Ferrari’s entry for the 2006 season, the 248 F1 was the Scuderia’s 52nd single-seater built exclusively for use in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship® and was driven by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and new Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. The car’s name was derived from its new main feature; the introduction of an eight-cylinder V configuration engine, with an overall capacity of 2400 cubic centimetres, the final engine designed by Paolo Martinelli in his 12-years as the head of the Scuderia’s Engine Department. The 248 F1 name renewed a tradition for Ferrari Formula 1 cars fitted with V8 engines, last seen in 1964 with the 158 F1. Ferrari’s engineers, overseen by Technical Director Ross Brawn, focused on performance and the optimisation of the materials used, from the design phase through to the quality control, always striving to maximise the level of performance whilst achieving the highest possible levels of safety.
The load bearing 056 engine was fitted longitudinally, with its design starting in the spring of 2005 while considering the strict limits laid out in the FIA technical regulations. These limits included the angle of the V, its weight, its dimensions and its centre of gravity. Driveability was a key factor when defining the new engine’s characteristics, with regulations requiring fixed inlet trumpets: engine management is controlled by an integrated injection and ignition system from Magneti Marelli.
The 248 F1’s chassis, designed by Rory Byrne, Aldo Costa and John Iley, weighed less than its predecessors, with a revised shape and modifications to the openings of the side pods and the area of the deflectors. The size and location of the car’s rear-view mirrors was one of its more obvious novelties, alongside other significant changes such as the engine cover, air intake, the size of the fuel cell and the layout of the exhausts. The seven-speed gearbox was an evolution of the carbon one introduced on the F2005 and continues to be mounted longitudinally.
The 248 F1 was a powerful competitor earning nine race victories, half of the 18 races of the 2006 season. Schumacher took seven of those victories, including three wins in a row in the US, France and Germany and a back-to-back at the San Marino and European Grands Prix, taking his season-long battle with Renault’s Fernando Alonso to a final showdown in Brazil. Ultimately, he fell just short in what was his final race as a Ferrari driver, after he had announced what would become his first retirement earlier in the year. The 248 F1 was able to give Schumacher his final Formula 1 win in round 16 in China, whilst Massa, in the first of his nine years with the Scuderia, earned his first Formula 1 victory in Turkey, before taking an emotional home win at the final race in Brazil. Schumacher was able to provide an impressive drive in his final contest for the Prancing Horse, recovering from almost a lap down due to an unexpected puncture early in the race, to finish in fourth place: a fantastic drive from one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history.
Overall, the 248 F1 gave Ferrari nine race wins and ten further podiums alongside seven pole positions and nine fastest laps. Schumacher and Massa earned second and third places in the Drivers’ World Championship, whilst the team missed out on the Constructors’ World Championship by just five points, finishing second in a season of very fine margins.
This fine 1:8 scale model is of the Ferrari 248 F1 as raced by Michael Schumacher during the 2006 season. has been handcrafted and finished in our workshops with the co-operation and assistance of Ferrari regarding original finishes, materials, archive imagery and drawings. The use of supremely accurate digital scanning of the original car has allowed us to perfectly recreate every detail at scale. Furthermore, it has undergone detailed scrutiny by both engineering and design teams to ensure complete accuracy of representation.Please note that the images above contain blurred sponsor graphics due to advertising regulations. The logos are not blurred on the model. Please contact our sales team to see fully detailed photos of the Ferrari 248 F1.
