After concluding the first season with the German champion Michael Schumacher at the wheel of the red cars from Maranello, Scuderia Ferrari is preparing to be a main contender in the 1997 season. During the winter break, two major additions are made to the team with the hiring of Ross Brawn as Technical Director and Rory Byrne as Chief Designer, both coming from Benetton. With Schumacher leading, Ferrari’s Sporting Director Jean Todt has succeeded in reuniting the trio that won back-to-back World Championships with Briatore's cars in 1994 and 1995. Todt’s choice is also driven by the fact that designer John Barnard does not wish to take on the role of Technical Director within the team, preferring instead to work from the “Ferrari Design & Development” satellite office in Shalford, UK, which risks disrupting the internal balance of a team like Ferrari that wants to centralize all production again at the Racing Department in Maranello. It is now clear that Barnard’s time at Maranello is over, so much so that the new F310B is presented in early January, contrary to the wishes of the English engineer, who usually delays the debut of his cars as long as possible to avoid giving rivals an early look.
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| FERRARI F310B, Michael Schumacher Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1997 |
However, Ferrari cars had not been able to start a season competitively for too long, always forced to make improbable comebacks during the championship. This was something they hoped to avoid with extensive testing before the official season kickoff in Australia in March. In the name of continuity, the project from the previous car is not completely overhauled, and even the name remains the same, with just a “B” added to indicate the evolution of the previous vehicle. Once Barnard officially moved to Arrows, Brawn and Byrne fully committed to developing the car, which readily accepted the updates, building on a solid base that ensured excellent reliability. The nose of the F310B is completely new and takes inspiration from the Williams FW18, the sidepods no longer have separate inlets from the body but instead follow the shapes of the successful Benettons from 1994 and 1995, while the rear end remains almost unchanged, still suffering from the same premature wear of the rear tires.
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| FERRARI F310B, Eddie Irvine Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1997 |
Nevertheless, the Maranello team shows a level of cohesion never seen before, and the hard work during winter testing pays off. The car quickly transforms from the ugly duckling of the previous season into a beautiful swan capable of excelling and competing for top positions. Between late April and late June, Schumacher scores 3 victories, 1 second place, and 1 fourth place, while his teammate Eddie Irvine steps on the podium four times, confirming the quality of the work done on the F310B. Behind these successes lies the car’s exceptional ease of adjustment, allowing the team to modify the setup and race strategies until moments before the start. One striking example: the front bars can be replaced and the suspensions adjusted in just a few minutes by simply removing a cover on the nose. The introduction during the season of a new electronic brake balance system gives the two Ferrari drivers a significant advantage under braking compared to competitors. Meanwhile, the use of a new chassis built with a special construction technique leads to a noticeable weight reduction, which in turn allows for increased ballast that can be repositioned to achieve optimal weight distribution and reduce tire wear.
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| FERRARI F310B, Eddie Irvine Suzuka, Japanese GP 1997 |
The powerful V10 engine type 046, used in 1996, is also revised during the season. In its 046/2 evolution, it reaches 750 hp at 17,100 rpm in race configuration. However, the increased power requires more fuel and airflow to the engine, prompting a slight increase and lowering of the fuel tank. Byrne works on the car's aerodynamics, modifying the air intake above the driver’s head. The F310B’s gearbox is completely new as well, a transverse semi-automatic seven-speed unit, designed by Barnard in 1996 and already planned for the '97 car. A standout feature of the F310B is its steering wheel, which, following another idea from Barnard, consolidates all car functions into a display placed in the center of the wheel instead of on the dashboard. Initially, this innovation introduced on Ferrari cars is seen as an unnecessary gimmick that only raises development and production costs, as well as another potential source of electronic failure. However, no prediction could have been more wrong. In just a few seasons, steering wheel-computers would become standard across all Formula 1 and racing cars, turning into essential tools for vehicle management. Regarding the F310B’s livery, the classic racing red typical of Ferrari single-seaters is abandoned in favor of a lighter and brighter red. Initially, it’s believed this is due to the preferences of the new main sponsor, Philip Morris International, which, under the Marlboro brand, ends its twenty-year partnership with McLaren to sponsor Ferrari. However, this new shade is more about making the Ferrari cars more recognizable on television than commercial reasons.
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| FERRARI F310B, Michael Schumacher Montréal, Canadian GP 1997 |
The F310B deserves credit for bringing the Italian team back to the top of Formula 1, once again fighting for both world titles. Schumacher achieves 5 victories, although an unsporting move against Villeneuve on lap 47 of the final race in Jerez earns him a disqualification and the annulment of the 78 points he had earned, which would have secured him second place in the standings. The disqualification, however, does not affect the team, which finishes second in the constructors’ championship with 102 points, just 21 behind the winning Williams-Renault. Eddie Irvine performs admirably, securing seventh place in the drivers’ standings with 24 points and five podium finishes. From this season onward, the team shaped by Jean Todt through long, behind-the-scenes but tremendously effective work not only has the best driver of the moment but proves capable of taking on any rival, with the confidence of having the best across every department. A memorable era is beginning for Scuderia Ferrari.
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