Ferrari wind tunnel disaster and the media coverup

I'm surprised (1) nobody's started a thread about the recently revealed Ferrari wind tunnel failure http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=39814 and (2) that when Peter Windsor discussed it today he revealed that they'd known about it, but Ferrari requested they not report it and they honored their request! Was this in the media elsewhere, or is the entire F1 news fraternity that close to the teams that they'll embargo news?

 

No thread, but I did bring it up about 3-4 weeks ago. I heard from friends in the GP paddock. The Italian press got it, it was mentioned on some of the internet sites, but it was totally down played by Ferrari so the topic went away.

The problem occured just before Spain. I confirmed this happened prior to Canada, and that the event could affect Ferrari's aero program for the rest of the season. It is thought that much of the setback was overcome in time for this race in France.

 

You sure did and you got it right. I was wrong listening to my sources. You win!

Seriously, I find it odd that Ferrari would conceal such a thing. What advantage would e.g. McLaren getting out of knowing this? All they need to know is see how the Ferraris perform in qualifying and race.

 

Not following wishes in a situation like this could result in restricted (or no) access which is a far worse option to many in the highly competitive field of journalism covering this multibillion dollar global sport.

 

I remember when you posted that. Anytime I read or heard commemts referring to how bad Ferrari and their drivers were doing, I always thought back to your statement and wondered if the real issue was the lack of developement with the car due to the wind tunnel accident and not the drivers at all.

You have some good sources

 

Kinda makes you wonder... What would the rest of the news industry be like if it was the same way? Wait for a press release from the mayor to say "I've been embezzling?" Otherwise you have to wait for a legal notice. It looks like any "scoops" in the F1 press must be doled out by the teams as they see fit.

It's interesting that so many of the sources we use were involved in this cover up that it brought doubt upon those that knew and tried to report it, as we've seen here in this thread! Disappointing.

 

Ummm it is..... Another problem in the wider mainstream media is so few people own and control too much a precentage of all sources (radio, TV, print).... The internet is changing alot of this, maybe 10 years or more ago a story like this would stay buried all season or longer.

 

Andreas, no win, we both win between the people we know as we hear things many others don't. That way we can share with everybody here on FChat.

I would agree with you about concealing such a problem, probably more a PR thing, still does not make any sense.

There has been a real fear about the effects of this wind tunnel disaster. Remember how Honda was showing improvment last year? And then their wind tunnel blew up, and it has been down hill since then. Much of Honda's current problems are aero related, that they never caught up after the expolosion. The fear for Ferrari has been that their wind tunnel problem would set them back as it has Honda. We will see Sunday.

BTW, Kimi would have been on the front row, one bobble, the car is right on. So being right behind Phil tomorrow, if he gets a good start and tucks in behind Massa, they might be able to squeeze out Hamiton at the first turn.

(P.S. I am right about Massa also - ;} )

 

Thanks. All the better to share with everybody, that's the intent. Massa and Raikkonen are a good team, they do get along, Kimi has developed a whole new respect for fall boy Massa. That pair is the best possible pair today for Ferrari.

But look for a move for Rosberg someday.

 

Hmm IIRC I think you've made that clear before

I remember your post about the wind tunnel and I think Andreas mentioned it in a thread as well and I was surprised to not read anything about it on any of the F1 news sites. Hopefully they can catch back up in development, obviously qualifying today was a good start.

 

??

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155442

 

Oh. I'd never been concerned with that topic, so I never looked! :|
My bad. I was most struck by the line from Peter Windsor about "They asked us not to talk about this event, so we didn't."

 

you were right on the money...then Yellowbird confirmed the lost mechanical grip problem from the last 3 races...aero development program 1ST stage was suppoused to be finished for monaco..then the broken windtunnel set us back in development and we were lost without the new developments...Now we are behind McLarens for a good margin...but it will be a though year.

Then again Tifosiron is right about the drivers...massa is always a tad faster but hopefully kimmi will move out LH...

Forza Ferrari, I said we needed a 1-2 and a McLaren DNF and everything is looking good so far...

 

But this episode told me how to gauge my source a bit more carefully going forward.

 

OK...
this is just Twilight Zone weird

You have my attention.

 

Do you want to be the one with "the Scoop" and get banned from future Ferrari contacts ?

 

It' s funny... the difference between "journalism" and "public relations", isn't it?

 

I think it's a shame that a couple weeks of downtime with the windtunnel would have THAT dramatic of an effect on the cars...and the rest of the year for that matter. Since these things literally run 24/7, ANY interruption can spell disaster.

It's too bad that aero is such a dominant component of success today. How can they make the improved aero rules in the future for better racing with these kind of development programs?

Maybe the FIA's new "castrated" version of F1 for the future will solve that...

 

Read F1 Live.com today and Ferrari says the tunnel is up and running again.

 

Yea, we ALL keep it quiet, when we throw a belt...Ferrari guys all do that! LOL!

 

Ron, the current situation with Honda isn't that they had problems with their wind tunnel it's speculated that when the new one came on line they miscalibrated it.

Honda opens new wind tunnel: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=28658

Helios: More haste, less speed (this is the one you need to read): http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=31220

Barachello points finger at new wind tunnel: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=31231

I doubt Nick Fry will last the rest of the season.

 

You can easily get in trouble with wind tunnels: Red Bull's Ben Agathangelou got fired for miscalibrating the wind tunnel. Now they have to start from scratch.

 

Wow...

It's amazing the effects of loosing a wind tunnel for 14 days can have on the development of a Formula 1 race car.

Thinking about the power invovled with such a machine is pretty incredible. However it reminds me of a story I heard from an engine dyno manufacture. He build (and made the team sign days worth of liability forms) a dyno for a top fuel drag racing team. Naturally an engine came undone while attached to it and threw rods, bits, and pieces through three (3) walls, including the secretary's office!

Glad to see the Ferrari's back in business!!!