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Concept Cars
and the Future
Ferrari have always been one
of the world’s leading prestige
manufacturers, with revolutionary
and innovative ideas. For every
success on the track came a wave
of innovation to be applied to their
production cars. The F1 gearbox
is one of the most important
technological transfers from racing
car to grand tourer. It was first
tested in the Type 639 prototype
before use in the Grand Prix Ferrari
F1-89 that won the first race of the
1989 season when Nigel Mansell
scored an unexpected victory in
Brazil. Steering wheel mounted
controls allowed the driver to
change gear without the use of a
clutch pedal and the success of such
a feat caused Ferrari to consider
its application in road-going
vehicles. In 1992, 100 examples
of the Mondial T experienced the
potential of automatic transmission
with acceleration times reduced.
Over the subsequent years the F1
gearbox has received numerous
improvements, benefiting both
racing and road-going models.
Formula 1 traction control was first
introduced to road-going cars with
the 599 GTB Fiorano model in
2006. Known as F1-Trac, a dedicated
team transferred the relevant
technology for a production vehicle
to enable improved acceleration out
of corners, and refined control of
drive wheel-spin.
A composite chassis using
BELOW:
Winner Nigel Mansell in his Ferrari at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Rio de Janeiro, March 1989.
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