The start of 2005 Formula One season.

Severe withdrawal symptoms here too. The Tsunami prevented the Sauber presentation in Singapore, bummer. So Toyota is the next best thing...

Sauber will show their new car in the Valencia tests on January 14.

 

The Toyota F105 looks good.

Ferrari fans will have to wait till the 3rd or 5th race of the season to see the F2005. New regulations means that engines must last for atlest two races. Thus Ferrari cannot release a new car for the 2nd or 4th race of the season.

 

http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/2005events_e/newcar_tf105/01press_index.html#

 

I don't understand your argument. The rules are the same for everybody and Sauber is showing off the new car on Jan 14 with the same engine as Ferrari. What do you mean, I just don't get it?

 

Ferrari are not fully satisfied with the F2005 and will be running a modified F2004 for the first two races of the season. Two, because they have to use the same engine over two race weekends. They can't put the F2004 engine in the F2005 chassis even if it's ready for the second race because it won't mate to the chassis: the F2005 chassis was designed from the ground up to be used with the F2005 engine.

 

Development of the F2005 is not going to be completed before the start of the season. The scheduled date for completion of the F2005 is between the 3rd and 4th race of the season. Ferrari have to make the same engine last for atleast two races or take a penalty.

So for the first two races we will see the team use the F2004. Then if the F2005 is complete before the 3rd race we will see the F2005 in the 3rd race. If we do not see the F2005 debut in the 3rd race, then the team will have to wait till the 5th race in order to avoid being penalized.

 

Ok, got it, thanks. I'm still wondering what is going to happen to the cars after the first race? Will all cars be impounded by FIA to be locked away and given to the teams for the 2nd race (sounds implausible) or are the engines going to be marked/sealed somehow?

Also given the fact that Sauber will premier next week would mean that Ferrari's car development is behind schedule, not its engine development. Interesting.

 

But Ferrari has done this in the past (Running with the previous season's car at the beginning of the new season, ex. 2002 with the F2001 starting the season). They seem to like to do this to ensure the reliability of the new car before risking the relliability when it really counts, instead they decide to fall back on a proven car with proven reliability.

I too have been in deep withdrawal for the last few months. I miss seeing F1 action every 2 weeks.

The next official launch is BAR on the 16th.

 

You got it right. After the first race, the engines will be marked and registered by the FIA. The teams are allowed to swap in new engines into the car in order for testing to continue. However, for the second race the teams must put the old marked and registered engine back into the car.

You are right again, the engine development for the F2005 is complete. It is the aerodynamics and tire development that is not complete.

Here is a small quote from Schumacher in a recent interview:

Ferrari will not start the season with a new car, but will go into the first races with 2004's model. A disadvantage?
I don't think so. We've been doing that before and it's never proven to be a disadvantage. We have such a good car with the F2004, it's the championship winning car after all. On the contrary, considering all the new rules, I think it's good that we can fall back on something that's proven to be so reliable.

Could the new rules turn out to be a problem for Ferrari? After all, the team was the most dominant one last year. But now the cards are being shuffled again…
Yes, but everyone will have to get accustomed to the new conditions. I think that an experienced, well functioning and successful team like ours will be able to adjust to the new circumstances better. We're all set to fight for the title again this year - and we can hardly wait to start.

Source Ferrari Press

 

Got any more details on how that is being accomplished? How do you mark an engine so it is fool proof? After all this is F1 where cheating is par for the course. E.g. I could imagine, that if you mark the cam cover, the teams would replace everything below it or if you write down a serial number, the teams have already made five engines with the same number. Just curious.

 

Here is the guidelines straight from the FIA:
85) ...

After consultation with the relevant engine supplier the FIA will attach seals to each engine in order to ensure that no significant moving parts can be rebuilt or replaced. Following the first of the two Events further seals will be applied in order to ensure that the engine cannot be run until the second Event unless it is installed in the car concerned.
Other than the straightforward replacement of one engine unit with another, a change will also be deemed to have taken place if any of the FIA seals are damaged or removed from the original engine after it has been used for the first time.

 

I bet we'll have some fun with this one this year...

So, let's think about this for a moment: The FIA puts a seal on a multi million dollar engine made by a team that is capable of manufacturing an entire race car out of raw materials. I bet nobody else in the world, but FIA has the technology to manufacture such a seal...Clearly a fool proof system.

 

Hey! I am just the messenger. Don't blame me, I never said the FIA were smart.

 

Okay I am confused.

So Ferrari are going to start the season in the F2004. That makes sense, but are they going to use the F2004 engine and thus take a risk that it will last the 2 race meetings?

Cause it appears that you can not put a F2005 engine in a F2004 chassis, ie:

Thus we have the possiblility of a Ferrari not finishing the second race of the season ... surely Ferrari would not take that risk??

Pete

 

Does anyone know what teams are doing to make the engines last longer? I believe that last season the engines usually only lasted ~400 miles (practice, qualifying, race, etc) and now 800 miles!? I was reading the posted article about Corse Clienti and they suggested owners short shift by 1000 RPM, which would double the engine life. This of course isn't best for racing, but I'd assume the RPMs will drop for next season. Thoughts on this?

 

The season has not OFFICIALLY started yet !!!!!!!!!

DC has not uttered his famous "........this year is my year........I am fitter than at any other time in my career......I looking forward to challenging Michael for the title this year................."

That's when you truly know the season has started, or in the case of DC .. just ended as you know that it's more likely that Minardi wins a race, than DC gets anywhere close to title contention.

Seriously, I agree for me it's when Ferrari rolls their car out. That's when the season starts because at that point everyone else just lost their chance to win !

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

Actually I just read an interesting interview with Theissen (right up your alley, isn't it?). He said the 2004 engines were built to last 400 kilometers (not miles, as a GP distance is just over 300 km) and the new ones will have to last 800 km. He said the actual engine costs went down just a bit as they really manufactured a lot less engines, but used their engineers a lot more to do test stand runs. He said the development of this years engines has focused not surprisingly on the thermally and mechanically most affected parts to make them stronger etc. He said a decrease in power is inevitable and the teams will use the engines even more sparingly. Point in case on Friday's training they'll run about 1,000 rpm less to sort out the tires.

None of this is good news for us fans as we'll see the cars even less.

PSK: I agree with your argument. It doesn't make any sense that Ferrari would be using an engine that was designed to last half as long as it should now. OTOH they probably end up detuning it to make it last longer. Just as they do with their Corsi Clienti program.

 

After last winter's testing season I gave up paying attention to these test sessions. Remember how Williams and Mc Laren "dominated" everything? All meaningless until the red lights go out in Melbourne. Can't wait.

 

I remember. I worked myself into a frenzy over last winter's test results. Not anymore.

I have withdrawal as well and enjoy these little news bites too. To pass the dreadfull off-season I have followed Paris-Dakar and look forward to Rally Monte Carlo next weekend. Gee, I'm even thinking about Daytona 500, that's how bad I'm missing it right now. Doctor!

 

Some teams have already been hard at work on their new engines:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44877

 

Good. Let's bring it on!