Ferrari launch new FS15-T car for 2015 F1 season

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/30/ferrari-new-car-formula-one-sebastian-vettel

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Ferrari have launched their car for the 2015 Formula One season, one they hope will put a year of turmoil and failure well and truly behind them.

The FS15-T, which features a nose long enough to make Pinocchio envious, will also have a crucial influence on the careers of their new driver Sebastian Vettel and the designer James Allison.

Vettel, the four-times world champion, had a lacklustre year in 2014, when he failed to win a race and was regularly outclassed by Daniel Ricciardo, who was in his first season with Red Bull.

If Vettel is to secure his reputation as one of the all-time greats of the sport he must prove a point against his new team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen, and become a competitive driver at the front of the grid. But to do that he will need a car significantly better than last year’s Ferrari, which was mainly let down by its power unit.

Related: Lewis Hamilton gives first F1 sighting of new Mercedes before unveiling

Vettel, who must also prove he is a worthy successor to the departed Fernando Alonso, will get to know the car when he drives it during the first day of testing in Jerez on Sunday. That will also be a big moment for Allison, the highly-rated British designer who joined Ferrari too late to make a fundamental contribution to last year’s model.

But it is not just Ferrari who are hoping for a better showing from the outfit that finished fourth in last year’s championship, some 485 points behind winners Mercedes. F1 as a whole always looks better when its biggest team is challenging for honours, and there have been a number of staff changes at Maranello in an attempt to shake things up.

“The car looks beautiful,” said Vettel. “To see how it comes together is always special.”

Raikkonen added: “It looks good. When it looks good it should be a pretty good car, but obviously we have to wait until we get testing and see how it is.”

The new F1 season begins with the Australian grand prix on 15 March.