JANUARY 11, 2012

Ferrari recruits Hamashima and Clark

Ferrari has recruited hugely experienced former Bridgestone director of tyre development Hirohide Hamashima.

Ferrari has recruited hugely experienced former Bridgestone director of tyre development Hirohide Hamashima.

"Hammy," 60 this year, joined Bridgestone in 1977 and has been directly involved with racing tyres since 1981.

Ferrari will be hoping that Hamashima's experience can be brought to bear on problems experienced last year in generating sufficient tyre temperature, particularly on the harder compound Pirelli tyres.

Ferrari's ex-McLaren technical director Pat Fry said: "Our tyre issues were really down to the classic Ferrari problem/benefit -- depending what type of track you're at - of generating bulk temperature in the tyre.

"At McLaren it was almost the opposite -- they could generate temperature straight away and are still the same now. It's a fundamental of how you set the car up.

\"I'm sure if we still had unlimited testing it would be relatively easy to swap between the two (characteristics). Singapore is a classically low bulk temperature circuit, so you struggle to get the grip. Whereas at, say, Silverstone, which was good for us, you have long, fast corners where you really work the bulk temperatures. That trade has been there all through this season and last.

"We're looking to change that and have done a reasonable amount of homework. Some of the tools we have needed improvement, which is coming on. We've got a better understanding now and we're trying to apply it to the 2012 car."

Ferrari has also recruited Steve Clark as director of race engineering. Clark is also widely experienced and worked with Fry at McLaren for five years before moving to Honda.