May 4 (GMM) Ferrari's chief designer has accepted the criticism that the Italian team must become more innovative.

While its less-famous rivals pioneered double diffusers, F-ducts and blown exhausts in recent years, Ferrari single seaters have become more conservative, with the latest 2011 incarnation enduring a difficult start to the season.

The Maranello based team has been getting to the bottom of a wind tunnel calibration problem, but designer Nikolas Tombazis does not dismiss commentators who say Ferrari must also become more technically creative.

"Unfortunately, we cannot claim this accusation is entirely without foundation," he told official online magazine Scuderia Ferrari Racing News.

"Maybe we were a bit too passive in our approach; we did not push hard enough in some areas of development and unfortunately, the results can be seen on track," admitted Tombazis.

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