Ferrari are bringing a plethora of updates to this weekend’s European Grand Prix around the streets of Valencia, and after showing encouraging pace in Montreal, expect more of the same in Spain.
There will be a number of modifications and updates for the F10, most significant of which is a new configuration for the exhaust system, which should improve its aerodynamic efficiency. There will also be additional aero updates to the rear of the car.
In a bid to worry their rivals, Ferrari announce that these major changes in Valencia are just the beginning of a series of updates which will be rolled out over the next four races. Test driver Mark Gene conducted an aero test last week in Vairano, while the two drivers where busy in the Ferrari simulator in Maranello as they prepared for upcoming race in Spain.
Ferrari are hoping to show a similar degree of competitiveness in Valencia as they did in Montreal. The Spanish street circuit shares some characteristics of the semi-permanent track in Canada – high speed sections mixed in with slow corners. At the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Fernando Alonso was disappointed with third place, feeling he could have won the race, and although Felipe Massa failed to score any points, he did have moments were he matched the pace of the leaders.
Massa missed this race last year after his accident in the previous event in Hungary. In 2008 however, Formula 1’s first visit to the Valencia harbour, the Brazilian claimed the race victory, so effectively has a 100% win record around this track.
Ferrari can also claim five other European Grand Prix victories in its history, although these all took place at the Nurburgring. Four of them came for seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, and the other was claimed by Rubens Barrichello.
