The 641 was a developed version of its predecessor, the 1989 Ferrari 640, designed by John Barnard. The updated 641 design was overseen by former McLaren designer Steve Nichols after Barnard left Ferrari to join the Benetton team. The car was powered by a 3.5 litre V12 engine, first with the type 036, and later in San Marino with the updated 037. The V12 was rated at 680 bhp (507 kW; 689 PS), only slightly down on the 690 bhp (515 kW; 700 PS) Honda V10 engines used by McLaren.
The car scored 6 wins in the 1990 season (Prost 5 wins, Mansell 1 win). Incorporating the semi-automatic gearbox developed during the previous season, the car was seen to be technically advanced. The aerodynamics were reworked and the chassis given a slightly longer wheelbase than its predecessor. Ferrari's major coup was signing reigning World Champion Alain Prost from McLaren to partner Nigel Mansell. As such, Nichols designed the car with Prost's smooth driving style in mind. A variable inlet trumpet system on the engine was tested throughout the season, but did not become standard equipment.
Prost worked hard on improving the reliability of the gearbox and also worked behind the scenes to bring the whole Ferrari team closer together. Prost's development work helped the 641 chassis to be extremely fast and competitive, and…