Ferrari F2007

Chassis

The chassis was significantly altered from the 248 F1, the car Ferrari used during 2006 to finish as runners-up to Renault in the Constructors' Championship. The wheelbase is 85mm longer, from 3050mm to 3135mm, with the extra length added between the cockpit and front wheels, in order to maximize aerodynamic performance.

Aerodynamics

The launch model was shown with the front and rear wings from the 248 F1. This was to keep various aerodynamic features secret from rival F1 teams.

Mechanicals

The gearbox itself, which is still mounted longitudinally, is fitted with an innovative quick-shift system (seven plus reverse). The suspension adopts a zero-keel configuration, a first for Ferrari. The dropping of the single-keel is most likely due to the departure of previous designer Rory Byrne, whose previous, ultra-successful designs (notably his championship-winning Ferrari and Benetton cars) all featured a single keel.

Sponsorship and livery

Ferrari were the only team to receive tobacco sponsorship for the 2007 season. The team's principal sponsor is Philip Morris International, parent company of Marlboro cigarettes. However, in order to circumvent the European tobacco advertising ban, the car's livery did not feature the brand name. A simple red and white "barcode" was used and, hence the advertising at European Grands Prix was purely through association. Ferrari used 'Marlboro' logos in Bahrain, Monaco and China.

The livery featured significantly less white than in previous years. The cars, driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen, raced with the numbers 5 and 6 respectively as the team finished second in the 2006 Constructors' Championship. Ordinarily, this would mean numbers 3 and 4 for the following season but owing to World Champion Fernando Alonso changing teams to McLaren, Renault received these numbers as Fernando Alonso took his number 1 (and thus, number 2) to his new team.

At the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari changed the colour of their cars from Rosso Scuderia (light red) to Nuovo Rosso Scuderia (a darker shade), and kept it for the remainder of the season.

Martini returned for the second year with the team, however the logo was blocked out in France due to alcohol advertising being outlawed there.

Other

An attempted sabotage of the car's fuel system was made prior to the Monaco Grand Prix by then Ferrari Head of Performance Development Nigel Stepney. Stepney, then a senior engineer at Ferrari, was involved in the 2007 Formula One espionage controversy with McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan, was dismissed as a result of this incident. McLaren meanwhile made a formal allegation that the Ferrari F2007 that won at the Australian Grand Prix had done so with illegal features discovered through the contact with Stepney.

The 2007 season was the first in which the use of two different rubber compounds was required during a race.

The Ferrari F2007 is featured in the games Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Gran Turismo PSP, Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends, F1 2017, F1 2018 , F1 2019 and F1 2020.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

References

References

1. (2007-01-14). "F1 Team Unvails Ferrari's F2007". Ferrari-ForSale.com.
2. "Big, bold and clever", Ferrari F2007 launch article, ''[[Autosport magazine]]'', 18 January 2007.
3. BBC News article "Ferrari extend tobacco contract" [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4212902.stm article]
4. "Ferrari F2007 - dark red edition 2007 - #6 K. Raikkonen 1:18 - Buy F1 merchandise".
5. "Ferrari Changed the Color of the Red that it Uses on the Car".
6. Kington, Tom. (2007-10-27). "The trousers, the powder and the Ferrari fuel tank". The Observer.