Lack Of Evolution

I think the constant rules changing is there for the sole purpose of not having cars evolve.

The teams with the best designers and deepest structure (pockets ?) always come out on top.

 

Scuderia Ferrari is one of 4 F1 teams that doesn't rely on paying drivers.

 

The biggest hurting point of Ferrari is the lack of testing.

 

Exactly. It's killing them. Again the smart rule would allow the non-podium teams to stay at a circuit the Monday after a race to test. Equipment is already there.....

 

True but doesn't Santander pay Alonso's salary?

 

Yes.

 

Brian, I really do not believe that is a valid reason. All the teams have the same testing rules to follow and the limited testing has not hurt McLaren, Red Bull, now Mercedes, even Sauber. Ferrari does not seem to be able to deal with not spending more money.

The real problem for Ferrari is a total lack of team cohesiveness, nothing like the Todt/Brawn/Schumacher era.

 

Ferrari has the deepest pockets of all the teams. But they lack in having the deepest structure.

 

+1, they also sound and act desperate at times, Alonso is the exception to this IMHO.

 

McLaren started the last two seasons with a car that needed developing. While they were able to bring it around eventually they wasted the beginning of the season fixing issues that would have been resolved with a longer test program.
Granted they weren't as far off the pace as Ferrari is this year but it may well have cost them the championships.

 

The F150 was an evolution of the F2010.

The only top team that has not built a brand new car since 2009 is Red Bull, IIRC. Of course, because they´re winning.

 

When you have a front running or better still a leading car, you use the whole season to figure out how to make a better version of it for next year. This is evolution--see McLaren.

When you have a mid-pack running car, you use the whole season to determine what should NOT carry over to the next car. This is NOT evolution, and is the course Ferrari is on because of a string of dodgy chassis architecture.

 

You are probably right Ron. However, what is puzzling is Ferrari have been on the backfoot since 2009, co-incidentally since testing got banned. What's even more puzzling is the fact that only Ferrari have been suffering from this.

People say everything about the 2011 Red Bull, however, my team of the year would be Mclaren. Mclaren started pre-season tests in huge trouble. Pretty much like the Scuderia now. They figured that the exhaust layout was the blame, and what struck me was how fast the team recovered and eventually had Jense chasing down Vettel for the title. How they started pre-season tests, and how they came out from their slump without testing and all is truly remarkable.

I don't see how and why the Scuderia just can't seem to do it. If you go deeper, then yes, lack of proper leadership and all is probably the core issue with the Scuderia. But right now, i think the lack of testing is killing them the most. Remember the Schumi days when they practically tested the whole day...