With the new Formula 1 season inching ever closer, fans of the sport are becoming more and more excited for the date when the cars finally hit the grid.
The team driver line-ups for the new racing calendar have been solidified and the venues have been confirmed. Now, everyone is anticipating the release of this year’s cars.
Ferrari, in true Scuderia fashion, have sped ahead with the release of their new F14-T, unveiling the car to the world through images, spec details and a company video.
The model has had some significant changes to its predecessor, including a lower chassis and nose to increased driver safety, a new rear wing to deal with incoming rule changes, a narrower front wing, new cooling systems, an improved braking system, and better power units.
Named the F14-T because of the year of delivery and the introduction of a turbo-compressor in the power unit, the new model is the culmination of a project that has been two years in the making.
All unveiled in a rather, shall we say, dramatic video by the Prancing Horse team, the latest model is shown in all its glory in front of the workers, the Ferrari president, and the driving team of Fernando Alonso and returning Kimi Raikkonen.
The latter was previously a driver for the Italian team between 2007 and 2009, winning the world driver’s championship for them in his first season.
However, his relationship broke down with Ferrari and he was spectacularly ousted from the team, with current driver Fernando Alonso taking his place.
Now the pair will be fighting to regain Ferrari’s stranglehold on the world of F1 racing, as they endeavour to knock Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull Team off their throne.
It will be interesting to see how this racing dynamic works between the driving pair during the course of the season, but Ferrari seem confident that the combination of drivers, a top quality backstage team and an impressive new car will help them to achieve success this year.
Ferrari haven’t won an F1 constructor’s championship since 2008, when Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were behind the wheel. Maybe 2014 will once again be their year.
Under the iconic bright red exterior comes a 1600 cc, turbo V6 engine, with single turbo and six cylinders.
We haven’t yet seen the Ferrari out on the track, but with testing in Jerez, Spain, approaching in the coming days (January 28th), it’s likely that this is when we’ll really see the car’s potential, and assess whether Ferrari could push Red Bull to the limit this year.
The latest chassis on the car is constructed from carbon fibre, with a honeycomb composite structure.
It includes a Ferrari longitudinal gearbox, servo controlled hydraulic limited slip-differential, a semi-automatic sequential and electronically controlled gearbox with quick shift, as well as eight gears and reverse.
The total weight of the car, with driver, water and lubricant included, is dead-on the 691kg limit that adheres with the new F1 rules.
With the first race set to commence on March 16th in Australia, we can barely wait for the engines to start running!
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