[...] {Dieter] Gundel, who has been with Ferrari for six years, specialises in an unseen aspect of F1 engine design: embedded software, which controls such variables as power delivery and fuel economy, and can be altered to suit different track characteristics. Regulations covering this technology – known as “engine mapping” – are strict, and amount to the F1 equivalent of Olympic drug testing. Officials from the sport’s governing body need give only five minutes’ notice before arriving at any team’s headquarters to look for evidence of illegal traction-control codes and the like. Keeping track of development is difficult: since the end of last season, Ferrari has already come up with 70 variations of its engine software program.

Ferrari’s technical staff contains almost as many nationalities. It’s sort of like the United Nations, except it works. “We have Japanese, German, English, Italian,” says Gundel. “All working together.”

Ferrari direzione comunicazione Matteo Boncini: “We also have French.”

Gundel, who is German: “Even the French work together with the others.” [...]