The 412 T2's design was largely influenced by major regulation changes imposed by the FIA after the 1994 season: the V12 engine was reduced from 3.5 to 3.0 litres, and new side protection structures were added around the driver's helmet. The engine was 20lb lighter than in 1994 due to the use of steel rather than cast iron, fuel capacity was reduced to 125 litres, and the engine could consequently be mounted further forward. The exhausts were initially positioned through the rear diffuser, but this was changed mid-season. The gearbox was again mounted to the block in transverse, improving rear-end weight distribution.
Aerodynamics were revised with larger and more complex bargeboards, while the front and rear wings were also modified to reduce downforce according to the new regulations. Barnard also dropped the 'raised nose' design which Ferrari had been using for the previous three seasons.
This car proved to be a progressive step ahead compared to the previous year's 412 T1, but reliability issues and the dominance of the Renault RS7 V10 engine prevented Ferrari from challenging for the title. Results at the start of the season were promising, with podiums for both Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi as the car established itself as a frontrunner. At Imola, Berger started on the front row and set the fastest lap, leading the race before stalling at the pitstops. Alesi won at the Canadian Grand Prix, giving Ferrari the lead in the Constructors' World Championship at that point in the season.
At the high-speed circuit of Spa-Francorchamps at the Belgian Grand Prix, the Ferraris locked out the front row of the grid, but both cars retired due to reliability issues by the halfway point, with Alesi having led the race. Disappointment continued at the Italian Grand Prix, where the Ferraris were running first and second after the pitstops. However, Berger retired when a TV camera on Alesi's rear wing detached and damaged Berger's suspension. Alesi looked set to win his second Grand Prix but retired with a wheel bearing failure with just 8 laps remaining.
Competitiveness waned for the remainder of the season, with Alesi's near victory at the Nürburgring being a highlight; he came within 3 laps of winning on heavily worn tyres before being passed by Michael Schumacher on fresher rubber. The season concluded with the car having scored 73 points, placing Ferrari third in the Constructors' standings for 1995.
The 412 T2 was replaced by the Ferrari F310 in 1996. The 412 T2 was the last Formula 1 car powered by a V12 engine, and the last Ferrari Formula One car to run on Agip fuel. Both Alesi and Berger moved to Benetton for the 1996 season, to be replaced by Schumacher and Eddie Irvine. Schumacher tested with the 412 T2 and declared the car to be "good enough to win a world championship."
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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