How Ferrari’s F1 fire-up video revealed clues to key changes

In a video presented on Friday by the Scuderia of the car being fired up at Maranello, it appears we’ve already been treated to a visual of one of the new design aspects of the car – the airbox.

For the last few years Ferrari has used a trapezoidal shape for the airbox (below left) and roll hoop but the video of this chassis shows a more oval design, which is much more akin to what the team used during the 2017 and ’18 campaigns (below right).

Ferrari SF1000 small winglet

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari SF70H airbox

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

This design reversal is likely a response to the team looking for the right balance between cooling and aerodynamics, with a redistribution of the various radiators and coolers housed within the sidepod and around the power unit being implemented for 2021.

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Over the last few seasons, Ferrari has preferred to have the bulk of its cooling in the sidepods, going as far as to use a ‘sandwich arrangement’ last year (below), which is thought to have resulted in the SF1000 being considered too draggy.

Ferrari mechanics at work on the grid

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

While Ferrari has some of cooling elements mounted behind the power unit last year, just as it did in 2017, that’s not to say it hasn’t contemplated a total rethink, with something like the saddle-style arrangement like we’ve seen from the Honda-powered teams (Red Bull, left and McLaren, right) more than a possibility.