Domenicali expects boost from wind tunnel switch

2013 F1 season

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Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali expects to see gains from developing their 2013 car using the Toyota Motorsport wind tunnel in Cologne.

“Our aim is clear, to win and the priority is still that of giving our drivers a car that will be competitive right from the very start,” said Domenicali.

“The development of the 2013 car began in the Cologne wind tunnel and is ongoing. I certainly expect to see greater efficiency than last year because we will no longer need to carry out comparisons of data and correlation with the Maranello wind tunnel, which is currently being rebuilt and is due to be operational again after the summer break.”

As well as beginning the season off the pace last year, Ferrari struggled to develop the F2012 late in the season because of problems with their Maranello wind tunnel.

Domenicali added the team face a challenge in developing this year’s car while preparing for the change in engine rules for 2014.

“The 2013 season will be a complex one from many points of view,” he said. “We face a few changes on the technical front which will have a significant impact on all areas of the company, not just in terms of design, but also when it comes to the investment and infrastructure required to develop the new engine.

“Within the limits imposed by the regulations, we need to put every effort into reaching our objectives, while making the best use of the timescale in preparing for 2014.”

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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on “Domenicali expects boost from wind tunnel switch”

  1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    16th January 2013, 14:12

    Domenicalli’s hair has been exposed so much to wind tunnels I think ;P

  2. jimscreechy (@)
    16th January 2013, 14:46

    The most experienced team in F1 and the team with one of the largest budget can’t get their wind tunnel to work?

    1. @jimscreechy
      And the second most successful F1 team in history don’t understand how to use a jack and a wheel gun….
      They all have their trouble once in a while.

      1. jimscreechy (@)
        16th January 2013, 15:59

        LOL yeah true, but a wheel gun problem is easy to fix. Sack/reassign the guy using it.

        1. Even better not to sack but to change approach. And it did work for McLaren last year, only by then the car was not the fastest thing out there anymore.

    2. i dont believe they said they “cant” get their tunnel to work, its in the process of being rebuilt with no hiccups that i know of

  3. Toyota were not exactly wildly successful using that wind tunnel.

    1. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the reason for being successful.

      1. forgot to add the word “not”.

      2. Exactly, I think we can say almost for sure, that that was not the reason for them spending a lot without much of a reward in winning for the team.

  4. I’m interested to see how a correlated wind tunnel will impact on their performance. I wonder how exactly it got so bad, surely they should be doing routine quality checks to negate having to shut it down?

  5. At least the wind tunnel excuse is no longer available this year.

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