Ferrari F2008 | Conceptcarz.com

Ferrari F2008
By: Jeremy McMullen

They must have realized low-key works too! As Kimi Raikkonen walked around the garage at the Ferrari facility at Fiorano, the Finnish driver flashed some smiles; the only real evidence of this stoic driver being the world champion. In a ceremony fit for their subdued world champion, Ferrari quietly (at least in the Formula One world) unveiled its challenger for the 2008 season. The F2008 is the team's hope to solidify the return of the Ferrari dynasty.

Much like their world champion driver, Ferrari's car unveilings (since Schumacher left) have been all business-like, with really no flash at all. In fact, the unveiling of the F2008 seemed more like a mid-season design update than an unveiling of a brand new design. The F2008 was revealed to the world at Ferrari's facility just like the F2007 was last year. The extent of the light show was a mere turning on of the overhead lights within the facility.

Formula One is an ever-changing world, even for the driver's and constructors champions. Every team, every year tweaks designs, abandons them all-together or applies designs of other teams (not necessarily a jab at McLaren-Mercedes after last season's problems) in an effort to continue to maintain that performance edge. And yet surprisingly, the F2008 boasts of some features that truly depart from the designs seen throughout most of this decade. Within the team there is a shift in personnel and apparently a shift in design concept.

All of the changes made are in that constant effort to increase on-track performance. But of course the changes that will have the biggest impact on the track are not chassis design changes. No, the design changes that will have the biggest on-track effect for 2008 are regulatory in nature. And many aspects of the design are the results of the team's efforts to compensate for, or to minimize the loss of the 'comforts' the new rules took away.

Gone for 2008, and probably for the foreseeable future, is traction control. No longer will the driver be able to just step on the gas peddle once he reaches the apex of the corner. With the loss of traction control, which prevented wheel slippage, the driver has to be more careful with the gas peddle to ensure the car doesn't swap ends.

In conjunction with the departure of traction control, launch systems have been outlawed as well. Teams had been able to write software so that when the clutch was held in with the paddle on the steering wheel it would rev the engine to an optimal point to help prevent wheel slippage while providing maximum torque for a quick getaway at the start.

The gearbox will be tested this year as it must make it through four races. The gears can be changed but the gearbox cannot. Also, and probably one of the biggest changes this year, is that the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which is the brains of the car and provides teams with nanosecond updates is solely supplied by the FIA to each team. On top of that, the bit rate for the unit is much slower. The team's own ECU allowed quick monitoring of certain parameters. This was extremely helpful in controlling the engine revs, especially during braking. This control and adjustment allowed the car to be more stable under acceleration (with traction control) and under heavy braking. That is all gone this year with the standardized ECUs.

The focus of the teams this year, and Ferrari is no exception, is to make up for the effect these electronic aids had on performance by focusing on increasing mechanical grip. The F2008 is Ferrari's attempt to extract every bit of mechanical grip possible through the tires and the air flowing around and over the car.

An important ingredient in any undertaking is confidence. Any confidence gained from one step is important for the next one and so forth. And so, one of Ferrari's biggest dividends from 2007 is confidence and it comes in the form of the big '1' on the nose of one of their cars. After a very disappointing 2005 season, 2006 offered the team the confidence it needed to get back to the top.

Yet, the amazing part of Formula One is that even the top teams will draw inspiration for designs, or design changes, from teams that seem to be struggling but that may have hit on something that offers promise, or could it be said, offers 'confidence'. The F2008 makes this point apparent just by a quick glance at the nose. The F2008's nose bears similar appearance to the Toyota TF107 of a year ago. From the F2007 of a year ago all that way back to the F2001 the nose design all bore similar appearances—the wide, low-drooping nose. This is no longer the case with the 2008 design. Like the TF107 the upper wing profile on the Ferrari is incorporated into the nose creating a flatter hammerhead design. The upper profile is much more contoured than last year's design to help with the flow of air over the wing and to the rest of the car. This is an intentional step to maximize stability at the front of the car. The scoop remains, albeit perhaps deeper. The leading edge of the front wing is also more contoured than last year's car.

The zero-keel arrangement has remained on the 2008 chassis. Again, this helps with airflow under the nose to the splitter underneath the driver's legs. This splitter then helps to control the critical airflow around the car. Without the obstruction of a keel the air can flow relatively undisturbed; helping to eliminate drag and instability. Given this years technical and sporting regulatory changes, managing airflow will take on an even greater importance. To further aid in airflow control at the front of the car the bargeboards have been redesigned along with their turning vanes. The V-wing remains and the sidepod winglets have been increased in size and given a slot to help with disturbed airflow.

The sidepods themselves have remained almost intact, with the rearview mirrors again stationed out on the corners. The chimney and T-wing arrangement has remained virtually untouched. However, the rear-wheel flicks have been changed removing the double-deck arrangement in favor of a single deck design.

The cockpit has been changed according to regulations with the side protection around the driver's helmet heightened. The airbox has been moved further back to help minimize the airflow disturbances around the engine cowling and into the airbox. The engine bodywork, particularly at the rear, is tightened to help with efficiency of airflow to the rear wing and out the back of the car. With traction control banned, the ability to get the most efficient use out of the air for downforce is of paramount importance. Therefore, the engine cowling sports more of a dorsal fin than last year's design; again to help with stability of the car but at the rear. The mid-span wing has been retained in efforts to control the airflow to the rear wing. Finally, the rear wing, which underwent many changes throughout last season, sports much more contoured leading edges, especially near where they attach to the end plates. Again, these changes in wing design and contour all go to help minimize instability, which can be a problem where the wing attaches to the end plates.

With many of the electronic aids gone this year it will be up to the design to help the driver feel comfortable out on the edge between fast and out of control. As Kimi Raikkonen rolled the car out for its shakedown at the Ferrari's test track all initial impressions were that the car was 'very good'. And to get that kind of response out of the subdued and emotionless Finnish driver could mean a long season ahead for the other teams.

These days at Ferrari there is very little pomp and ceremony, but there is a quiet confidence. And adorned with the number '1' and the usual subliminal 'Marlboro', the F2008 appears ready for Kimi Raikkonen to take up the title defense and leave a long train of Driver's and Constructor's titles to fill the royal halls of Maranello and Modena.

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