LONDON, England - Mercedes is being touted as the early 2014 favourite but Ferrari is reportedly also ahead of the game as F1's new V6 turbo era dawns.
Germany's Speed Week reports that, when Ferrari-powered cars decelerated at the recent Jerez test they sounded "very different" to their Mercedes and Renault-engined counterparts.
TOP FORM
Rumours in Italy say engine designer Luca Marmorini has devised an unique system that stops the flow of fuel when the driver is not accelerating, improving not only fuel consumption but also the effect of engine braking.
Also attracting attention at Jerez were Ferrari's air boxes and side pods amid suggestions the Italian marque was ahead of the game in the challenging area of cooling the all-new engine, turbo and energy-recovery systems.
When asked about the Ferrari layout, Mercedes' engine boss Andy Cowell told Auto Motor und Sport: "Cooling has become such an important issue, both for power and for the aerodynamics, so a lot of research has gone into this field."
Meanwhile McLaren's Jenson Button has said he was impressed with how all the Mercedes-powered teams - including Force India, Williams and his own team - have worked together in the new V6 era so far. Button told the UK's Daily Mirror: "While we're here to fight each other as teams, the more information we can share in the next weeks or months can really help us.
"So we are all in good shape if we continue like that."
Germany's Speed Week reports that, when Ferrari-powered cars decelerated at the recent Jerez test they sounded "very different" to their Mercedes and Renault-engined counterparts.
TOP FORM
Rumours in Italy say engine designer Luca Marmorini has devised an unique system that stops the flow of fuel when the driver is not accelerating, improving not only fuel consumption but also the effect of engine braking.
Also attracting attention at Jerez were Ferrari's air boxes and side pods amid suggestions the Italian marque was ahead of the game in the challenging area of cooling the all-new engine, turbo and energy-recovery systems.
When asked about the Ferrari layout, Mercedes' engine boss Andy Cowell told Auto Motor und Sport: "Cooling has become such an important issue, both for power and for the aerodynamics, so a lot of research has gone into this field."
Meanwhile McLaren's Jenson Button has said he was impressed with how all the Mercedes-powered teams - including Force India, Williams and his own team - have worked together in the new V6 era so far. Button told the UK's Daily Mirror: "While we're here to fight each other as teams, the more information we can share in the next weeks or months can really help us.
"So we are all in good shape if we continue like that."