Images of what is purportedly Ferrari's new car have been published online by the Italian media, over a week before its official launch.
Italian media speculate on Scuderia's 2012 challenger
Images of what is purportedly Ferrari's new car have been published online by the Italian media, over a week before its official launch.
The appearance of the images, created by veteran F1 technical illustrator Giorgio Piola, comes just days after
Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the chassis, which will apparently be christened either the F12 or F2012, would be armed with a pull-rod rear suspension and narrow sidepods, and that the new car would also be unveiled with last year's front and rear wings.
Now
Autosprint has jumped a leap further by publishing
detailed pictures of what it claims is the team's new charger - one that team principal Stefano Domenicali promised late last year would be "really extreme" as they seek to challenge World Champions Red Bull.
According to a rough translation of their report, the chassis has been 'heavily inspired' by McLaren's MP4-26 - notably in that particular car's sidepods - and will represent 'a real clean break with the past'.
Intriguingly, the car has been described as 'ugly' due to 'a hump' on its nose, but its most visually striking feature will be high wings around the driver's cockpit which, it is claimed, represents an attempt to exploit new rules governing side impact crash structures.
With blown diffusers outlawed in 2012, the report also speculated that the car's exhaust, which must now exit upwards ahead of the car's rear axle line, is notably high - possibly in an attempt to direct gases on to the rear wing.
The car receives its official launch at Ferrari's Maranello base on Friday, February 3.
