Ferrari starting 2002 in "old" car...........

steve nielsen · 11 Nov 2001, 07:32 (Ref:173151)

Ferrari to start 2002 with old car

F2001 will be used in first three races of new season

Michael Schumacher will start 2002 in his old car

Ferrari is planning to kick off its world championship defence next season with this year's car and will not introduce a new chassis until the fourth race of the campaign.

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the team has chosen to stick with its successful F2001 for the first three 'fly-away' Grands Prix in Australia, Malaysia and Brazil. The new Ferrari will then make its racing debut at the San Marino GP on April 14.

With the new car not breaking cover until late February, it appears Ferrari wants to start the season with a known package and a car that proved to be dominant in Formula 1 this year. The F2001 will be a development of the chassis used in the season-ending Japanese GP, and is expected to feature longer sidepods.

But Ferrari will use its latest specification engine, code-named the 051, which has been on the test benches since October.

The new car is expected to include several developments, including a higher nose than the 'droop'-styled F2001.
(www.autosport.com)

they have 600 people working for Ferrari and can't get a car ready in time for the first race??, seems very strange to me

:confused:

ljakse · 11 Nov 2001, 10:32 (Ref:173197)

I'd say it's more like intentional understating others.
I just hope it gets back on'em

paulzinho · 11 Nov 2001, 10:52 (Ref:173205)

I hope they don't raise the nose, the lower ones look so much better!!!

racer69 · 11 Nov 2001, 11:11 (Ref:173212)

Why is this suprising, they have a superior car and they can start next season knowing they have a reliable and proven car, giving them more time to get the 2002 car going. This was common practice in the past. eg.... Williams FW07 was used, with slight revisions, during 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

paulzinho · 11 Nov 2001, 11:17 (Ref:173213)

From F1-Live.com:

Recent reports in the media have suggested that for the first three races of the 2002 season Ferrari will be using their 2001 contender, but with modifications. However the team's technical director Ross Brawn has denied these claims stating that in fact the team has yet to decide which car they will be using, although there is a possibility that it could be the F2001.

The new car for next season, that will be driven by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, is set to include new developments that involve the engine and gearbox, and Ferrari's technical team is concerned that there could be reliability problems. This is mainly because they cannot begin testing the new car until January next year as all teams are presently under a testing ban.

Therefore Ferrari will be preparing the old car for the first couple of race, all of which are long-haul destinations, as a precautionary measure. In this way they can ensure that they will have a competitive and reliable car for Schumacher and Barrichello to drive at the start of the season, rather than be disadvantaged for the rest of the year by failing to score any points in the opening races.

Brawn told the BBC: "There are some development items on the new car, and because of the testing restrictions we won't know what position we're in until we can start testing in the new year. It's unusual this time in that you can start the new season with the old car. Because of rule changes, that has not been the case for some time. So we have it as an insurance policy. But it has been a bit exaggerated in the press. We intend to start with the new car, but we also need to finish races and score points at the start of the season, so we have the option to start with the old car - as does every team. The car is a design evolution of the 2001 car, but there are some things in the engine and transmission which may need smoothing out."

**Bononi** · 11 Nov 2001, 12:31 (Ref:173231)

Quote:

Originally posted by paulzinho
We intend to start with the new car, but we also need to finish races and score points at the start of the season, so we have the option to start with the old car - as does every team. The car is a design evolution of the 2001 car, but there are some things in the engine and transmission which may need smoothing out."

Reliability... that's the word.

Glen · 11 Nov 2001, 15:52 (Ref:173275)

Win by the smallest margin that is possible, or comfortable. That's the true professional's objective - only as many risks as are strictly necessary. If they believe that the F2001 is good enough to score points for the first few "fly-away" races they'd be silly not to carry on using it. On last year's evidence, they're probably correct.

BTW - I like the high noses myself - more like fighter planes than cars.

BBKing · 11 Nov 2001, 19:59 (Ref:173392)

They would be stupid not to. The car is at least 1 second quicker than any other car in the grid. It is reliable as it only can be. Even Barrichello looks good on it.

**Bononi** · 11 Nov 2001, 20:53 (Ref:173410)

Quote:

Originally posted by BBKing
Even Barrichello looks good on it.

Nicholas · 12 Nov 2001, 14:20 (Ref:173613)

Brawn said that it would only be as a last resort, only if the 2002 car isn't ready.

BBKing · 12 Nov 2001, 19:20 (Ref:173732)

Quote:

Originally posted by nicholaswhite
Brawn said that it would only be as a last resort, only if the 2002 car isn't ready.

Since when Ferrari has to take compromises? If they are not ready they could always ask FIA to change the rules so everyone waits until they are ready. Just like they did with TC this year. Remember?...LOL

paulzinho · 12 Nov 2001, 19:57 (Ref:173748)

I think they were justified delaying it given the fact that when they became legal a load of them didn't work! DC and Jordan suffered particularly. If they were having problems 6 races into the season then imagine the problems they would have faced at the start of the year...

Glen · 15 Nov 2001, 17:24 (Ref:174993)

Rory Byrne, Ferrari’s chief designer, talking about the F2002:

Quote:

When you see it you’ll understand why. It is pretty special. It will run a unitary engine/gearbox, and will have been developed in our revised wind tunnel.

He also confirmed the stories about Ferrari being happy enough with the old car for the first few races of 2002.

He also said:

Quote:

Michael (Schumacher) and the car delivered a supreme performance at Suzuka...

Inferring, I think, that this specification (the one Schumacher used at Suzuka) was indeed, as speculated, a significant development of the F2001.

**Bononi** · 15 Nov 2001, 20:19 (Ref:175123)

Uhn... so this ends all the speculation about it...

Wiki · 16 Nov 2001, 01:53 (Ref:175284)

Just as long as they remember to put the new engine in it .... with Sauber running the F2001 engine next year I reckon there would be a few red faces at the red team if Nick out qualified Ruby at Melbourne (and a few smacked bottoms if Felipe managed it too) Notice i didn't add TGF into this supposed equation

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