Three questions to…
MATTEO TOGNINALLI, HEAD OF TRACK ENGINEERING
1. Personally, how does it feel to be starting your 15th season in Formula 1?
“The first race of the season is always special, because it’s the start of a new adventure. This time however,
it’s even more special because there are many new factors to take into account and I’m keen to find out, if
everything we have done in terms of processes and procedures is taking us in the right direction and delivering
the benefits we are expecting. Of course, we used the test sessions to do a sort of general trial run, but it’s
only on a race weekend, with its pressure and expectations, that we can really judge how well we have
prepared. Those pressures and expectations can lead to mistakes and we have worked with the entire team
so as to be calm in managing all the various aspects of the weekend. We must concentrate on ourselves and
work with confidence.”
2. The cars are completely new: from a technical point of view, what do you think could make the
difference on track this weekend?
“I think that, putting to one side the different car designs, whoever has done the best job in preparing for the
season down to the smallest detail, will have a competitive advantage at the start. There are so many new
elements involved and whoever has understood the new format better, especially the limitations involved, could
have the edge for at least the first third of the season. When I say format, I mean the whole package: the
completely new car, the little time available to work on it, the 18 inch tyres and also the fact the drivers must
modify their driving style to suit it. All in all, whoever understands the limitations and opportunities of this more
compressed weekend format, will have an ace up their sleeve on track.”
3. And looking at the long term, given this is the first of 23 races, what factors could be key over the
course of the season?
“Car development will clearly be the main element, but there are other key factors such as on-track
organisation, which is my responsibility. Let’s not forget we are embarking on the busiest season ever in the
history of this sport, so I think that now, more than ever, it’s the smallest details that can count when it
comes to making every task more efficient. One of the aims will be to expand the flow of information between
the engineers and the team at the track and those back in the factory.”
Ferrari Stats
GP entered 1030
Seasons in F1 73
Debut Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)
Wins 238 (23,11%)
Pole positions 230 (22,33%)
Fastest laps 254 (24,66%)
Total podiums 778 (25,18%)
Ferrari Stats Bahrain GP
GP entered 16
Debut 2004 (M. Schumacher 1st; R. Barrichello 2nd)
Wins 6 (33,33%)
Pole positions 5 (27,78%)
Fastest laps 5 (27,78%)
Total podiums 14 (25,92%)
Bahrain Grand Prix: facts & figures
3. The number of times Bahrain has hosted the opening round of the season. The first was in 2006 when
Fernando Alonso (Renault) won, ahead of Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari. The second time dates back to
2010, when the Spaniard won again, this time with Scuderia Ferrari. The third occasion was last year, when
victory went to Lewis Hamilton, while Charles and Carlos were sixth and eighth in the Ferrari SF21.
4. The furthest back on the grid from which the Bahrain GP has been won. It happened twice: in 2006 with
Fernando Alonso (Renault) and in 2009 with Jenson Button (Brawn GP). As for finishing on the podium from
furthest back on the grid, that accolade goes to Kimi Räikkönen who took his McLaren from 22nd to third in
2006.
13. The number of Grand Prix distances equivalent to the 3,941 km completed over the six days of
pre-season testing this year.
35. The average number of overtaking moves in the 18 Bahrain Grands Prix held to date. The biggest number
of position changes was in 2016, when there were 66 overtaking moves, while the fewest was the second ever
race in 2005, with just eight passes.
40. The number of years since the last time ground-effect cars raced in a Grand Prix. After some serious
accidents in 1982, the “skirts” were banned, replaced with a flat bottom, thus bringing to an end the
technology introduced into Formula 1 by Lotus in 1977.
At Ferrari 75 years ago
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