2021 Ferrari 812 Competizione A - Images, Specifications and Information

The increase in both the 812 Competizione’s engine output and maximum revs have resulted in a consequent increase in the heat to be dissipated. To meet these new demands, the efficiency of the cooling flow management has been improved without increasing the dimensions and weight of the radiating masses.

While on the 812 Superfast, the engine air intakes are set either side of the large central grille, the 812 Competizione adopts an integrated solution with a single air duct. This allowed the intake for the engine radiators to be extended sideways as far as the chassis allowed as well as reducing not just weight, but also losses to the intake plenum and thus the combustion chamber, which in turn, improved the overall performance.

The evacuation of the hot air coming off the radiator was improved by exploiting both the vents on the bonnet either side of the central ‘blade’, and the louvers in the wings. These areas are particularly efficient in terms of cooling and so allowed the designers to optimise and reduce the apertures on the underbody, all to the benefit of the efficiency of the front aero. All of this translates into 10 percent more efficient cooling of the engine fluids than in the 812 Superfast.

The shape of the engine vents either side of the bonnet’s blade is designed to guarantee correct management of the flows even when the 812 Competizione A is being driven in the open configuration: the hot air flow lines are deviated away from the cockpit and are channelled along the flanks until they eventually merge with the car’s wake.

The fact that the car is faster into corners demanded an improvement in braking power. Brake cooling is fundamental to avoiding compromising on either downforce generation at the front of the car or on the weight of the brakes themselves. Compared to the 812 Superfast, the brake cooling concept was completely redesigned around the new front “Aero” calliper which debuted on the SF90 Stradale and which has an air intake integrated into its casting.

Ventilation of the callipers and the pads is achieved by channelling the cool air captured by the generous opening on the side of the bumper towards the integrated air intake which then distributes the air flow inside the component. Naturally, the solution is only as good as the route the flow follows to get to the calliper area at the rear of the wheel assembly: for this reason the front suspension was optimised around the hub and the layout of pipes and ancillaries in that area.

Thanks to these modifications, the temperature of the brake oil has seen a significant reduction: compared to the brakes on the 812 Superfast, operating temperatures have been reduced by around 30° C, thus guaranteeing consistent braking and equally consistent pedal feel even under prolonged track use. The removal of the 812 Superfast’s turning vanes and specific duct shaved a further 1.8 kg off the car’s weight, thus compensating for the additional weight of the “Aero” calliper.

Two carbon-fibre side air intakes for the brakes flank the main grille, which feeds cooling air to the engine and cockpit. These intakes are square in section and are split between brake cooling and a double air curtain duct. Thanks to the latter, the charged flow that strikes the side of the bumper is channelled and used to reduce the turbulence generated by the outer part of the tyre tread, thereby improving the front downforce generated by the outside edge of the bumpers.

Externally the front air intakes are hugged by the scooped side area of the bumper, which extends forwards along its lower edge, defining the shape of the splitter. Two apertures in the wheelarch, one at the top and one at the rear, reduce pressure and enable the underbody to work even more efficiently. The turbulence is channelled and evacuated by the vent rear of the bonnet’s blade, and by that on the wing.

Optimising thermal flows was a fundamental part of developing the 812 Competizione’s front underbody. In fact, the louvres on the bonnet and vents on the front wing meant the size of the vents in the front underbody designed to dissipate hot air coming off the radiators, could be reduced. This translated into a smaller area of the underbody being affected by apertures that would negatively impact downforce generation. The end result was a higher level of downforce at the front and a more energised flow striking the rear of the car.

The modifications made to the braking system also enabled the engineers to redesign the front underbody to extend it into the wheelarch well. The new layout, which freed up space around the lower front wishbone, made it possible to extend the surface area that could be used to generate downforce. It also allowed the insertion of a new S-shaped side vortex generator crafted specifically in the wind tunnel to improve the lateral expansion of the vortex generated and ensure it works in synergy with the front diffuser. The geometry of the latter was also optimised and can now generate even more downforce than the 812 Superfast as well as improving cooling of the calliper. Taken together these solutions hail a significant improvement in performance: optimising the air vents contributes to a 30 percent increase in overall front downforce while the new side vortex generator adds a further 40 percent.

Like on the 812 Superfast, the front diffuser is equipped with a passive mobile aero system which opens over 250 km/h. When the panel rotates it completely stalls the diffuser allowing the car to reach its maximum speed.

The 812 Competizione’s distinctive tail-end treatment incorporates a number of innovative engineering solutions regarding the exhaust layout, diffuser geometry, spoiler volume, patented rear screen and the bumper design. The rear diffuser extends right across the full width of the car to guarantee maximum horizontal expansion of the underbody’s aerodynamic flows and hails a distinct break with the solution seen on the 812 Superfast.

The silencers and tailpipes have been completely re-engineered: from a classic set up of two circular tailpipes each side of the bumper there is now a single exhaust pipe with an unprecedented vertical rectangular form. This had two positive impacts: it maximised the volume dedicated to the rear diffuser’s expansion and opened up the possibility of introducing a solution typical of F1 cars from the 2010s to a road car – dynamic interaction between the exhaust gases and the diffuser’s field. In this configuration, the hot flow of gas from the exhaust pipes interacts with the prominent curved exterior fences on the diffuser, generating extra vorticity at the trailing edge of the fences, which energises the “cold” flow from the diffuser thereby guaranteeing additional downforce.

Overall, the rear diffuser development produced an increase in downforce that equates to 25 percent of the total increase compared to the 812 Superfast. This jumps to 35 percent if the contribution of the exhausts blowing into the wake is also taken into account. The rear underbody, on the other hand, is responsible for a 10 percent increase in rear downforce.

