Updated: 19th July 2007 14:31 GMT

Scale 1/20 Kit Manufacturer Tamiya Grade-up Parts Studio 27 Acu-Stion Scale Motorsport Perfect Parts (Etch and Wheels) Year 1997 Driver Eddie Irvine (Ireland) Event Monaco GP 1997 (Wet-setup)

The John Barnard designed F310B was Ferrari's entry into the 1997 Formula 1 season. The team hoped that this car would be able to challenge the all conquering Williams at the time and it very nearly succeeded culminating in a controversial climax to the end of the season. It was similar in terms of design to the F310 which had been run towards the end of the 1996 season but had an improved aerodynamic package and monocoque. Power came from a revised Ferrari 046/2 V-10 3 Litre engine through a tranversely mounted 6 speed gearbox and was said to give 10 hp more than the unit in the F310. The engine had a 80 degree 'V' and ran 40 valves and in race spec which would deliver around 740-750 bhp, in qualifying it was a slightly higher 760 - 770 bhp.

Michael Schumacher ran no.5 and Eddie Irvine no.6 that season and the team achieved 5 victories and 3 pole positions with Michael Schumacher provisionally finishing second in the championship behind Jaques Villeneuve in the Williams Renault FW19 despite Schumacher's "best" efforts to stop him, Irvine finished the season seventh. At a later FIA meeting Schumacher was stripped of his second place in the championship due to the alleged voluntary 'ramming' of Villenueve at the final event of the year - the European Grand Prix.

The car is based on the version raced by Eddie Irvine at the Monaco GP of 1997, Irvine finished on the podium in third place at the event. My build differs from the kit in the box considerably as the rear wing will have extended end plates (for low downforce races), the fuel cap is on the other side (Monaco races are run in an anti-clockwise direction) and there will be slightly different endplates on the front wing too. The barge boards will be replaced with etched versions and I will be cutting the nose off the car to allow this to be removable. 'Marlboro' logos will be used as Tobacco advertising is not banned in Monaco and there will be numerous etched pieces added including metal gold BBS wheels adding even more detail to the car. The engine bay is virtually unrecognisable in comparison to the basic kit.


Reference Material used - 1/20 Ferrari 310B

F1 Modeling Michael Schumacher Giga Special (pages 110-113)	F1 Modeling Vol.3 (pages 58-61)	AutoCourse 1997-98

Details added:

• Replaced plastic parts/decals with photo-etch as follows;
  Barge Boards
  Rear Wing
  Front Wing endplates
  Rear suspension assembly (these sit on top of transmission tunnel)
  Polished Brass Wheel
  Brake disks replaced
  Name plates and Ferrari emblems on engine block
  Radiator fronts
• Added photo-etch & decals as follows;
  Engine bay has numerous etched parts too numerous to mention
  Fasteners and rivet heads added onto body work and wing
  Fuel filler cap
  Seat belts and all associated hardware
  Marlboro sponsorship logos added and missing decals
  Aerials
• Scratch built add ons;
  Engine bay has numerous added details added
  Brake Fluid Reservoirs in Nose cone
  Neutral Switch in cockpit
  Brake Calipers adapted from kit examples
  Bulkhead structure in nose cone
  Cooling Pipes into Radiators
  Eletrical cabling on top of side pods and engine bay
  
  This has been the most comprehensive detail work I have done to date and therefore there are numerous other additions that I have made that I have not included here. If you have any further questions on any part of the build please dont hesitate to get in touch and I'll try to answer your questions.

Progress & Completed pics