Ferrari 126 C4 F1

Builder	Ferrari
Class	Race Car
Category	Formula 1
Squad	Scuderia Ferrari
Designed by	Harvey Postlethwaite and Mauro Forghieri
Chassis	monocoque in composite materials
Motor	Ferrari 031, V6 120°, supercharged
Transmission	Transversal Ferrari in block with differential, manual mechanical with 5 gears + reverse
Length	4115 mm
Length	2125 mm
Height	1080 mm
Step	2600 mm
Weight	540 kg
Fuel	Agip
Tyres	Goodyear

The Ferrari 126 C4 is a single-seater Formula 1 car by Scuderia Ferrari during 1984.

History

Designed by Mauro Forghieri and Harvey Postlethwaite, it was raced by. René Arnoux and Michele Alboreto Fourth and final evolution of the 126 CK of 1981, although fast enough, showed various reliability problems that did not put it in a position to fight for the world championship rankings.

The 126 C4 compact shape, with its low cockpit advanced to a position over the front axle and tapered sidepods in which the car's radiators were installed at
a 450 angle. The engine fairing behind the driver had become lower and shorter, furrowed by two ample NACA air intakes to leave much of the V6 turbocharged engine exposed. Ferrari concentrated considerable effort on the power unit: the cylinder head and internal fluid dynamics were completely re-designed, new indirect Lucas-Marelli electronic fuel injection.

The design of the C4 single-seater was inspired by the C3 of 1983, which Ferrari technicians attempted to improve in every aspect: aerodynamics, balance, fluids and mechanics were revised. The result was a single-seater with compact shapes, with the cockpit in a very forward position, even shorter, lower and sloping (where the radiators were housed with an inclination of 45°), a very short upper fairing (so much so as to leave a large part of the drive unit uncovered ) and crossed laterally by two NACA intakes. was fitted and a new lay-out five-speed gearbox was installed in a transverse position.

The 031 engine retained the same bore and stroke as the previous 021, but was further upgraded and equipped with a new electronic injection built by Lucas Automotive. The capacity of the tanks was then increased, without prejudice to the limit of 220 Liters of fuel imposed by the FIA. The gearbox remained with 5 speeds, but was redesigned and placed in a transverse position. A further innovation was the introduction of carbon disc brakes from Brembo, which Ferrari was experimenting with privately for a year and a half already.

Despite the high expectations the Ferrari in Formula 1, the 126 C4 was unable to prove competitive the single-seater in fact showed frequent mechanical problems, in particular with the turbines KKK, and suffered 12 retirements in the race (8 for Alboreto and 4 for Arnoux). The only victory of the season (as well as the only pole position) came at the Belgian GP with Alboreto; on this occasion his teammate Arnoux set the fastest lap and finished third. For the rest of the season Ferrari was rarely able to challenge for leadership in Grands Prix, often sailing between fourth and sixth place.

Some benefit was obtained with the introduction of the M2 version, equipped with significantly elongated side bellies and a profile tapered towards the rear (describing the so-called "Coca-Cola" design) and a new digital injection Weber-Marelli: brought to its debut in GP of Italy, allowed Alboreto to take two seconds and a fourth place in the three final Grands Prix, however not enough to make a turning point in the balance of the season.

Ferrari still managed to finish second in the constructors' championship, but with less than half the points of the leaders McLaren (dominator of the season with the McLaren MP4/2 motorized Porsche), marking a clear worsening compared to the results obtained in previous years.

The year was also complicated by the controversies that arose within Ferrari and with its technical partner. In fact, the Scuderia accused Goodyear of having built tyres that were too weak; American tire dealers rejected the accusation and blamed the poor performance of the tires on the excessive temperature developed by the brakes. Source of complications it was also the cohabitation between the two drivers: the choice to reserve the greatest technical attention to Alboreto actually demotivated Arnoux, who was attacked several times by the Italian press for his poor performance on the track. At the end of the season Mauro Forghieri was moved to another position and the project of the new car was entrusted alone to Harvey Postlethwaite.

In total 7 were built  (chassis number 071 to 077)