Ferrari unveils its 2019 challenger, the SF90
- Published on 15 Feb 2019 10:47
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Ferrari has taken the wraps off its 2019 car, called the SF90, which it hopes will bring an end to its drought of titles.
Images of the new car were leaked online prior to the official launch of the car in Maranello on Friday morning.
The new car has a matte finish and takes on more black, after running for a handful of years with white featuring around the car. The Scuderia outfit last won the drivers' championship in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, while its latest constructors' title came one year later in 2008.
Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said: "The car embodies the latest state of the art technology, reflects the new regulations for the coming season and is the fruit of the combined enormous work and talent of everyone in the Scuderia."
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO John Elkann added: "Essere Ferrari means being part of a story that is without equal. A story that began 90 years ago with the tenacity of our founder Enzo Ferrari, with his passion for racing... and winning! A story that, every day, continues to live through."
Sebastian Vettel stays at the team for a fifth consecutive year. The German was in the hunt for the world championship in 2017 and 2018, but saw his challenge fall away in the second half of both seasons, the rival Lewis Hamilton coming out on top.
Vettel will have a new teammate in 2019 in the form of Charles Leclerc. Leclerc spent the 2018 campaign with Sauber, which was his first in the series, and impressed the paddock with his strong race drives.
As well as reshuffling its driver line-up, Ferrari also has a new team principal for the upcoming season. Former technical director Matia Binotto will handle duties, after the team opted to part ways with Maurizio Arrivabene.
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Replies (13)
Login to replyxoya
Posts: 583
A tad underwhelming. I don't think that black with red really works that well.
Fergal Walsh
Posts: 46
I think it'll look better in natural lighting.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Is it just or did teams put significantly less effort into their liveries this year? There are a couple of exceptions, but in general it seems like teams used minimal budget in coming up with a new design. Indeed it's barely a new design.
Alpha Romeo and Red Bull we'll have to wait and see their actual livery. But kudos for doing something cool, even if just for the test.
Toro Rosso, it's a new livery and it was awesome when it came out last year so they get a pass
Mercedes, quite similar to last year, but the changes are inmediately noticeable. It looks pretty good actually
Williams, totally different, but abhorrent, unimaginative, Nascar-like, almost vulgar
Racing Point, same as last year with a new sponsor
McLaren, it's noticeably different to last year, but I don't like it. Especially the team gear, it's blue. McLaren is not blue, never has been. Faux pas from my perspective
Haas, negative points for wasting a tremendous opportunity to do something cool with a new title sponsor. The design is as stock as it gets. Boring as hell.
Ferrari, it never expect much, their livery is a classic and they never change it too much. This year they went even more conservative than usual. But I always give Ferrari a pass on livery because they almost can't go wrong. But they can definitely go right when they want to. I loved the anniversary F-150. It was a dreadful car, but it was beautiful.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I kinda agree with you AJPP. Personally, I hope AR will revert to last year's livery (another case of a pretty new and also very interesting livery), while I hope Red Bull will keep this or a version of this for their car. STR, I love that livery, but if RB keep their's, it could dethrone STR as my current favourite.
Merc' livery is a significant improvement, I love of that minty colour really pop.
Williams is just ghastly, wrong colour combination. And again that black that doesn't make sense with the rest of it. I get that it makes the car look a bit slimmer and can accentuate some lines, but here it looks stupid.
Racing Point get a pass, since its kinda old, but its gotten enough of a rework, and the colour scheme alone differentiate it enough that I like it regardless of it being new or not.
McLaren.. I agree that they ain't a "Blue" team, but if they must have blue on their car, this was the better option I feel. Still woulda preferred a metallic or irideschent orange.
HAAS is where we differ in stance. Its standard for sure, but I like the colour combo enough that it gets a pass. Hardly a favourite, but its elegant enough.
Ferrari, again, business as usual. Too conservative for sure, but such is the Ferrari way.
Renault disappointed me. I had hoped for more yellow, yet it looks more like McLaren Mercedes West with Yellow instead of silver than it does Renault.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
My thoughts exactly Xoya. Going from the glossy red to the matte red just seems un-Ferrari like. Very underwhelmed.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Mostly agree with you AJPP but also with Calle in that I like the HAAS. Also don't give Ferrari a pass. The matte red just looks dull and suppressed and not sexy like a Ferrari should look. It worked for Red Bull when they did it, but I think it looks pretty lame with that black on a car carrying the Ferrari badge. But, they kind of changed their livery last year with the whole Mission/Winnow thing, so who knows what it will look like by the end of the season. I remember somebody, maybe a SKY F1 pundit, saying last year that RBR said the matte paint gave them .1 of a second, so maybe that's why Ferrari decided to go with it this year. All in all though, it just doesn't exude sexiness like a Ferrari should.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
It'll do. Its a Ferrari, no surprises here. At first glance, the car itself looks nearly identical to the 2018 model.
Freguz
Posts: 160
A tad conservative
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Such a small set of inlets for cooling. The section under cooling inlets has potential for development over the course of the season. But, i expected non-conservative front wing, esp. after Alfa’s reveal.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Well, sometimes the elegance lie in the simplicity. And the inlets are really all that small, looking at Red Bull and STR for reference, they are just smaller than many of the others. McLaren and Renault both have huge inlets.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
I was hoping for a surprise, and didn't get one. Except for the front wing perforations copied from Mclaren, there is hardly anything to be surprised, with SF90. Lets see if its a good thing.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
It looks like a few of the cars have smaller inlets this year which suggests an overall improvement among the engines cooling performance. It seems like the sport has a evolved to a point where these things are somewhat dynamic and more race dependent than fixed for the year.
Pistonhead
Posts: 556
Have to agree, the least impressive looking Ferrari for a few years. Wasn't there a rumour that Ferrari might dabble with the deeper, blood red collar of decades ago - I;d like to see that.