Ferrari’s engineering director Pat Fry insists that his team must step up in every department in order for them to return to competitive ways.
The Scuderia have experienced their most fruitless season in recent years, having yet to score a win this year and have only two podiums to show for their efforts. With the team sitting 4th in the constructors championship and 28 points behind rivals Williams in their battle for 3rd.
When previewing this weekend’s race at Austin, Fry targetted to have the team start getting on top of all their troubles with the recalcitrant F14T by improving on “all areas” of the car as part of switching their attention towards gearing for the 2015 season.
“After the back-to-back races in Japan and Sochi, we’ve had three weeks to prepare for these next back-to-backs in the United States and Brazil,” Fry told the Italian team’s official website.
“The extra week has given us more time to get ready and also to prepare some specific test items. They are all aimed at learning about car performance and trying to improve, but at this stage of the year, it’s more with an eye to 2015.
Both Fernando Alonso and most notably Kimi Raikkonen have battled with shortcomings in engine performance as well as sheer downforce all season long and Fry eyes significant improvements in those departments.
“Certainly, our knowledge and understanding has come on a huge amount. It’s also clear, comparing us to our competitors, exactly where we need to improve.” he said.
“We need to work on all areas of the car and we’ve set ourselves some strong targets for power unit and aerodynamic development, both of which are key. We have to reach those targets to be competitive and that is the main focus at the factory now, as it will be for the next five months.”
