FERRARI 412 T1

   For the Maranello team, the early 1990s were particularly lacking in satisfaction, to the point that the top management of the Modena-based company decided to completely overhaul the team starting in 1993, with the hiring of the new sporting director Jean Todt and the return of John Barnard as technical director. At the English facility “Ferrari Design and Development” managed by Barnard, work began as early as 1993 on the 645 project, the new single-seater meant to replace the F93A. However, the project was later abandoned due to new regulations coming into force in 1994 that banned all electronic driver aids. Barnard thus turned his attention to the design of a completely new car. Once the project was realized, it was handed over to Austrian Gustav Brunner, who worked at the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, where the car was assembled, still under the technical direction of the British engineer. The new 412 T1 of 1994, whose name refers to the number of valves per cylinder, the number of cylinders, and the presence of a transverse gearbox, was a complete departure from the previous F93A. It was designed with the goal of greater chassis and car rigidity in order to better integrate the new engine into the car's body.

FERRARI 412 T1, Jean Alesi
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1994  

   The 043 engine itself was one of the main innovations of the 412 T1. Still overseen by Claudio Lombardi, its development involved a significant group of Japanese engineers led by Osamu Goto, chief designer of the successful Honda engines used in Prost and Senna’s MP4 cars. The new V12 from Maranello featured a 75° angle between the cylinder banks, instead of the usual 65° of previous Ferrari engines, and was known for its exceptional power, around 830 hp, as well as its distinctive sound. The six-speed semi-automatic transverse gearbox mounted on the 412 T1 was also entirely new, with the casing constructed by welding steel sheets.

FERRARI 412 T1, Gerhard Berger
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1994   

   Compared to the F93A, the wheelbase was significantly extended, and while the front suspension still used the push-rod with torsion bars configuration seen previously, the mounting points to the chassis were no longer spherical but used a flexible plate, given the very limited movement of the suspension. The cockpit dimensions already matched the increased size mandated by regulations coming into effect in 1995. The nose was even higher, with a full-width front wing supported by two pylons. The sidepods were completely redesigned with a trapezoidal shape, very tapered and sloping at the rear, an area Barnard had always paid particular attention to. The radiator intakes had an oval shape. Despite the elegant design, the air intakes turned out to be the main cooling problem for the new V12, proving undersized especially on slow circuits.

FERRARI 412 T1, Gerhard Berger
Montréal, Canadian GP 1994

   Compared to its predecessors, and thanks in part to the exceptional power of the V12 043, the new Maranello single-seater proved to be much more performant, though not particularly reliable. In the hands of the two main drivers, Frenchman Jean Alesi and Austrian Gerhard Berger, it achieved strong results from the start, such as Alesi’s third place in the season-opening race in Brazil, followed by a second place for Berger in the next race and another third place at Imola with test driver Nicola Larini, who replaced Alesi for two races. Another podium came in the fourth race of the season, followed by a points finish in the fifth and a podium plus another points finish in the sixth. During these months, Ferrari's chief aerodynamic engineer Nicolò Petrucci worked tirelessly to continually update the car to the point that, due to the many changes introduced, from the French Grand Prix onward the car was renamed the 412 T1B.

FERRARI 412 T1B, Jean Alesi
Monza, Italian GP 1994

   The sidepods were radically modified, shorter, narrower, and set further back, with larger air intakes and innovative airflow deflectors. This improved the airflow toward the engine, resolving the overheating issues that plagued the initial version. In the following ten races, the “B” version of the 412 T1 achieved significant results, including a victory by Berger in Germany, Ferrari’s first win in almost four years, as well as three second-place finishes and two thirds. Overall, Ferrari scored 71 points in the Constructors’ Championship, confirming itself as the third force behind Williams and Benetton. There were also some satisfactions in the Drivers’ Championship: Berger finished third with 41 points, and Alesi came fifth with 24, despite being forced to retire multiple times in the mid-season due to the car’s reliability issues.