Speculation is mounting of problems at Maranello as Ferrari develop their 2020 car ahead of the new Formula 1 season.
Recently, veteran insider Leo Turrini reported engineers were “not impressed” with the initial performances figures coming from the car currently named ‘Project 671’.
That led German publication AutoBild to try and dig deeper into the situation at Ferrari and according to their sources, the signs are not good.
“The car may have a crucial design flaw in terms of aerodynamics. Simulation specialists, as well as wind tunnel technicians, have not been able to figure out the source of the issue,” their report read.
“Ferrari’s problem is much bigger than expected.”
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It is known that the Scuderia was looking to shift from the low drag philosophy of last year to high downforce after it proved their biggest weakness compared to Mercedes and Red Bull.
And Autobild believes trying to copy a long-established feature of Adrian Newey’s Red Bull cars could be at the heart of the problem.
“Use of a higher rake would help to increase downforce, but the disadvantage is that a slight mistake in the rake adjustment can have catastrophic effects,” ex-Jordan designer Gary Anderson told the publication.
“If this incorrectly adjusted rake is accompanied by a front wing that doesn’t fit the philosophy, it could result in an uncontrollable car”
As it stands, Ferrari is set to be the first team to unveil their new car on February 11 and on Tuesday confirmed that would take place at the Romolo Valli Municipal Theatre in Reggio Emilia.
“We have chosen Reggio Emilia because 223 years ago, this city was where the tricolour was born and later adopted as the flag of unified Italy,” a statement read.
“The Valli Theatre is therefore the perfect setting to reveal Scuderia Ferrari’s latest car.”
The event is to be live-streamed both on the official Ferrari website and Facebook starting at 5:30pm GMT.
