bit like that today. It’s a shame that we couldn’t get out anymore, but we did the maximum to prepare for Saturday and Sunday in a very short amount of time, I think we had only just half an hour. We didn’t have so much running this morning, but everything went according to plan. This morning we had a look on a bit more fuel, trying to get an idea for the race: we didn’t know when the rain would come this afternoon, this is maybe the reason why we didn’t run so much like the others. About my race pace, I haven’t seen much of the others yet but the car felt right, now we have to see where we are. I think we can still improve. I am not entirely happy with the runs I had, but I think anybody was with the short amount of time we had today.”
|
RAIKKONEN – chassis 312 |
VETTEL – chassis 311 |
|||||
| First Session | P12 | 1:18.439 | 26 laps | P5 | 1.17.905 | 25 laps |
|
Weather: air 20/22 °C, track 22/30 °C. Sunny |
||||||
| Second Session | P3 | 1:16.310 | 20 laps | P2 | 1.16.304 | 19 laps |
|
Weather: air 21/25 °C, track 21/30 °C. Rain |
||||||
Canadian Grand Prix – All about the rain
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
A storm hits second free practice
Montreal, 5 June –The action on the Montreal circuit in the second free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix only lasted a little over 20 minutes, as a storm arrived exactly as predicted by the forecasters.
Sebastian Vettel managed 19 laps in the brief dry period, setting a time of 1.16.304, the second fastest of the session, in his SF15-T, fitted with the Supersoft compound. In the other Ferrari his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen finished right behind him in third spot with a 1.16.310, completing 20 laps running first on the softest compound before switching to a new set of Softs. 1.15.988 was the fastest time of the session, set by Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes.
Canadian Grand Prix – It’s go in Montreal
Posted: 05.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Sebastian fifth and Kimi twelfth in first free practice
Montreal, 5 June – Sebastian Vettel took his Ferrari to fifth fastest with a 1.17.905 and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was twelfth in 1.18.439 at the end of the first free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, the seventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship. On the Montreal circuit named in memory of Gilles Villeneuve, on the Ile Notre Dame, the two Mercedes were quickest, Lewis Hamilton lapping in 1.16.212, ahead of Nico Rosberg (1.16.627.) Romain Grosjean was third for Lotus with a 1.17.721. Set-up work and long runs were on the day’s menu for the two Ferrari men, who did three runs using two sets of the Soft tyres.
Canadian Grand Prix – A good car for every section
Posted: 04.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 4 June – “In every race we try to improve, it’s part of our program, bringing upgrades to make things better and do the maximum we can. For this race we have some ‘normal’ stuff, but obviously we have to wait and see how they work. Tomorrow, when we start, we’ll see where we are.Here it’s important to have a good car in every part of the track, the layout is very different from the last one or the others we’raced on so far this year, so it’s difficult to say where you are going to be. The tire compound is the same we had in Monaco but the circuit is much different so it should be fine for us, a lot will depend on the weather. We know what we are lacking, we have to improve qualifying, our aim is to improve certain areas, because this will make our life easier on Sunday. We’ll do our best to build up the weekend and we’ll see what happens.”
Canadian Grand Prix – The hunt goes on
Posted: 04.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Montreal, 4 June: “We have some engine upgrades here, some small updates that should help us get a bit closer to our main competitors. This does not mean we come here as favourites, we just hope it’s a step in the right direction. Having said that, we’ll have to consider the circumstances, if it’s hot or cold, if the tires work well or don’t. Between one race and the next one, for all team, there are ups and downs. Of course we always hope to have an ‘up’, but we’ll find our soon. If I have to recap my months with Ferrari so far, I would say that at the beginning it was difficult to have expectations, but the season so far has gone very well, with a number of podium finishes, and it’s nice to see that things are shaping up. But we’re here to win, so there’s still a lot of work to do”.
Set-up for Montreal
Posted: 03.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 3 June – “Montreal is part street circuit and part permanent track,” Scuderia Ferrari’s third driver Esteban Gutiérrez tells ferrari.com, when discussing the features that characterise the race in Canada. “Everyone knows how close the walls are, which means drivers have zero margin for error, but it is precisely this which makes racing there even more thrilling for the drivers. “At this track, it’s very important to work out how much aerodynamic downforce you want in the corners, because there are several chicanes that can be tackled at speed, being more aggressive than usual over the kerbs, as they are flatter here than at the majority of the tracks and so can be cut more.
However, this has to be balanced against the need for speed down the straights. The track surface is not very abrasive and it’s difficult to get the tyres up to temperature. The weather, which can be very changeable in June, also affects this aspect, as well as the car set-up. Therefore you have to work with a flexible strategy and be ready for anything. The most technical section is definitely Turns 1 and 2: especially coming out of Turn 2, where the surface is quite slippery, the cars are using plenty of power and the track is bumpy. However, this is another aspect the drivers enjoy a lot, because it highlights your ability, not just the strengths of your car.”
Montreal: speed and precision
Posted: 01.06.2015
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 1 June –The Formula One championship now takes a quick break from the European part of the season to tackle the first North American round of the year. Kimi Raikkonen talks about some of the salient points of the Canadian track. “It’s true the Montreal circuit is famous for the fact one gets very close to the walls, but compared to Monaco or Singapore, it can be considered quite wide. There are two key requirements for getting the very most out of the car at this track and they are speed and a reliable braking system. The ideal set-up is one that allows for these two elements to be combined as well as possible. That way, the driver can feel comfortable when pushing to the limit. Montreal is notorious for being very tough from a fuel consumption point of view, but this is another area where we have made a lot of progress compared to last year, but as usual, it’s only the track that will provide the answer. There’s an especially positive vibe in Canada, with a young crowd and we have a lot of fans there. Unfortunately, we don’t get much time to visit the city that hosts this event, as our race weekends run to a hectic schedule and mainly, we just get to go from the hotel to the track.”