Ferrari has launched its 2013 car, the F138, at its headquarters in Maranello.
Like rivals McLaren, which launched its car yesterday, the new Ferrari features a vanity panel to conceal its stepped nose and retains a pull-rod front suspension layout from last year's F2012. The rear of the car is tightly packaged with what appears to be an evolution of the exhaust layout the team finished last season with.
The car has been developed under technical director Pat Fry and chief designer Nikolas Tombazis, but most of the aero work has been completed in Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne while upgrade work is undertaken on Ferrari's own facility.
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa remain at Ferrari this season, with Massa set to hit the track first in the F138 at next week's Jerez test. Alonso will get his first taste of the new car at the second test in Barcelona while test driver Pedro de la Rosa will also get behind the wheel of the car in Jerez in order to gather data and a feel for the car ahead of his simulator work this year.
The F138 is the third car to break cover this week, after Lotus unveiled the E21 on Monday and McLaren launched its MP4-28 Thursday. Force India is set to uncover its car later on Friday before Sauber, Red Bull, Mercedes, Toro Rosso, Marussia and Caterham follow suit over the next four days.
