Welcome Ferrari SFT1H

Beautiful, disarmingly beautiful.
This is the emotion that strikes on first impact with the new 71H, the Ferrari presented this afternoon at the Scuderia headquarters in Maranello. The show, hosted by Marc Genè, which lasted a scant half hour, under the watchful eye of Sergio Marchionne who made no statements during the live broadcast, he allowed us to get to know the car that Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, will have to bring to the levels of Mercedes.

The red livery all over the bodywork and the green four-leaf clover, a very strong link to pioneering motoring, certainly enchant. But enchanting above all are the words of Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal Ferrari Formula 1, who often speaks of the spirit of belonging.

“To have the team around that was working until two hours ago to fix the details of the car shows how this is a real team. A group of knowledgeable people who are building a Ferrari and who, as a sign of respect, are standing here behind their car. We are proud to be part of it. And we are also proud because this car was made here, in Maranello, at home in an Italy that also has its excellence in this brand. We can’t wait to put it on the track to see what it can do.”

After getting over the excitement of the new Rossa, one is dazzled by the Halo, the dome-like protection system imposed by the new regulations that will allow drivers to see reduced risks in case of an accident. An innovation that has not failed to raise controversy because that front “cross,” could bother the drivers. But Kimi and Seb did not seem very concerned.

“We tried it out and I think it will get used to it very soon,” Raikkonen said. For me this is the eighth time with Ferrari in Formula 1, and I must say that besides being an honor, it is always very exciting. The car is beautiful and this I think is already a strength.” .

Same consideration for Sebastian Vettel: “The Halo is necessary. We couldn’t do without it because of safety regulations. But like all new things, we’ll see if we like it right away. The cockpit is slightly different, but very comfortable. Now it’s up to us to show what this car can do. Because the magic that is created here then needs to be poured out on the track.”

A few innovations, without going into too much, were then explained by Mattia Binotto, Technical Director of the new car, who was repeatedly called out by Arrivabene.

“Design and performance I think are our strong points. The rear end is tapered compared to last year, and we have a slightly longer wheelbase.
Even the safety-related changes are made to flow air to the rear, creating a good air penetration point. The radiator accesses are innovative, but overall the car is a very interesting design. We worked on last year’s strengths, where on slow circuits the car was competitive. We then had to improve on fast sections and in0reliability. We are confident that we have done that.”

Alexander Zelioli