The F1/87/88C was the previous year's car adapted to the new regulations for 1988. Because the fuel allowance dropped from 195 to 150 liters, it received redesigned wings and a slightly lower engine cover. Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto finished third and fifth in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari took second behind McLaren in the constructors' standings; the car earned a pole position at Silverstone and a victory at Monza. Its main handicap was fuel consumption compared to McLaren's Honda engines, as Ferrari had merely updated its V6.
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Learn moreEvolved rather than new · Silverstone as an example · Barnard and Guildford
Evolved rather than new
Honda had developed an all-new V6 for the lowered 150-liter fuel limit and the reduced 2.5-bar boost pressure. Ferrari, by contrast, merely evolved the previous year's Tipo 033 into the Tipo 033A. Producing around 650 to 720 bhp at 12,000 rpm, the engine was among the most powerful on the grid, but fell short in fuel efficiency.
Silverstone as an example
Starting from pole position, Berger initially led alongside Senna and built up a large gap. By the time Senna swept past on lap 14, the fuel readout was already indicating that the car would run out of fuel at least 5 laps before the finish. Berger turned down the boost, lowered his engine speeds, and short-shifted, yet still ran dry in the end. Senna took an effortless win in torrential rain, while Berger was forced to lap slower and slower.
Barnard and Guildford
Early in the season, Barnard recommended lowering the rev limit of the Tipo 033A by 1000/min and retuning the engine to save fuel. His relationship with the team was strained: he did not work in Maranello, but at the Ferrari office in Guildford, England. He did not want to relocate his young family to Italy and reportedly also wanted to avoid the Italian press, which was quick to judge in the event of failure. The fuel consumption issue only appeared reasonably under control just before the surprise one-two finish at Monza.
Summarized from the cited sources; every figure was automatically verified against the sources.
1987