Ferrari F138

Last updated
Ferrari F138
Fernando Alonso 2013 Malaysia FP2.jpg
The F138, driven by Fernando Alonso during the second practice session of the Malaysian Grand Prix
Category Formula One
Constructor Ferrari
Designer(s) Pat Fry (Technical Director)
Nikolas Tombazis (Chief Designer)
Tiziano Battistini (Head of Chassis Design)
Simone Resta (Project Leader)
Nick Collett (Head of R&D)
Giacomo Tortora (Chief Vehicle Dynamicist)
Loic Bigois (Head of Aerodynamics)
Nicolas Hennel (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Luca Marmorini (Engine and Electronics)
Predecessor Ferrari F2012
Successor Ferrari F14 T
Technical specifications, [1] [2]
Chassis Carbon fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)Independent suspension, pull-rod activated torsion springs
Suspension (rear)as front
Engine Ferrari Tipo 056-2013 2,398 cc (146 cu in) 90° V8 Naturally aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited with KERS, mid-mounted.
Transmission Ferrari 7 forward + 1 reverse Semi automatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox, quick-shift Limited-slip differential
Weight642 kg (1,415 lb) (including water, lubricant and driver)
Fuel Shell V-Power Fuel
Shell Helix Ultra Lubricant
Tyres Pirelli P Zero (dry), Cinturato (wet) [3]
OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"
Competition history
Notable entrants Scuderia Ferrari
Notable drivers3. Flag of Spain.svg Fernando Alonso [4]
4. Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Massa [5]
Debut 2013 Australian Grand Prix
First win 2013 Chinese Grand Prix
Last win 2013 Spanish Grand Prix
Last event 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix
RacesWins Podiums Poles F/Laps
1921002

The Ferrari F138 [6] (originally known as the Ferrari F2013, and sometimes referred to by its project number, the Ferrari 664) [7] [8] is a Formula One racing car designed and built by Scuderia Ferrari for use in the 2013 Formula One season. It was driven by two time World Champion Fernando Alonso and his teammate Felipe Massa in his final season at the Scuderia. [4] [5] The chassis was designed by Pat Fry, Nikolas Tombazis and Loic Bigois with Luca Marmorini leading the engine and electronics design. The car was named the "F138" to represent the year that it would be raced, 2013, and to mark the final season that Formula One would use V8 engines. [9]

Contents

Ferrari were developing their car for the 2014 season in parallel with the F138. [10]

Season summary

As winter testing had suggested, the F138 immediately proved to be much more competitive than the F2012 at the start of the season. In Australia, Massa and Alonso qualified 4th and 5th, respectively. In the race, the F138 had better race pace than its rivals so they finished with Alonso taking second place and Massa 4th.

Felipe Massa during the Malaysian Grand Prix Felipe Massa 2013 Malaysia FP2 2.jpg
Felipe Massa during the Malaysian Grand Prix

Malaysia also saw the qualifying taking place in wet weather; Massa and Alonso took advantage of this situation to qualify 2nd and 3rd respectively. This was the fourth straight time that Massa had out-qualified his teammate.

The race was started on intermediates because of wet track conditions. Off the line Alonso had a good start while Massa was suffering from degradation on his intermediate tyres, due to which he lost couple of places at the start. Alonso had a slight contact with Vettel going into turn 2 enough to damage his front wing. The team decided to keep Alonso out thinking that the wing would hold up and they could change it when he comes to pit for dry tyres. At the start of lap 2 the wing gave way on the back straight and Alonso ended up retiring in the gravel. Massa had a good race pace on dry weather tyres which helped him to end up in fifth position.

Fernando Alonso took his 31st Grand Prix victory at the Chinese Grand Prix Alonso china 2013.jpg
Fernando Alonso took his 31st Grand Prix victory at the Chinese Grand Prix

In China, Ferrari brought upgrades for the F138 which had varied effects. However, during practice sessions it appeared that the F138 had improved single lap pace, compared to the first two rounds of 2013. Alonso and Massa managed to qualify 3rd and 5th. In the race, within five laps both Alonso and Massa managed to overtake Hamilton for first and second place until both swapped for prime tyres from where on Alonso managed to hold his lead but Massa struggled for pace and slid down the order. Alonso went on to take his and the F138's first win of the season, while Massa finished in 6th. Ferrari were pleased with the F138's race pace and Alonso admitted to having withheld his car's full pace during the race.

In Bahrain, the F138 received more improvements to the car's aero package. Alonso qualified 3rd and Massa managed 6th on the harder tyre compound, thus splitting race strategy between both cars. In the race, Alonso dropped down the order due to a repeated malfunction of his DRS while Massa picked up two punctures, resulting in finishes of 8th and 15th respectively.

