Each driver has eight engines for the entire season. Baldisserri on how to employ them over the 17 races: ''Everything's clear starting off with the first engine. It will be in the car in Melbourne during the Friday practice sessions. After that there are many possibilities. You can keep the engine for the first two races. Or you can use one engine three times only during qualifying and the race, using an old powerplant on Fridays till the end of its life-span. We will start with a two-race cycle to then see what things look like from a reliability point of view. If that's satisfactory we switch to a three-race cycle. It should be the aim to have a fresh engine in reserve at the final GP.''
The regulations allow engines to be changed between the practice session on Saturday and qualifying. ''In order to accomplish that in two hours with maximum precision we will bring two additional men to each race.''
For the 20 days of testing prior to the season the amount of engines that can be used is actually limitless, although there's this limit of 20 engines a year per team. ''But that only applies to the customers. They get 20 engines a year for half the price of 2008. In case Toro Rosso orders another engine for testing they have to pay for it. But they won't be punished for it.''
The Fridays will be more important than ever before: ''In three hours time we have to carry out twice as much work with almost the same amount mileage. The main work will mainly concentrate on the set-up of the car. But that only makes sense when there's enough rubber on track because only then we can obtain utilisable data. We can also test new mechanical parts. The grip levels don't play a role as far as the reliability is concerned.''
80% of the modifications that will be introduced this year will be aerodynamical ones (the aerodynamic budget is € 22 million this year - AFCA). In terms of reliability they're not relevant. But they do have an influence on the laptimes: ''That's why they can only be tested at a point in which the track is in good condition.'' It sounds easy but Baldisserri explains the difficulty: ''Doing set-up work and testing new parts at the same time could distort the picture. That's why we need more efficient set-up programmes. In Australia we should know in which direction we're going set-up wise. Because of the lack of time we can't afford to carry out experiments during race weekends.''
Those that are not up to scratch technically will have a problem because they can't test throughout the season. ''It would be even worse if there's a team in Melbourne that's two seconds faster than the rest, like McLaren were in 1998. How are you going to make up for that without testing ? That would only work taking extreme risks with the reliability.''
That's why work in the factory becomes more and more intensive. Ferrari has worked on improving the testbenches, will start using the super simulator at the end of spring/beginning of the summer, has established a new quality control system and has thought up new procedures in order to speed up the process of problem solving. The 'task force' was first used when the front wing bent too much at its debut.
Tyre usage and wear will be crucial as ever. ''(At each GP) there are two different compounds and two different operating windows. Those two factors together can make for big differences. In qualifying we will use the softer compound. It wears off quicker so in the race you will have to employ it in such a way it 'incommodes' in the least possible way. Those that are already able to set-up the car in such a way that the soft tyre can 'survive' for a longer period, will be able to have more flexible tactics during the race. A lot will depend on whether the stints in between the pitstops will become shorter or longer.''
However the strategists are still awaiting some answers from their colleagues from the aerodynamic department: ''In case overtaking will really become easier then the starting position will become less important.''
On KERS: ''Everyone has similar simulations. That is to say: on a free lap everyone will call up the additional power at the same spots on track. That neutralises things.'' The Italian doesn't think the Friday practice sessions will be used to decide whether or not KERS will be in the car for the rest of the weekend: ''The simulations carry out that work. Today they're good enough for that.'' The weight distribution of the F60 has been chosen in such a way that the stress on the rear tyres is always (more or less) the same, with or without KERS. According to Ferrari's calculations KERS will be advantageous on more than 50% of the circuits and starts.
The most severe measures have been taken in order for things to go in the safest way possible as far as KERS is concerned. To each GP Ferrari takes a four-strong rapid reaction force that is come into action in the event of a fire or a gas leakage. ''They will always be in the pitbox with special equipment.'' For all of those that touch the car there's a strict clothing prescription: ''Rubber gloves, insulated shoes and clothing with a lot of nomex in order for there not to flow any electricity.''
At Mugello both Massa and Raikkonen had to practice getting out of the car in the event of a KERS failure. They had to jump out of the cockpit with both legs at the same time. ''Normally nothing should happen because in real time we're checking if there's a problem with KERS. We shut down the system if there's the slightest of indications (of something being wrong - AFCA). Then the next pitstop should also go differently from normal.''
There's one uncertainty: ''What happens when it rains ? Water is a good conductor. Drops of water on the bodywork could turn into killers.''
The 46-year old is happy F1 has returned to the old Safety Car regulations: ''The pitlane stays open. With that the lottery has come to an end. When the Safety Car is out the driver is automatically warned inside the cockpit. His display on the steering wheel will change to 'SC mode'. From then on he should continue at a certain speed up to the pitlane entrance. The controls and instruments indicate whether he's driving too slow or too fast. If there's a '0' on the display then he's driving at the right speed. In this way it's prevented that drivers exploit a neutralised situation to their own benefit.''
This year Ferrari will reintroduce the traffic light system used during pitstops. The team has improved the system in order to prevent accidents that happened in Valencia and Singapore in 2008. Sensors on the car indicate whether or not the fuelhose is attached to the car. The slightest of contacts is enough for the red light not to dissapear. In case the driver releases the clutch nontheless, a second security measure comes into play: the computer automatically makes the car switch to stationary mode.