While Renault have come up with an innovatory exhaust system that sends the exhaust gases towards the front of the car, McLaren Mercedes radically shaped the sidepods of its MP4-26, while Williams F1 showed an ultra-low rear and small gearbox for their FW33.
Ferrari, on the other hand, have not come up with one single piece of innovatory part (aerodynamically speaking), despite being the first ones to launch their new F150. And, according to the team's technical director Aldo Costa, this was the whole aim of the Scuderia before the 2011 campaign, as innovation often backfires at the teams making use of it.
“I think the fastest car will be the one with the best performance balance between aerodynamics, the mechanical side and reliability,” Costa was quoted as saying in a recent interview with L'Equipe in France.
“If you attempt something extreme in one area, you might pay in another, so for a car that wins you need a balanced approach,” he added.
Nevertheless, the Ferrari technical boss did admit that the F150, which was a top runner in the recent Valencia test in early February, will suffer some important aerodynamic changes until the season opening round in Bahrain.
“Mechanically, the car will be almost complete at Jerez (this week),” he said. “But from an aerodynamic standpoint, there are still a lot of changes coming. More than an extreme approach, we are seeking a productive approach, and ultimately it will be the lap times that will make the verdict.”
His comments were last week previewed by Fernando Alonso's, who told the media that “futuristic projects are not always better than more conservative ones.”
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