In the 2014 Formula One season, Ferrari finished a distant fourth place in the Constructor’s Championship, scoring 216 points and finishing well behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Williams. Furthermore, 2014 marked the first time in more than 20 years that Ferrari failed to score a single win in Formula One. And with the very capable Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen confirmed for the Prancing Horse for 2015, Ferrari has unveiled the new SF15-T, a car it hopes would bring the carmaker back to its glory days.
In a statement, Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene underscored the SF15-T’s sleek design, notably calling it a “sexy” vehicle and a contrast to last year’s “ugly” car. “The best car is the winning car,” he said. “Last year, we had an ugly car, and it was a non-winning car on top of this. I like the car this year, in terms of aesthetics. I don’t know about the performance but it’s really sexy.” Key design features include an elongated nose and sleeker-looking sidepods.
The Ferrari SF15-T will still come with the same pull-rod front suspension as 2014’s SF14-T entry, which contrasts with the push-rod system used by Mercedes and Red Bull. However, the front end has been described as sloppy, if better in terms of aerodynamics, and this may not sit too well with Vettel and Raikkonen, according to a report from Sky Sports.
Ferrari, in any case, remains quite upbeat with regards to the SF15-T and its chances in the 2015 F1 season. “It is the second car made by Ferrari since the reintroduction of turbo engines in 2014,” read the automaker’s statement. “The first year of these new regulations was extremely challenging for the Scuderia and the lessons learned have been applied vigorously to the SF15-T to create a car that is in every respect a large step forwards with respect to the F14-T.”