Ferrari's F2007 tested at Fiorano
Ferrari's new Formula 1 car, the F2007, made its track debut at the Fiorano Test Track, in northern Italy, on Monday.
The car, which will compete in this year's Formula 1 World Championship, was tested by Felipe Massa. Massa took the F2007 for a run of 39 laps throughout the day over Fiorano's long course (2.976 kilometers, or about 1.845 miles). His quickest lap time: 58.360 seconds.
(And you thought I had a cool job.)
(Credit:
Ferrari)
The F2007, wet and with driver, weighs about 1,323 pounds (600kg), according to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's specs. (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the Formula 1 team in Ferrari's racing division.)
Compliance with Formula 1's more stringent crash tests and requirements for greater driver protection from lateral impact have resulted in the addition of composite material to the sides. Also among the requirements: new Bridgestone tires.
(Credit:
Ferrari)
The rear of the car is narrower, and Ferrari seems to be bragging about the front suspension, which it implies will reduce drag. The rear of the car also tapers down to a carbon fiber gearbox. But as they do with most Formula 1 refinements like these, the racing design teams are chasing hundredths of a second. There is nothing like like Brabham BT46B Fan car to be found here.
The car's driving angle has changed and the new Bridgestone 2007 tires (mandated by Formula 1) offer less grip--slight changes that Massa and the team will have to work on during the season, according to Massa's statements at the Fiorano press conference.
(Credit:
Ferrari)
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET. 
