Details of Cars

Ferrari F310: the first V10 Ferrari Formula One car

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Ferrari F310 at the Beaulieu Motor Museum
Ferrari F310 at the Beaulieu Motor Museum. Photo by Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Ferrari F310 and its evolution, the F310B, are the Formula One cars with which Ferrari competed in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Both were driven by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, and they were the first Ferrari Formula One cars to use a V10 engine.

Ferrari F310 at a glance

Ferrari F310 key facts
Seasons 1996 and 1997
Cars F310, F310B
Engine 3.0-litre V10, a first for Ferrari
Name 3 litres, 10 cylinders
Drivers Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine
1996 wins three, all for Schumacher
Fuel Shell, first Ferrari F1 car since the 312B3 of 1973
Main rival Williams FW18
Reliability issue eight consecutive Irvine retirements

based on one source (English Wikipedia).

History of the Ferrari F310

The F310 was the first Ferrari Formula One car to use the more conventional V10 engine format, because a V10 offered the best compromise between power and fuel efficiency: the V12 was powerful but thirsty, and the V8 lacked the straight-line speed of the V10. The name F310 refers to the engine type, 3 litres and 10 cylinders, a nomenclature consistent with Ferrari’s Formula One cars of the period. It was also the first Ferrari Formula One car to run on Shell fuel since the 312B3 of 1973.

1996 Ferrari F310 Formula One car
1996 Ferrari F310. Photo by David Merrett from Daventry, England, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

1996

The F310 proved to be a front-running car, but without the outright pace or the superb reliability that allowed the Williams FW18s to dominate 1996. Schumacher won three Grands Prix, while the car’s shortcomings were exposed by Irvine’s run of eight consecutive retirements, most of them mechanical, as well as three straight double retirements. Schumacher was realistic about his aims, saying he hoped to win a few races before challenging for the title in 1997. Development was also troublesome: early in the season the team had to use parts from the 1995 car while structural problems were cured.

Schumacher joined Ferrari from Benetton in a swap that took Jean Alesi the other way, and Eddie Irvine replaced Gerhard Berger. For 1997 the F310 was developed into the F310B, which carried the same V10 formula into the new season. The car marks the beginning of the Schumacher era at Maranello.

Design and features

  • First V10 Ferrari: chosen as the best compromise between the thirsty V12 and the slower V8.
  • Naming convention: F310 stood for 3 litres and 10 cylinders.
  • Shell fuel: the first Ferrari Formula One car on Shell since the 312B3 in 1973.
  • Schumacher’s first wins: three victories in his debut Ferrari season.
  • Poor reliability: Irvine suffered eight consecutive retirements in 1996.

Ferrari F310 versions

  • F310 (1996): the original car, three wins for Schumacher.
  • F310B (1997): its evolution for the following season.

The F310 came after the V12 era of the Ferrari 312B line and before the F2002 period that brought Ferrari more championships. More Ferrari racing cars are in the Ferrari collection.

Video: M. Schumacher : Pôle Imola 1996 – Ferrari F310

Video by ItaliAuto on YouTube.

Sources

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