Formula 1

Ferrari’s New Formula 1 Powerplant Tweaks Explained

Scuderia Ferrari was in trouble.  The drivers knew that their powerplant performed well in slow and medium corners, but that its straight-line speed was abysmal.  To that end, Ferrari will be running a new powerplant once the F1 season gets in gear.  Additionally, there are rumors that they’ve changed the car’s nose to more closely mirror what the other teams have employed.

The SF1000 is what Scuderia Ferrari has named its car this year, a nod to their one-thousandth Grand Prix entry.  The Mark 2 version of the powerplant supposedly increases the horsepower by 20, and it remains to be seen what that will and the nose job will be able to do the very capable hands of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. Ferrari has always focused on maximizing downforce, and it would appear that they have certainly succeeded this year, to the possible detriment of their top speed capabilities in the straights.

Some people, including yours truly, are wondering if the minor tweaks suggest that perhaps Ferrari is finally tearing a page from the Mercedes Benz playbook wherein they take a reserved pace in pre-season so as to not show their hand to the other teams?

 

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