The aerodynamic development of the diffuser forms allowed the areas of the car dedicated to downforce generation to be extended transversely. The spoiler is now not only higher than on the 812 Superfast, but extends across almost the entire width of the car, working in perfect aerodynamic synergy with the diffuser to guarantee maximum downforce possible over the rear axle. The redesign of the rear wings also benefits aerodynamic performance: the volume has been scooped out rear of the crest to create an aerodynamic channel in the flank to the outside edge of the spoiler which is thus struck by a highly energised flow.

But what really captures the attention is the rear screen which, for the first time on a production car, is completely closed and thus allowed the engineers to explore some unprecedented aerodynamic solutions. It has been equipped with three pairs of profiled elements which protrude from its surface and act as vortex generators. From the LaFerrari onwards, vortex generators of this type have been used on production cars to maximise downforce generated by the flat underbody. However, this solution was applied to the rear screen on the 812 Competizione to distort the flow and thus redistribute the rear axle’s pressure field.

These vortex generators further enhance the work of the rear spoiler-diffuser system, creating areas of strong pressure gradients in the flow immediately above the rear screen and generating vortexes on the transverse plane. Thanks to this solution, part of the flow is deflected towards the sides of the spoiler which boosts downforce generation, benefiting the efficiency of the diffuser. The patented vortex generators alone guarantee 10 percent of the total increase in rear downforce compared to the 812 Superfast.

The three horizontal slots on the side of the rear bumper just behind the rear wheel are another visually striking novelty. In addition to recalling the F12tdf, they also hide a system of three aerodynamic flicks. Due to the low-pressure area created by the car’s wake, part of the flow downstream of the rear wheel naturally tends to be drawn towards the centre of the car. However, with this new solution, it enters the bumper through the three horizontal slots and is then deflected upwards by the internal flicks, contributing to rear downforce.

In the 812 Competizione A, to compensate for the impact of the removal of the vortex generators, a bridge element has been introduced between the flying buttresses. Thanks to meticulous optimisation, the flow is deflected effectively and efficiently towards the rear spoiler, essentially restoring the downforce to the same level as the 812 Competizione. The presence of the bridge allowed the increase in physiological drag for a Targa type car to be reduced: aerodynamically, the bridge behaves like a wing so the pressure on the upper surface creates a positive pressure field which increases the speed of the flow downstream of the rear screen and reduces drag.

Occupant comfort in the open configuration is ensured by the introduction of a flap integrated into the windscreen header rail which deflects the energised, incident flow upwards avoiding that it disturbs the interior. This extends the bubble that covers the entire length of the cockpit, thereby also avoiding irritating excess pressure in the area behind the occupants’ heads.

Two aerodynamic apertures have been created between the two buttresses to manage the flow entering over the side windows and to force it to follow a specific route, a fundamental factor in reducing both pressure inside the cabin and the instability of the flow itself. The result of this strategy is twofold because, aside from improving comfort, it also increases aerodynamic efficiency by making the flow stable even when the top is open.

The guidelines in the development of the 812 Competizione’s performance strategy were to boost overall performance levels, improve driving pleasure in lateral dynamics and a specific focus on the handling characteristics of a special version.

The 812 Competizione debuts many innovative components and contents, which have ensured it delivers on its vehicle dynamics performance targets. Specifically, these include the first use of independent four-wheel steering, the evolution of the Side Slip Control (SSC) system to version 7.0, and the development of the dedicated new Michelin Cup2R tyres.

The independent rear-wheel steering features a new electronic management system that enables the right and left actuators to be actioned individually rather than synchronised. This evolution yields a significant boost in performance in relation to the control of the position demanded of the individual actuators, and quicker response times.

This system emphasises the front axle’s response to steering wheel commands, maintaining the feeling of grip from the rear axle, which responds promptly to front inputs, and also manages the car’s lateral dynamics response more efficiently as a function of the actuation frequency of the steering wheel angle.

The new solution has resulted in the evolution of the SSC system which brings together all of the control systems developed in-house and uses a shared dynamic control language to integrate the actions of all of the systems to improve efficiency. The Side Slip Control 7.0 spans the electronic differential (E-Diff 3.0), traction control (F1-Trac), SCM-Frs magnetorheological suspension control, brake pressure control when driving on the limit (FDE) available in Race and CT-Off Manettino settings, and the Virtual Short Wheelbase 3.0 which integrates the electric front steering with the electronically controlled independent rear-wheel steering.

Particular attention was also paid to making the car as light as possible, which resulted in 38 kg being slashed off its overall weight compared to the 812 Superfast. The areas primarily involved were the powertrain, running gear and bodyshell. Carbon-fibre was used extensively on the exterior, especially on the front bumpers, rear bumpers, rear spoiler and air intakes.

The powertrain contributions to weight reduction came from the use of titanium con-rods coupled with a lighter crankshaft and a 12V lithium-ion battery. Great attention was also paid to the design of the cockpit with the extensive use of carbon-fibre trim, lightweight technical fabrics and a reduction in sound-proofing. There are also dedicated sporty, lightweight forged aluminium rims and titanium studs.

All-carbon-fibre rims are also being made available for the very first time on a Ferrari V12 and offer a total weight reduction of 3.7 kg compared to the lightweight forged 812 Superfast wheels. The inside of the channel and of the spokes is coated in a layer of white aerospace-derived paint that reflects and dissipates heat produced by the car’s extremely efficient braking system, guaranteeing consistent performance over time even under hard use on the track.
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