Ferrari has restructured its aerodynamics department and upgraded its wind tunnel in a bid to track down the championship-winning Red Bull team in 2011.
That is the announcement of the Maranello based team’s chief designer Nikolas Tombazis, after Red Bull’s car proved the class of the field for the second consecutive season last year.
Ferrari would have won the drivers’ title if not for the race strategy blunder in Abu Dhabi, but Ferrari figures including Tombazis openly admit that the F10 was not as quick as the RB6.
"Mainly in the area of aerodynamics our car was not as good as the Red Bull," Athens-born Tombazis told the German magazine Sport Bild.
"That’s why we have restructured the aerodynamics department, upgraded our wind tunnel and launched an ambitious development programme.
"And of course we are looking to have new and innovative components," he added.
Fernando Alonso will give Ferrari’s 2011 car its track debut at the Valencia group test beginning 1 February.
"But we are expecting a fairly big step up for the first race," revealed Tombazis. "The configuration has a lot of development potential."