Scuderia Ferrari will most definitely change many aspects of the Formula One car for the 2017 Championship, in an attempt to make a substantial improvement after a disappointing 2016 season, during which the Maranello team did not manage to score a sigle win.
Although some of the changes brought to the new 2017 Ferrari car – most importantly related to the aerodynamic part – will be forced as a result of the major alterations to the Formula One regulations for this season, the revised technical team at Ferrari has also planned other important changes to the development of the new car, which will be officially launched on February 24.
Ferrari’s 062/2 power unit will feature an internal combustion engine, which should allow the possibility of using the MGU-H in a more efficient manner, and as a result reduce the risk of turbocharger unreliability. This has been a major issue for the Italian team during the 2016 season, both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen being forced to retire on more than one occasion due to the reliability problems of the SF16-H. In the combustion chamber, a major upgrade to a new multi-jet ignition system is believed to be under development, as a result of Scuderia Ferrari’s efficient partnership with the Mahle technology company.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen both had to take several five-place grid penalties during last season as a result of problems related to the gearbox, with the SF16-H proving to be extremely sensitive to set-up changes. It is no surprise that major revisions to the gearbox are anticipated for next season, Ferrari most likely deciding to move back to a more conventional solution in the hope of improving traction after its 2016 concept of mounting the rear suspension between the differential and the gearbox did not turn out to be the ideal solution and eventually led to more complications than benefits.
The technical team is likely to increase its wheelbase by 200mm and move the engine slightly futher back in the 2017 Ferrari car, yet these changes are also directly linked with the alterations to the Formula One regulations for next Championship, as the teams will now have to use a 105kg fuel tank compared to 100kg last year. There are also rumors regarding some “unusual” shapes for 2017 appearing in Ferrari’s windtunnel, yet the Italian team is working hard to prevent the information and data from leaking out.
