The 66th car built by Scuderia Ferrari to take part in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship®, the Ferrari SF1000 was revealed on 11th February at a closed Ferrari event at the Romolo Valli Municipal Theater in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The name reflects the fact that the Scuderia have taken part in a thousand Grands Prix after the ninth race of the season, which originally was to be at the Belgian Grand Prix until the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the season before it even began. Instead, Ferrari's 1000th race was the Gran Premio della Toscana Ferrari 1000, held at the marque's very own Mugello circuit, a fitting tribute to the longest serving team in Formula 1. The Maranello outfit made its Formula 1 debut on 21 May 1950 in the second ever championship Grand Prix at Monaco, and is the most successful in the sport with 16 Constructors' titles, 15 Drivers' and 238 Grand Prix victories. (Statistics correct as of the end of the 2020 season.)
Originally designed for the 2020 Championship alone, the SF1000 will compete for the Scuderia in the 2020 and 2021 seasons after the FIA and teams agreed to extend the technical regulations in response to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, though various developments are expected to be introduced for the 2021 season. The SF1000 was driven by four time world champion Sebastian Vettel and serial race winner Charles Leclerc in 2020, whilst Leclerc will be joined by incoming teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. in 2021, as Vettel leaves the team after six seasons.
Although the 2020/21 technical regulations have changed very little since 2019, the 2020 car was significantly different to last year's SF90, which often proved the fastest car on the track, with the changes aimed at improving reliability and optimising aerodynamic downforce and balance.
The nose section of the SF1000 was an extreme development of the SF90 of 2019 for this part and features a bigger overhang of the structural components that support the front wing, aimed at improving aerodynamic downforce. Producing this new nose proved to be a bit of brain-teaser for the engineers and composites people as it involved an interesting challenge in terms of passing the obligatory crash test, a mission accomplished at the first attempt. The Ferrari 065 power unit represented a step forward in the combustion efficiency of its Internal Combustion Engine, due mainly to two factors, a new design and a new fuel. A new Turbocharger and Energy Recovery System have been developed in order to maximise the overall Power Unit performance. As part of the overall concept of the SF1000 car, the PU layout design was focused on being as compact as possible, while also rationalising the weight and size of the Energy Store.
This fine 1:18 scale model of the Ferrari SF1000, as raced during the 2020 Formula 1 Season by Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel, has been handcrafted and finished in our workshops with the co-operation and assistance of Scuderia Ferrari regarding original finishes, materials, archive imagery and drawings. Furthermore, it has undergone detailed scrutiny by both engineering and design teams to ensure complete accuracy of representation.
The Ferrari SF1000 is limited to just 500 pieces at 1:18 scale.