Updated: 09/05/05

Vol.12
Alesi, merci pour votre passion

Akihiro Kamimura:

I didn't expect the next Grand Prix Collection to be the Ferrari F2001.  There were examples [of such back-to-back releases] in 1992 and 1993 with the Lotus and McLaren cars, but the environment that surrounds the plastic model industry is different, isn't it?

Yoshinori Sugiura:

In terms of the sales, it is risky to release cars of the same team two years in a row, because the previous kit might be considered as obsolete. The reason why we chose the F2001 was because of the following reasons. As you know, we usually select two or three candidates and approach the teams early [in the season].  After several negotiations, we eliminated candidates one by one, and in June we finally reached the decision to pick the Ferrari.  The key factor was that the car was most likely become the champion.  As it turned out, Michael rewrote the victory records as we hoped.

Kamimura:

You must be relieved because things turned out as you hoped.  I guess the research was tough because the team had a very tight security policy during the season.

Sugiura: 

As you can see in F1 Modeling Magazine, there aren't very many photos of the car without the cowl.  There were some information we desperately needed for designing, and we were able to finalize some of the designs of those parts after several negotiations.  We learned that kind of skills last year, which became quite useful.

Kamimura:

Can you tell us any differences or difficulties compared to the last year's F1-2000 kit?

Sugiura:

We started by finding out the differences between the F1-2000 and F2001.  The center monocock was unexpectedly similar except for the position of the seat because of the new regulations. Other than that, the two are virtually identical.  The shape of the radiator inlet all the way to the top of the cowl is more edged compared to the curved one of the F1-2000. Also, it was difficult to design the delicate curvature on the nose of the F2001.  The front wing varied by races, so it was hard to determine which one. By the way, the kit represents the French GP version again.

Kamimura:

I heard that the design was finished and now you are making the molds.  Will the contents and the number of parts be pretty similar to the F1-2000 kit?

Sugiura:

Yes, but all parts except for the tires have been newly designed.  The fuel lid will be separate, and metal transfers will be included for the mirror faces, so the parts-count will be a little higher.

Kamimura:

I'm pleased to hear that the mirror faces will be represented by metal.  What about releasing seat belts and antenna, just like the manufacturer's genuine detail parts for your military miniature series?

Sugiura:

We're not thinking about releasing any detail parts.  Unlike the military subjects, the age group of the car model is broader, so we want to avoid designing a model that requires adding of details. Besides, there're many manufacturers actively releasing detail parts, which is quite impressing to us. For example, the 956 Hybrid (Tamiya's 956 kit and Scale Motorsport detail parts and reference CD-ROM) turned out to be very popular, so that kind of collaboration might happen again.

Kamimura:

F1 Modeling readers are detail oriented, so I guess that kind of idea gives us something to look forward to.

Sugiura:

The quality of models is important, but I think the fundamental aspect of model making is to enjoy the process of building, so I hope everyone enjoys the F2001 kit at the skill level of each modeler.

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