In Spain, both F138s seemed highly competitive during practice sessions but that did not transfer into a much improved single lap pace during qualifying, relative to other teams. Alonso qualified 5th and Massa posted the 6th best time, however, Massa was relegated to 9th due to having impeded Webber's flying lap during the qualifying session. In the race, Ferrari went for a four pit-stop strategy for both cars which was the optimal strategy for a sustained pace and reasonable tyre conservation for the F138. Having passed Räikkönen and Hamilton impressively in the third corner of the first lap, Alonso dominated the race and took his second win of the season while Massa finished in 3rd.

During the weekend in Monaco, once again both Ferraris seemed reasonably competitive during free practice sessions despite Massa's crash into a barrier during FP3 after hitting a bump on the track before the entry into the first corner. In qualifying, Alonso, however, managed only the 6th best time while Massa did not compete at all due to the team not managing to repair the car on time which resulted in him having to start 23rd. During the course of the race, the F138s clearly lacked pace, compared to that of the Mercedes and Red Bull cars. Moreover, Alonso could not keep up with the top four cars during the middle part of the race due to having debris stuck under the front of his car, hampering the aerodynamic performance of the F138. Meanwhile, Massa struggled to fight his way through the rear of the field until crashing into the same barrier as in FP3 due to a damaged suspension, as confirmed by Ferrari. Alonso thus finished in 7th, having been passed along the way by Sutil and Button but gaining places because of a retirement from Pérez and a puncture for Räikkönen that was caused by Pérez. Overall, the race was a disappointment for the Ferrari F1 team as the car struggled on a high downforce track. Despite that, Ferrari remained adamant that this drop in form was an exception due to the Monaco track's unique characteristics.

In Canada, the Ferraris seemed unable to challenge the Red Bull or Mercedes cars for high grid positions in qualifying but, as usual, they recorded decent race pace. In qualifying, Alonso managed a distant 6th but Massa crashed his F138 on the entry into the third corner in Q2, resulting in a grid position of 16th. Driver error was blamed in the incident as the chassis Massa used was brand new following the Monaco incident. During the race, both Alonso and Massa made up several places to finish in 2nd and 8th respectively.

In Britain, both F138s struggled from the outset in free practice with both cars challenging only for the middle of the field positions. Ferrari admitted lack of pace due to several failed upgrade packages, and Alonso publicly encouraged the team to improve the car's pace as soon as possible. The Ferraris had a disastrous qualifying with Alonso achieving 10th and Massa recording only the 12th fastest time. However, both were promoted one place after di Resta received a penalty for his combined driver-car mass being underweight. In the race, Massa made a remarkable start to charge up to 5th while Alonso improved his grid position more gradually. The race was marked by severe tyre exposure to high stress in the fast sweeping corners with high kerbs on the sides which caused cuts and deformations of tyres. During the race, four cars suffered left rear tyre explosions, one of them being Massa who managed to recover from the back of the field to 6th at the finish. Alonso, meanwhile, enjoyed a decent race while clearly having a slower car than the two front running teams of Red Bull and Mercedes. Alonso finished in 3rd due to a strategy of pitting for fresh tyres in the final 10 laps that allowed him to overtake several cars, and after Hamilton's left rear tyre failure and Vettel's retirement with a gearbox issue.

In Germany, the F138s continued to struggle despite a few upgrades. Both F138s looked pretty good at the beginning of the weekend, but still not fast enough for the top positions. They finished 7th and 8th in Q3 with a different strategy compared to the other teams. Massa did not finish the race due to a gearbox problem and Alonso managed to pick up a few positions to finish 4th.

In Hungary, Ferrari did not bring any updates for the F138, so they again struggled. Alonso and Massa finished 5th and 7th in Q3, but they did not pick up any places in race as usual. The F138 lost its race pace. Team principal Stefano Domenicali said that they did not know why were they so slow in the race.

In Belgium, Ferrari showed very good pace in practice as the F138 showed to be only threat to Red Bull. It was the result of a package of upgrades which worked as expected. Qualifying did not go well for both F138s, due to being caught out by mixed conditions, but Alonso drove an incredible race and finished 2nd. Massa had a problem with his steering wheel and a bad start, finishing 7th.

In Italy, Ferrari brought a new low downforce package and most parts of it worked as expected. The F138 showed good pace by using towing in both practice sessions and qualifying. They finished 4th and 5th in Q3, but good starts and reasonably good pace gave them 2nd and 4th at the end of the race.

