With the departure of Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher (as a driver at least), 2007 marks the beginning of a new era at Ferrari – a new beginning which is clearly visible in the design concept of the team’s latest car. Its naming convention may seem like a nod to the recent past, but the core of the F2007 is very much future-focused.

At first glance the car may appear to be a face-lift of its 248 F1 predecessor, but delve beneath the surface and you discover a deeply-revised evolution of last year’s machine. Its few weak points appear to have been strengthened and there appears little question the car will be competitive.

The zero keel concept
One of the most noticeable changes to the new Ferrari has taken place to the mounting of its front suspension. Rather than the traditional single keel, which appeared on 2006’s 248 F1, the F2007 sports a ‘zero keel’ arrangement – a first for Ferrari. Gone is last year’s bulb-shaped keel. Instead the car’s lower wishbones are attached directly to the lowest corners of the chassis. This modification should dramatically improve the efficiency of the bottom of the car by improving the quantity and quality of the airflow passing underneath.

Barge boards, winglets and sidepods
Although the F2007’s sidepods feature larger radiators, the slightly smaller air inlets and the steeper angle of the radiators have reduced the width of the car’s cross-section. The barge boards have also been heavily refined and now sport a more sculpted, serrated profile. Two small vertical fins have been added at the front to divert and adjust the airflow around the lower section of the sidepods. The winglets in front of the sidepods have been narrowed at the top and feature wider vertical shields. This development is designed to work in conjunction with the winglets behind the cooling chimneys (top right). The rear end of the F2007 is visibly narrower and lower than its predecessor, improving the efficiency of the rear wing.

SOURCE: www.f1.com

Articole Ferrari