This Ferrari F310B which was driven by Michael Schumacher during the 1997 season is set to go on sale at auction next month.
It was the last Ferrari to be designed by John Barnard, who left the team before the beginning of the season. It was also the last of Ferrari’s ‘wide track’ cars, before the 1998 regulations enforced a narrower chassis width, as well as the use of grooved tyres.
Schumacher won the Monaco, Canadian, French, Belgian and Japanese Grands Prix at the wheel of an F310B. He was not classified in the championship that year after being stripped of his points following a collision with Jacques Villeneuve in the final race at Jerez.
None of Schumacher’s wins that season came at the wheel of this particular chassis, number 179. This was a development of the original F310B with a lighter body and higher fuel capacity.
Schumacher drove the car during practice at the car at Spa-Francorchamps. But on race day this chassis was set up for dry conditions and, when it rained, Schumacher used his other chassis which was prepared for wet weather – and won.
Following that the car was driven by team mate Eddie Irvine. He drove it to eighth place at Monza, then retired in the Austrian Grand Prix after tangling with Jean Alesi, the Benetton bouncing over the nose of this very car.
The car has since been used at Ferrari’s F1 Clienti events. It is being sold by RM Auctions and will be auctioned on November 21st at the Art of the Automobile sale in New York.
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Images ?é?® Michael Furman
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
24th October 2013, 14:59
I…….want………..this……….
xivizmath (@xivizmath)
24th October 2013, 15:07
Look how much cars have changed over the years. I really miss those raw looking pieces of engineering, they have different atmosphere, kinda “classical”.
Nothing beats F2002 when it comes to being “The F1 car” for me, though.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
24th October 2013, 15:35
It’s funny, for me it is the opposite. The design looks very simple and not difficult to achieve (which is of course not true). Compare that to the beauty of the current front wings with their dozens of elements, slot gaps, turning vanes, etc – they are so much more refined.
@xivizmath @fixy
Murray (@dzrhml02)
24th October 2013, 15:45
You can buy it….
http://classicf1.com/classic-f1-car-for-sale-2002-ferrari-f2002/
Palle (@palle)
24th October 2013, 19:19
Hefty pricetag for a Fiat;-)
F1fanatic should make a collection: If 1000 forum members each puts about $2.200 in the pot, we own 0,1% of the car:-)
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th October 2013, 20:47
Really it shows how little the design has changed in 16 years, billions of $$$$$$s spent on refining airflow and adding widgets.
Brian Campbell
24th October 2013, 15:12
Looking forward to the 1998 Fiat Punto that Mark Webber won the 2010 British GP in coming up for auction? Perhaps I’m remembering this wrong.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th October 2013, 20:48
Pretty sure it was a Renault Cleo.
Big B (@firebits)
24th October 2013, 20:59
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/?p=2898&print=1
Sorry, he was to start the next race in a Punto. The same may be true this weekend. Perhaps his strategy will be changed to driving the car in the opposite direction. Spirito de Punto.
sato113 (@sato113)
24th October 2013, 15:14
technical question: if you were to replace the front wing with a 2011 red bull front wing, would this car’s performance improve?
i know the new wing wouldnt correlate with the rest of the car, but would the added downforce negate that issue???
Nick (@npf1)
24th October 2013, 15:32
I’m no aerodynamics expert, but since car dimensions also differ, I think it would disturb the airflow over the rest of the car more than add front downforce.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
24th October 2013, 15:37
Front wing is not only about creating as much downforce as possible! It needs to direct the air around the tyres and towards the places where you need the air (depending on the design of the rest of the car) and create as little turbulence as possible in the process.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
24th October 2013, 15:51
@sato113 i’d probably upset the car a lot, since the front wing is essential for the rest of the car to work properly.
Airflow is directed to different places so the car works as a package. A wide, low wing like we have these days, could change the characteristics and make it worse.
sato113 (@sato113)
24th October 2013, 15:59
yes it would upset the balance, but look at how simple the aero is on that ferrari. the front wing is just a few long strips. surely a 2011 RBR wing would produce enough front downforce on its own to make up for any balance issues.
Dave (@)
24th October 2013, 16:41
Not really – most of the complexity of modern wings is for directing airflow down the flanks. The downforce is still mostly produced by the full-width planes.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
24th October 2013, 18:45
@sato113 the turning vanes, end fences and the upper elements are all mainly used to direct airflow around the tyres and all the disruptive elements to the airflow over the car. They are very finely calibrated to the car they are attached to.
Nonetheless, generally speaking I think quite possibly it would help, however it would cause major balance issues with a sudden spike in front downforce and possible disruption to rear downforce! And of course the nosecone itself would have to be completely re-profiled to fit on the car, as well as the underside to comply with the various turning vanes and underfloor aerodynamics.
@HoHum (@hohum)
24th October 2013, 20:52
The car would probably oversteer like crazy ( and destroy the rear tyres) because so much of the total downforce would be ahead of the front wheels.
reg (@reg)
30th October 2013, 19:38
It depends, are we talking about Mark’s front wing he had to race with at Silverstone or the one Sebastian took from him? Couldn’t resist! :P
Fixy (@)
24th October 2013, 15:22
That car is so squared… beautiful! Simple, yet aggressive, it has “speed” written all over it. Now, if only I had a few [million] pounds…
Nick (@npf1)
24th October 2013, 15:35
Great photography too, it makes me want it even more.
Hope it ends up with someone who will run it in Corse Clienti.
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
24th October 2013, 15:36
Who’d want a car that scored zero points in the Drivers’ Championship…? ;)
Robbie
24th October 2013, 17:32
It can’t have scored zero points, since MS got to keep his wins for the season. How can you have wins without points? Seriously…I’d love to know the answer to that, other than F1 uses a kangaroo court sometimes.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
24th October 2013, 20:45
I took that to mean this particular chassis didn’t score any points, which appears to be the case, rather than that none of the F310Bs did, which obviously isn’t the case because of Irvine.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
24th October 2013, 15:48
I loved the wide cars we had before 1998 ! 1997, for me, was the best season ever. My very first as a true F1 fan.
Those golden rims, the wide and low car, the clear shapes… love it ! My new wallpaper for sure !
Robbie
24th October 2013, 17:34
My best season too, since it was the year JV won it.
OmarR-Pepper (@)
24th October 2013, 16:09
The air intakes at the sides and the car in general remind me of a F15 (the airplane)
I like the design, but forme the best F1 cars (aesthetically) were the ones usually mentioned as “ugly” around here: 2008 season.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
24th October 2013, 16:23
True! Compare this with this. Basically looks the same, just the wings and wheels have slightly different proportions.
erix
24th October 2013, 16:28
Does it have Jacques Villeneuve name on it?
Robbie
24th October 2013, 17:33
No, it has World Driving Champion Jacques Villeneuve’s name on it.
DominikWilde (@dominikwilde)
24th October 2013, 18:18
I’m surprised Ferrari are letting the car be sold at auction to be honest. I would’ve thought they’d take it back then sell it agai through the Corse Clienti division.
AldoG
24th October 2013, 21:32
Beautiful, beautiful car.
matt90 (@matt90)
25th October 2013, 13:46
The photography is great, and does hide some of the issues with the car, but in reality it looks a bit gawky to me. I just don’t like the shape of that nose, and from most angles I’m not keen on the bodywork connecting the sidepods and rear wing. I do appreciate that it looks different though. Comparatively, the Williams was a lovely, poised-looking and clean design, but too many of those on the grid becomes a little plain (the main reason why although a lot of 60’s cars look great independantly, but the grids as a whole rarely excite me).