Under the guidance of the team’s Chief Executive Officer, Jean Todt, but without technical director Ross Brawn, who left Maranello at the end of 2006, Scuderia Ferrari fields its fifty-third Formula 1 single-seater for the new season: the F2007. The car’s project is entrusted to a significantly renewed group of engineers, including Aldo Costa (Design and Development Director), Nikolas Tombazis (Chief Designer), Simone Resta (Head of R&D), Tiziano Battistini (Head of Chassis Design), Marco Fainello (Head of Vehicle Performance), Roberto Dalla (Head of Electronics), and John Iley (Head of Aerodynamics), assisted by Marco de Luca (Chief Aerodynamicist). Mario Almondo (Executive Technical Director) plays a fundamental role in guiding the car’s production, while Gilles Simon is responsible for the engine and electronics division, supported by David Salters and Lorenzo Sassi in engine design and development, as well as the young Mattia Binotto, in charge of engine operations.
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| FERRARI F2007, Kimi Räikkönen Silverstone, British GP 2007 |
The car is unveiled to the public on January 14, 2007, at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in Maranello, Italy. The launch model is shown with the front and rear wings of the 2006 248 F1 in order to keep several aerodynamic features secret from rival teams. The aerodynamics of the Ferrari F2007 represent a drastic change in philosophy compared to the previous 248 F1. While rival McLaren MP4-22 focuses on agility and complex close-coupled airflow management, Ferrari chooses the path of efficiency and high-speed stability by significantly lengthening the wheelbase. This provides the advantage of a larger flat floor surface, allowing cleaner and more stable aerodynamic downforce generation. As a result, the F2007 proves unbeatable on fast, high-downforce circuits, though it suffers slightly more in slow and tight sections. One of the most iconic visual innovations of the F2007 is the “lenticular” wheel covers: carbon-fiber discs that remain stationary while the wheel rotates, designed to channel brake heat and, above all, reduce the aerodynamic turbulence generated by rotating wheels, which would otherwise disturb airflow toward the rear of the car. The rear-view mirrors, instead of being mounted on the bodywork, are moved to the outer edge of the sidepods. This choice is not only ergonomic but also serves as a “flow diverter” to clean the air directed toward the rear wing. Thanks to a very compact and sculpted gearbox, the rear bodywork (the so-called “coke bottle” area) is extremely narrow, minimizing drag and channeling a greater aerodynamic flow toward the rear wing. The sidepod inlets are also revised and raised, while the front and rear wings are natural evolutions of the previous model.
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| FERRARI F2007, Kimi Räikkönen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2007 |
For the first time, Ferrari completely redesigns the front suspension mounting, abandoning the characteristic single-keel attachment, already discarded by several teams since the 2006 season, in favor of the Zero-Keel solution. The lower wishbone mounts of the front suspension are now anchored directly to the sides of the monocoque, eliminating the obstruction under the nose and freeing up a huge amount of space for airflow directed toward the floor and diffusers, thereby increasing underbody efficiency. The abandonment of the single keel is most likely due to the departure of previous designer Rory Byrne, whose highly successful earlier projects (notably his championship-winning Ferrari and Benetton cars) all featured a single keel. The first post-Schumacher single-seater also brings a revolution in livery, which is almost entirely red, with white playing a nearly marginal role. On the sponsorship front, title sponsor Philip Morris International with the Marlboro brand is confirmed; however, after ten years it drops the historic red-and-white panel on the engine cover and rear wing, replacing it with a simple white-and-red “barcode.” Painted in the classic racing red at the start of the season, from the Monaco Grand Prix onward the F2007 adopts a darker metallic shade, more sensitive to light reflections, which is then retained for the rest of the season.
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| FERRARI F2007, Kimi Räikkönen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2007 |
The engine fitted to the F2007, known as the Tipo 056, is one of the most reliable and successful power units of the 2.4-liter V8 era and represents Maranello’s engineering excellence during a period of strong regulatory restrictions. Despite the FIA-imposed engine “freeze” in 2007 (which prevents structural development), Ferrari works intensively on several permitted areas, such as the combustion chamber, valves, and intake and exhaust ducts, to improve power delivery and, above all, torque, making the car more manageable on corner exit. The Maranello V8 thus delivers up to 800 hp at the maximum allowed engine speed of 19,000 rpm. Combined with the innovative quick-shift gearbox, which virtually eliminates gear-change times and makes downshifts extremely rapid, this provides a measurable advantage of a couple of tenths per lap. The F2007 is driven by Brazilian Felipe Massa and Finn Kimi Räikkönen, along with test drivers Marc Gené, Luca Badoer, and occasionally Michael Schumacher. The performance of the F2007 is excellent, with results evident from the very first race in Australia, where newcomer Räikkönen immediately secures his first victory at the wheel of a Ferrari. With nine wins (six for Räikkönen and three for Massa), the season ends with the conquest of both titles: Räikkönen becomes World Champion with 110 points (one more than Hamilton and Alonso), and Ferrari finishes first in the Constructors’ Championship with 204 points.
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| FERRARI F2007, Felipe Massa Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2007 |
An attempted sabotage of the F2007’s fuel system is carried out before the Monaco Grand Prix by then Ferrari performance development chief Nigel Stepney. The British engineer is dismissed following the incident, but it later emerges that he is also involved in the 2007 Formula 1 espionage controversy with his friend, McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan. Evidence is found at Coughlan’s home of a proven transfer of confidential data and information from Ferrari, in particular the entire F2007 project. Meanwhile, McLaren files a formal accusation claiming that the Ferrari F2007 that won the Australian Grand Prix used illegal features (a flexible floor) discovered thanks to contact with Stepney. On September 14, 2007, the FIA finds McLaren-Mercedes guilty of industrial espionage. The Anglo-German team is punished with exclusion from the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship and a fine of 100 million dollars.
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