20-Aug-08: Ferrari Can Work on 2008 and 2009 Simultaneously
This is F1 Minute and it’s the 20th August 2008.
For a while now, we’ve had rumours that teams are having to choose between working on this year’s car to improve their championship prospects, or pushing forward development on the 2009 car. Ferrari are not one of these teams. Technical Director Aldo Costa says they have the resources to work on both years at the same time, although working on the two cars simultaneously can be a challenge. Of next year’s development, he said: “We are now entering the production phase for the main components of our 2009 car, parts such as the chassis and gearbox, which is a delicate phase with no way to recover from any mistakes. One step in the wrong direction could prove very costly.”
However, Costa said they’re not giving up on 2008 just yet: “Ferrari have the ability and resources to work on next year’s car without having to relax for one moment on continuing the development of the F2008 in a championship that is proving to be very tight between ourselves and our usual opponents”
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
17-Dec-07: Ron Dennis Isn’t About to Quit
Today is Monday the 17th December 2007, and this is F1 Minute.
Ron Dennis has repeatedly denied any talk of his quitting McLaren, despite pressure from outside forces. Since the official apology last week, several media folk have been lobbying for the team principal’s resignation. Dennis says this is not going to happen, as he doesn’t believe it would be in the best interests of the team.
The new McLaren line up for 2008 looks to be a lot more peaceful than this past season, with Heikki Kovalainen vowing to get along with his new team mate Lewis Hamilton. Kovalainen has said he is confident that he will be treated equally by the team and he’s positive that relationships within the organisation will remain good.
And Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa has been talking about the progress of the 2008 car, saying that he’s pushing hard through the winter to get on top at the start of next season. He also said the next car will be brand new, although there are no radical changes planned. Costa felt like their 2007 development rate was acceptable but next year they will need to focus on reliability.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.