Fernando Alonso during the Singapore Grand Prix Scuderia Ferrari F1, Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore (10226632814).jpg
Fernando Alonso during the Singapore Grand Prix

In Singapore, Ferrari continued to struggle in a similar vein to before Italy. They were typically a second off the fastest time in practice and qualifying, lining up on the grid in 6th (Massa) and 7th (Alonso) places. Alonso made a great start and was third behind race leader Sebastian Vettel and second place Nico Rosberg. As the night race progressed, Alonso made the most of a safety car period and finished in a very creditable 2nd place, albeit 30 seconds behind the winner, Vettel. Mark Webber's Red Bull expired near the end of the race and Alonso gave the Australian a lift back to the pits, incurring a reprimand for both drivers.

Complete Formula One results

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

YearEntrantEngineTyresDriversGrands PrixPointsWCC
AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN KOR JPN IND ABU USA BRA
2013 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Type 056 P Fernando Alonso 2Ret1817234522264115533543rd
Felipe Massa 456153Ret86Ret874691048127

Other

The Ferrari F138 has been featured in the racing simulations F1 2013 and Assetto Corsa in the 'Red Pack' DLC.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimi Räikkönen</span> Finnish racing driver (born 1979)

Kimi-Matias Räikkönen, nicknamed "The Iceman", is a Finnish racing driver who competed in Formula One between 2001 and 2021 for Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, and Alfa Romeo. Räikkönen won the 2007 Formula One World Championship while driving for Ferrari; he finished second overall twice and third three times. Räikkönen is the most successful Finnish Formula One driver by several metrics, and has the seventh-most podium finishes (103), third-most fastest laps (46), and third-most race starts (349) in Formula One history. He is known for his reserved personality and reluctance to participate in public relations events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felipe Massa</span> Brazilian racing driver (born 1981)

Felipe Massa is a Brazilian racing driver, currently competing in the Stock Car Pro Series for TMG Racing. Massa competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2017, and was runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship in 2008 with Ferrari; he won 11 Grands Prix across 15 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Hungarian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and was held on 5 August 2007 at the Hungaroring racing track in Mogyoród, Pest, Hungary. It was also memorable for an incident in the Saturday qualifying session, between McLaren teammates Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Australian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2010 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 28 March 2010 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was the second round of the 2010 Formula One World Championship. McLaren driver Jenson Button won the 58-lap race starting from fourth position. Robert Kubica finished second for the Renault team and Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 German Grand Prix</span> 11th round of the 2010 Formula One season

The 2010 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 25 July at the Hockenheimring in Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was the eleventh round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and the seventy-first German Grand Prix. The 67-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso after he started from second position. His teammate Felipe Massa finished second, and Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel came in third. This was the first Ferrari 1-2 finish since the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren MP4-25</span> Formula One racing car for 2010 season

The McLaren MP4-25 is a Formula One racing car designed and raced by McLaren in the 2010 season. The chassis was designed by Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley, Tim Goss, Andrew Bailey and John Iley and was powered by a customer Mercedes-Benz engine. The car, which was driven by 2009 World Champion Jenson Button and 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, was officially unveiled at title sponsor Vodafone's headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, UK on 29 January 2010. The MP4-25 was the first McLaren car to be independently built by McLaren alone, after becoming a Mercedes customer team after Mercedes F1 rejoined the series as a full-constructor team by purchasing a 75% stake of Brawn GP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 German Grand Prix</span> 10th round of the 2011 Formula One season

The 2011 German Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 24 July 2011 at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany. It was the tenth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The 60-lap race was won by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who had started from second position on the grid. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished in second place, and Mark Webber, who had started the race from pole position, completed the podium in third position for Red Bull Racing. Webber's teammate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel finished fourth, ending an eleven-race streak of finishing in the podium placings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Hungarian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 31 July 2011 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary It was the eleventh round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 27th running of the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the 26th time it had been held as a round of the World Championship. The 70-lap race was won by McLaren's Jenson Button, in his 200th Grand Prix start, after starting from third on the grid. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who started the race from pole position, finished in second place for Red Bull Racing, and Fernando Alonso completed the podium in third position for Ferrari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Spanish Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Santander 2011, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 22 May 2011 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the fifth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The 66-lap race was won by the championship leader, Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel after starting from second on the grid. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished in second place, and his teammate Jenson Button completed the podium in third position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Brazilian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race held in 2012

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that took place at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil, on 25 November 2012. The race was the twentieth and final round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship, and marked the forty-first running of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The race was won by Jenson Button driving for McLaren, scoring the 15th and last victory of his Formula One career, as well as McLaren's last Grand Prix victory until the 2021 Italian Grand Prix and the last win for a British driver for McLaren until Lando Norris won the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 European Grand Prix</span> 8th round of the 2012 Formula One season

