Ferrari is producing respirator valves and fittings for protective masks as part of its efforts to assist in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Formula 1 is on hiatus until at least July due to the pandemic and the championship has instead turned its efforts into designing and manufacturing requested equipment.
All teams are on a five-week shutdown though several essential departments, including those working on medical equipment, are remaining open, with advice such as physical distancing between personnel enforced.
The department at Maranello where car prototypes are usually built is currently being given over to the production of vital components.
Ferrari has worked with diving equipment manufacturer Mares while the logistics of the project have been handled by Nuovamacut Gruppo TeamSystem.
Some of the fittings produced by Ferrari have been supplied to a company called Solid Energy, which will use them to transform Decathlon snorkelling masks into aids to protect healthcare workers.
In the coming days Ferrari intends to manufacturer several hundred items of equipment that will be distributed to hospitals in the country with the co-ordination of the Italian Civil Protection.
Ferrari, along with its clients, revealed last week that €1 million has been donated to Modena’s healthcare system and has also donated an ambulance to the ASUL Modena facility.
Ferrari’s automotive manufacturing facilities at Modena and Maranello are suspended until at least May 3, in line with government advice.
The seven UK-based Formula 1 teams formed Project Pitlane to pool their resources in assisting the fight against the pandemic.
On Wednesday Mercedes High Performance Powertrains completed an order of 10,000 CPAP breathing devices.
The McLaren Group is to help with the production of the Penlon Prima ES02 ventilator, which was co-designed by Project Pitlane, and approved for use on Thursday by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
