|
Welcome to Fiorano |
Tifosi involved |
| The |
presentation |
of |
Ferrari’s |
new |
Formula |
One |
car |
for |
the |
| forthcoming |
season |
has |
always |
been |
a |
major |
event |
for |
both |
the |
| press |
and |
the |
tifosi. |
In |
2001, |
the |
launch |
of |
the |
new |
Formula |
One |
| Ferrari |
took |
place |
on |
January |
29 |
in |
a |
large |
tent |
which |
had |
been |
| erected |
on |
the |
Fiorano |
test |
track. |
In |
front |
of |
the |
tent, |
the |
current |
| production |
range |
of |
Ferrari’s |
road |
cars |
was |
on |
display: |
360 |
| Modena, 360 |
Spider, |
550 |
Maranello |
and |
456 |
M |
GT |
– |
all |
in |
”Giallo |
Modena”, ”Modena yellow”. |
| For the first |
time, Ferrari |
did not |
only invite |
the international |
press, |
| but |
also |
a |
lot |
of |
tifosi |
who |
are |
members |
of |
the |
recently |
founded |
| ”Ferrari |
World |
Club”. |
They |
provided |
the |
background |
for |
the |
| presentation: |
Sitting |
on |
a |
tribune |
behind |
the |
podium |
on |
which |
the |
| new |
Formula |
One |
car |
was |
placed, |
the |
fans |
had |
been |
equipped |
| with |
red |
and |
white |
shawls. |
The |
tifosi |
were |
placed |
on |
the |
tribune |
| following |
a |
special |
scheme |
which: |
When |
viewed |
from |
a |
distance, |
| the |
people |
dressed |
in |
white |
shawls |
”spelled” |
the |
letters |
”F2001” |
with their bodies amidst the mass of the other tifosi dressed in red. |
| ”F2001” – the designation of the new Formula One car was |
already |
| unveiled. |
Hundreds |
of |
journalists |
from |
all |
over |
the |
world, |
the |
| majority |
of |
the |
board |
of |
directors |
both |
of |
Ferrari |
and |
Fiat, |
many |
| special guests |
and |
some |
selected (VIP-)customers |
did |
attend |
the |
| event. |
Ferrari’s |
head |
of |
the |
communications, |
Antonio |
Ghini, |
did |
| welcome |
the |
guests. |
After |
Jean |
Todt |
had |
reviewed |
the |
2000 |
| season which |
brought |
the |
World Championship |
Title |
to |
Maranello, |
| the new |
F2001 |
– |
which had |
been |
hidden |
under a |
red |
cover |
on |
the |
| podium |
– |
was |
unveiled |
by |
Michael |
Schumacher, |
Rubens |
| Barrichello |
and |
Luca |
Badoer. |
Ferrari’s |
CEO, |
Luca |
Cordero |
di |
| Montezemolo, |
did |
thank |
the |
team |
for |
their |
efforts |
during |
the |
last |
| season, |
and |
he |
did |
also |
thank |
the |
tifosi |
for |
the |
outstanding |
| support. |
Luca |
di |
Montezemolo |
and |
the |
entire |
Scuderia |
– |
| consisting |
of |
no |
less |
than |
600 |
employees! |
– |
promised |
to |
do |
| anything |
possible |
to |
keep |
the |
World |
Championship |
Title |
in |
2001. |
| But Jean |
Todt |
did |
admit |
that |
he |
expects |
the |
fight |
in |
Formula |
One |
to become even tougher. Well, we will see. |
| The F2001 |
is Ferrari’s |
47th |
Formula One |
model. |
Its new |
engine |
is |
| designated |
Tipo |
050 |
and |
is |
again |
a |
three-litre |
V10 |
90°. |
Paolo |
| Martinelli, |
head |
of |
the |
engine |
development, |
explained |
that |
an |
| entirely |
new |
engine |
test |
bed |
had |
been |
used |
for |
the |
design |
of |
the |
| ”050” |
which |
resulted |
in |
improved |
airflow |
dynamics. |
The |
engine’s |
| all-aluminium |
case |
is |
new, |
too. |
Especially |
remarkable |
is |
the |
| styling of |
the |
F2001: |
It |
has |
been |
changed |
substantially |
compared |
| to |
the |
F-2000. |
As |
Ross |
Brawn |
and |
Rory |
Byrne |
explained, |
there |
| has |
been |
a |
special |
emphasis |
on |
improving |
the |
safety |
| specifications |
of |
the |
car. |
The |
F2001 |
sports |
a |
new |
side-impact |
| protection which is |
able to absorb |
four times as |
much energy |
than |
| on |
the |
previous |
model. |
Aerodynamics |
have |
been |
altered |
| remarkably |
as |
well: |
Interestingly, |
the |
”nose” |
of |
the |
the |
F2001 |
| resembles |
the |
one |
of |
the |
McLaren-Mercedes |
of |
the |
2000 |
season: |
| It’s |
a |
hooked |
nose. |
Even |
more |
fascinating |
is |
the |
fact |
that |
| McLaren’s |
new |
car |
for |
2001 |
– |
which |
has |
been |
launched |
shortly |
| after – features |
a nose-styling which |
is pretty similar |
to the one |
on |
Ferrari’s F-2000… |
| However, other improvements include |
the wheel-bearings which |
we |
| specially designed |
for the |
Bridgestone |
tyres to |
be used |
during |
the |
| upcoming |
season. |
The |
gearbox |
remained |
unchanged |
up |
to |
now, |
| but a totally new example was undergoing development at the |
time |
of the launch. |
| After the |
usual |
announcements |
for |
the |
2001 |
Formula |
One |
season |
| by |
Ferrari |
officials, |
the |
drivers |
and |
the |
developers, |
the |
official |
part |
| of |
the |
event |
was |
over |
and |
the |
pilots |
and |
Jean |
Todt |
were |
available |
| for interviews |
in much |
smaller |
circles in |
special rooms |
adjacent |
to |
the main tent. |
Andreas Birner |
