On the heels of the good results achieved with the 412 T1 in 1994, Technical Director John Barnard continued his work to bring the Prancing Horse cars back to success. Project number 647, which would give rise to the new 412 T2, was developed by the British engineer at his facility in Shalford, UK, where Barnard worked in the Maranello team’s satellite division “Ferrari Design and Development.” However, the execution of the project was managed in Maranello by a team of engineers led by Sporting Director Jean Todt and composed, as in 1994, of Gustav Brunner, who served as chief designer, and Willem Toet, who continued to head the aerodynamics department. The technical director for the new 2997 cc V12 engine changed this season, a role now held by Paolo Martinelli, an engineer who had risen through Ferrari since the late 1970s and was promoted to technical director in anticipation of the new V10 engine that would be used on the Maranello single-seaters in 1996. Osamu Goto, designer of the powerful 3.5-liter V12 used in 1994, retained his role as chief engine designer and also took on responsibility for research and development.
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| FERRARI 412 T2, Gerhard Berger Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
The reduced engine displacement, along with the new 140-liter fuel limit imposed by the Federation, significantly lowered the power of the 044-type V12 engine, which now produced around 750 hp at 17,000 rpm. The new V12 was about 7 cm shorter than its predecessor, the 043, and roughly 10 kg lighter, partly due to the adoption of a special light alloy for the engine block. The use of composite materials in many parts of the new 412 T2 resulted in further weight savings, allowing Barnard to use ballast strategically to optimize weight distribution on the car. The new chassis was a classic carbon fiber monocoque with a honeycomb structure, while the suspension system still featured double wishbones in a push-rod configuration on both axles, with torsion bar springs, as was typical of Barnard’s cars. Unlike the previous model, the rear suspension on the new 412 T2 was no longer anchored to the gearbox but had additional supports directly fixed to the chassis.
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| FERRARI 412 T2, Gerhard Berger Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1995 |
The aerodynamics changed quite noticeably, abandoning the raised nose design, which had become common on cars from leading teams, in favor of a more conventional sloping and squared-off nose, with a front wing split into two endplates attached laterally. The sidepods were set further back, wider, and more squared, with a significantly larger air intake to provide better airflow to the radiators, aiming to resolve the overheating issues that plagued the previous version of the Maranello car. For this reason, the typical bottleneck-shaped rear end almost completely disappeared, replaced by a low, squared engine cover that integrated with the sidepods and fully enclosed the rear area. The gearbox remained a transverse semi-automatic with six forward gears plus reverse, now featuring a key innovation: a clutch lever behind the steering wheel, above the gearshift paddles. However, this solution was only used by Berger, while Alesi continued to prefer the traditional pedal-operated clutch.
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| FERRARI 412 T2, Jean Alesi Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
Frenchman Jean Alesi and Austrian Gerhard Berger once again formed the confirmed driver pairing for the new 412 T2, a car that, from its early outings, proved to be quite successful in terms of both engine and chassis, easy to set up and delivering competitive speed, although often undermined by poor reliability. During the season, it frequently challenged the Renault-powered cars, which were by far the fastest and went on to occupy the top four spots in the Drivers' Championship and the top two in the Constructors’ standings. In the season opener in Brazil, Berger finished third, briefly believing he had won following the disqualification of the first two finishers, Schumacher and Coulthard, who were later reinstated. In the next four Grands Prix, the 412 T2 consistently reached the podium, securing two second places with Alesi and three third places with Berger. Finally, in Canada came the breakthrough victory, with Alesi taking the top step of the podium for the first and only time in his career.
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| FERRARI 412 T2, Jean Alesi Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1995 |
The second half of the Championship, despite four more podium finishes and some excellent qualifying performances, was marred by the car’s lack of reliability, which often denied the drivers deserved results. In Canada, Berger was forced to retire while in third place; in Belgium, after securing the front row in qualifying, both cars were forced to retire; in Italy, a likely one-two finish was ruined when the onboard camera mounted on Alesi’s car detached and hit Berger’s 412 T2, breaking a front suspension arm. Alesi, firmly in the lead, was also forced to retire. After narrowly missing another victory at the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, where Alesi was passed by Schumacher just a few laps from the end due to excessive tire wear, the season ended with four retirements in the last two races. Nonetheless, Alesi and Berger secured fifth and sixth places in the Drivers’ Championship with 42 and 31 points respectively, while Ferrari finished third in the Constructors’ standings with 73 points, far behind Williams-Renault with 112 and Benetton-Renault with 137.
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