28/11/2004
NEWS STORY
As in previous years, Ferrari will begin the 2005 season with a revised version of its previous year's car, hoping to introduce its 2005 car in time for France or San Marino.
Talking to the Italian newspaper, Gazzetta dello Sport, chief designer Rory Byrne admitted that the new car won't be hitting the test track until late February.
"The aim is to have the new car on track at the end of February," said the South African. "We could bring it out from the first race but we want to go deeper into research and design so it is almost perfect when it does appear. We expect its debut to be between the third and fifth races."
Of course, the F2004 will have to be heavily revised to comply with the new regulations, but using the previous season's car for the opening races has become a bit of a habit for the Maranello outfit in recent years, despite previous rule changes.
"The new car will represent another big step forward," revealed Byrne, "but its success will depend on our rivals.
"It will be different to the F2004, but in an evolutionary sense. Some areas will be very different, the engine will be new, not interchangeable with the current one, as will the gearbox."
In 2005, the engine has to last for two complete race weekends, not one, as in 2004.
For the last couple of years there has been much speculation as to when Michael Schumacher will retire, which many people believe will signal the break up of the 'dream team' which has brought so much success to the Scuderia in recent years. Byrne, like Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt, can only continue for so long, and the South African admits that he could be one of the first to opt out.
"I could stay involved in a different manner," he admitted. "But from 2007 I will certainly spend most of my time in Phuket, in Thailand. My wife is from there. I have bought a 7,000 square metre plot by the sea and will build a holiday village with cottages for tourists."
The news that Ferrari will introduce its new car once the season is underway, and that the car won't be launched until late February, clearly indicates that the Maranello outfit has no intention of easing up on its test programme, despite the anti-test coup recently led by Minardi's Paul Stoddart, which attracted the support of all Ferrari's rivals.