The 2012 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain on 24 June 2012. It was the eighth round of the 2012 championship season, and the final time the circuit hosted the European Grand Prix or any other Formula One race. It was Fernando Alonso's second Grand Prix win in Spain after the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix held at Barcelona. Michael Schumacher finished third at the age of 43 years and 173 days, the oldest driver to climb to the podium since Jack Brabham's second-place finish at the 1970 British Grand Prix. It was Schumacher's best result since his comeback in 2010 and the final podium finish of his Formula One career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 150º Italia</span> Formula One racing car

The Ferrari 150º Italia, formerly known as the Ferrari F150, was a Formula One car used by Ferrari to compete in the 2011 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Aldo Costa, Pat Fry, Nikolas Tombazis and Marco de Luca with Luca Marmorini leading the engine and electronics design. It was launched at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello, Italy on 28 January 2011, one year to the day after the launch of its predecessor, the Ferrari F10. It was driven by 2005 and 2006 World Champion Fernando Alonso, and 2008 championship runner up Felipe Massa. The Ferrari 150º Italia was the first Ferrari Formula One car to utilize Pirelli tyres since Ferrari D50 in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Chinese Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race held in 2012

The 2012 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 15 April 2012 at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China. It was the ninth running of the Chinese Grand Prix as a round of the Formula One World Championship. The 56-lap race was the third round of the 2012 Formula One season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari F2012</span> Formula One car 2012 Scuderia Ferrari

The Ferrari F2012 is a Formula One racing car designed by Scuderia Ferrari for the 2012 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Pat Fry, Nikolas Tombazis and Nicolas Hennel with Luca Marmorini leading the engine and electronics design. The car was launched on 3 February at Ferrari's facility in Maranello. The car, which was driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, made its debut at the first pre-season test at Jerez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 German Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2013 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 7 July 2013 at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany, as the ninth round of the 2013 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Italian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2013 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 September 2013 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy. The race was the 12th round of the 2013 season, and the 83rd running of the Italian Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Indian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2013 Indian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 October 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was the sixteenth round of the 2013 Formula One season, and the third Indian Grand Prix. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel, driving a Red Bull, after starting from pole position. Nico Rosberg finished second in a Mercedes, with Romain Grosjean behind in third driving for the Lotus team. By winning the race, Sebastian Vettel secured his fourth consecutive title and his last to date, as Fernando Alonso could not catch up to Vettel in the championship with only three races remaining. Red Bull also clinched their fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren MP4-31</span> Formula One racing car

The McLaren MP4-31 is a Formula One racing car designed by McLaren to compete in the 2016 Formula One season. The car was driven by 2005 and 2006 World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso and 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, and reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who replaced Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix following the Spaniard's accident at the Australian Grand Prix which deemed him unfit for the next event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix</span> 2017 Formula 1 race

The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 June 2017 at the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The race was the eighth round of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, and was the maiden running of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a round of the Formula One World Championship. It was the second time that a race was held at the circuit and the second time that a Grand Prix was held in Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari SF70H</span> 2017 Formula One car by Ferrari

The Ferrari SF70H is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Scuderia Ferrari to compete in the 2017 Formula One season. It was driven by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen. The car made its competitive début at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, where it finished first and fourth in the hands of Vettel and Räikkönen, respectively. In keeping with his tradition of giving his cars female nicknames, Vettel named his SF70H "Gina".

References

  1. "F138 – The Brand new Ferrari F1 single seater". Ferrari.com. Ferrari S.p.A. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  2. "Ferrari F138 - F1technical.net".
  3. Noble, Jonathan; Beer, Matt (11 December 2013). "F1 teams expert enough to avoid early tyre struggles – Ross Brawn". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Fernando Alonso signs new Ferrari contract". BBC Sport . BBC Sport. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Massa signs new Ferrari deal for 2013". ESPN. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  6. "Ferrari to name 2013 car the F138". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  7. "Ferrari confirm they will launch their 2013 car on February 1st at Maranello". Sky Sports . BSkyB. 16 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  8. "New Ferrari to be more visually appealing than F2012". crash.net. Retrieved 29 January 2013. According to Spain's Marca newspaper, the car – currently known only by its factory reference number, 664
  9. "To be called ... F138". Ferrari.com. Ferrari. 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  10. Benson, Andrew (11 February 2013). "Ferrari bring back designer Rory Byrne to work on 2014 car". BBC F1. BBC . Retrieved 11 February 2013.