• Team news

Ferrari admits F-duct has slowed progress

Ferrari's F-duct has proved troublesome at recent races © Sutton Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Drivers:
• Stefano Domenicali

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has admitted that pursuing development of the F10's F-duct may have compromised the car's overall development.

Many teams have struggled to copy McLaren's drag-reducing F-duct system and successfully integrate it in their homologated chassis. Ferrari has turned up at the last few races with new iterations of its design but the car has steadily dropped off the pace. Domenicali has now conceded that it was pursued at the cost of other developments.

"We put a lot of energy into developing our F-duct and that may have delayed slightly other areas," he the French language Canadian newspaper La Presse.

However, he made clear that the team is not downbeat about its recent run of poor results.

"That would be no use when there are still two thirds of the season yet ahead," he added. "Many things can change from race to race and we are certainly not lowering our heads and becoming downcast - that is for those who do not reach their goals, and that is certainly not the case with Ferrari."

"The ability to develop the car has always been a strong point for Ferrari and there is no reason why that should not be the case now as the people and our work methods are the same. After the race in Turkey I mentioned to the media about the need to be innovative and creative, and I have reprised this message with our engineers. We are a strong and united group, and there is a strong desire to show what we are made of."

On Thursday, the test driver Giancarlo Fisichella conducted an aerodynamic test at Vairano, with the specific package to be raced at Montreal's unique Circuit Gille Villeneuve this weekend. However, the next major upgrade is not due until the following Valencia round, with the the team confirming that in Canada the car will be in essentially "the same specification" as it was in Turkey two weeks ago.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.