Ferrari launch their 2010 F1 contender

Posted by Harry on January 29th, 2010 | No Comments

Ferrari are the first team to launch their F1 contender. Codenamed F10, the challenger was revealed on Thursday at Maranello. Team drivers Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Chairman Luca Di Montezemolo were present at the launch. The contender features a thorough redesign of every part to take Ferrari into mainstream contention after winning just a single race last season. Moreover, Mclaren overtook Ferrari to third in the standings by just a single point.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali kicked off the proceedings before the all new contender was revealed. The car is Ferrari’s 56th single seater produced for the F1 world championships. The car will first meet the Fiorano test track on Friday with Massa at the wheel. Massa is behind the wheel after a long break from F1 following his skull injury in 2009.

“It is undoubtedly a great pleasure to be here to present another Ferrari,” he said. “It is a special moment because last year was very difficult. I really feel that I want to work more than ever, so I really hope that this will be a very competitive car and that we will be fighting for the championship and that our red car, our Ferrari, will always be in pole position. We are really willing to do this and I am very happy to be here.”

With Kimi Raikkonen participating in WRC this season, Fernando Alonso will partner Massa. Alonso, who was at the launch was ready to get back into the cockpit of his Ferrari and predicted that the F10 could take him back to his winning ways.

“This is my first presentation with Ferrari, and it means a lot to me,” said the Spaniard. “I’d like to thank the whole team because I know they have worked really hard over the last few months to create this dream, this new car. We are ready to take on this challenge. Felipe and I will be a very strong team and we hope that we will make all the Ferrari supporters around the world very proud to see this car winning the championship.”

Also present at the launch were the team’s engineering team, including technical director Aldo Costa, engine boss Luca Marmorini and designer Nikolas Tombazis,

“This car is the result of a very intense programme of work which started in the spring of 2009,” said Costa. “This activity became more intense during the summer following our strategic choice to leave the development of the F60 and focus on the development of this car. It contains all the passion and all the determination of a very confident group. We want to forget what happened last year and be competitive from the very first race.”

A hybrid Ferrari – Ferrari also revealed that a hybrid 599 GTB Fiorano was in the works and would be shown at the Geneva Motor Show.

F1 to road – F1 teams have agreed to drop KERS this season but Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo was keen to stress that the Italian firm is committed to improving sustainability and efficiency, while also further promoting the transfer of F1 technology to its new road cars.

Hybrid torque vectoring – The 599 will sport a pair of electric motors to power ther ear wheels individually. These will be powered by lithium ion batteries and operate like a torque vectoring system, with one motor sending power to the outer wheel in cornering while the other motor regenerative brakes the inside wheel.