JANUARY 22, 2020

Sources say 2020 Ferrari has 'serious' aero flaw

More rumblings about trouble with Ferrari's 2020 car are emerging.

More rumblings about trouble with Ferrari's 2020 car are emerging.

Last week, journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini claimed that data from the 2020 car coming out of the simulator and wind tunnel "have not impressed the engineers".

And now, citing 'reliable sources within Ferrari', Germany's Auto Bild says the data from the wind tunnel is actually "worse" than is being reported.

Correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff report: "The car could have a serious error in the aerodynamics, which neither the simulator specialists nor the wind tunnel engineers have been able to solve."

They claim that the problem could be that Ferrari has gone the Red Bull route with a very steep rake angle at the bottom of the car.

"It helps you in several areas," explained former F1 designer Gary Anderson. "But if just one little thing is wrong, there is a chain reaction from the front wing.

"Then you have a serious problem that is not easy to solve."

Another problem is that Ferrari appears to have lost the battle with rival teams and the FIA over the disputed legality of its 2019 engine.

Mattia Binotto told the official Ferrari magazine that the politics in Formula 1 took him by surprise when he became team boss last year.

"It is a front on which we cannot let our guard down, because having a competitive car and good drivers is not enough. I didn't expect it to require so much effort," he said.

"I think the level of competition has never been so high," Binotto added.

"We have the credentials to do well, but nothing is taken for granted because our opponents, like us, are intensifying their efforts to improve.

"Our advantage is the exceptional support we receive, and the power of a myth that we want to keep nourishing at all costs," said the Ferrari team boss.