Bahrain GP: Vettel wins amidst pitlane drama!

Sebastian Vettel finished in first place in the Bahrain Grand Prix, his second win in a row. Although the team’s attention went to an injured mechanic after an accident in the pitlane during Kimi’s second stop.

Saturday
Q1 usually ends without drama for the top teams, but not this time. Max Verstappen crashed out in his Red Bull, while Hamilton already had a 5-place penalty for changing his gearbox. Things looked pretty good for the Ferrari team and qualifying ended in the best way possible, a Ferrari front row lockout. Seb in pole position and Kimi in P2 just like in Hungary 2017. Bottas and Ricciardo started on the second row.

Sunday
Both Rosso Automobili (see what I did there) launched from the grid towards turn 1, but Bottas managed to squeeze in between the cavalcade. More drama further back, as Hamilton and Verstappen touched wheels resulting in a puncture and DNF for Verstappen. While Ricciardo suffered a painful DNF from an engine failure. Meanwhile Vettel controlled the race lead. Mercedes surprised with a one-stop strategy for Bottas, and Ferrari changed strategy for Vettel, meaning he had to do 39(!) laps on soft tires. He did a beautiful job at nursing the tires home and winning the race. He later admitted the tires were totally destroyed and he thought Bottas was going to win. Raikkonnen stayed on the two-stop strategy, but there was a problem at the rear left. Shockingly, the green light came on with only 3 tires replaced and Kimi had to retire. To make things even worse, the mechanic who was waiting with the new wheel was run over and broke his leg. He has been treated at the hospital and is making his recovery, no word on when he’ll be back in the pits. The Ferrari team was fined $ 50000 for releasing a car in an unsafe condition resulting in injury.

An emotional race for Scuderia, pure joy at one end but anger and disbelief on the other side. Next up: China GP this weekend!

Australian GP: Dream scenario to start the season!

Ferrari starts the 2018 Formula 1 Championship with a double podium and a victory for Sebastian Vettel.

Saturday
To be honest, it was a bit depressing when qualifying wrapped up. Lewis Hamilton just took pole by more than half a second, which is a lot in Formula 1. It seemed Mercedes would just control the race from the front and add yet another victory to their trophy room. Of course anything can happen in a race, as we found out soon enough.

Sunday
The start was clean and the top 3 didn’t change, Kimi in P2 tried to find a gap but soon settled behind the leading Mercedes. The first and only pit stop of the race was going to prove critical for the podium finish. Kimi came in first, attempting an undercut and Hamilton quickly reacted in the next lap. Meanwhile Vettel stayed out longer, knowing Melbourne is a tricky circuit and crashes happen every year. The deciding moment came in a freak incident involving both Haas cars (who deserve a special mention for their incredible pace in Practice and Qualifying, a massive improvement over the 2017 season). Magnussen stopped at Turn 4 after his stop, and Grosjean did the same in turn 2. The team has explained a problem with the wheel nuts prevented the wheels from being properly tightened and making it impossible to drive any further. A heartbreaking moment for the hardworking team.

The stranded cars brought out the Virtual Safety Car, meaning all drivers have to slow down on track. Vettel knew this was his moment to fit new tires, and he exited the pits in the lead and ready for the restart on fresh rubber. A pass in the pits, but a pass nonetheless. Sometimes strategy wins the race over pure speed. Hamilton tried to get back in the lead, but the Ferrari proved too strong to pass. Sebastian Vettel is the first winner of 2018, meaning he currently leads the championship and got an unexpected mental boost. This GP is an exciting prelude of things to come, a battle among titans of the sport. Bring it on!

Flying to Geneva to see the 488 Pista

The Rosso Corsa Ferrari 488 Pista on display at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Being a VIP is very nice in every situation; you’re allowed to go where the majority of people will never come. I didn’t hesitate a second when my friend Rajia Bibi told me she was going to visit Geneva to spec her 488 Pista and could provide me with VIP access to the Ferrari stand.

Is the 488 Pista worth the hype?
100% yes. The 488 Pista is an incredible car with incredible numbers; 711 bhp, 770 Nm at 3000 rpm, 1280 kg (2822 lb). The car industry is heading to a point where regularly cars have specifications that hypercars of 15 years ago would be very jealous of. Two 488 Pista’s were on display: a red and silver one. The red colour (launch spec) really enhances the lines of the car. It featured the standard wheels but had the race interior: racing harness, no floor mats and the carbon fiber package.

The silver one had the popular carbon-fiber wheels and a bit more daily-usable interior. Excluding the racing harness of course. But if you are really going to use this car on the track the racing harness is a must. My favorite part of the 488 Pista is the combination between function and form. The rear wing, for instance, is a piece of art but also helps to add 20% aero effficiency compared to the 488 GTB. The side air intake is not divided in two parts anymore. Instead of the air intake on the standard 488, all air goes straight to the intercooler. The engine is getting cooled by little air intakes just in front of the ducktail.

What if I want a gold 488 Pista with a purple stripe?
The answer is: spend a bit more money and go Tailor Made. The ability to personalise your Ferrari in every little detail is quite frankly amazing. You can spend days, if not weeks or months on deciding which spec you are ordering your new Ferrari in. There are dozens of paint colours, interior materials and shades of carbon fiber available. As smart as they are, Ferrari parked a Tailor Made Grigio Squalo 488 GTB in the Atelier to show customers what certain materials will look like in real life. The car had matt black roof and Italian Tricolore details on the front bumper, wing mirrors, engine bay, seats and steering wheel. Instead of the regular Ferrari badges this one had the painted examples. The interior was a sight to behold as well; the racing seats, carbon fiber package and metal flooring were the most notable options.

Rajia decided to have a go on the configurator and finished off with a metallic black example with a matte black stripe which features a red stripe. She picked the carbon rims (they are 40% lighter than the standard one) and red callipers. The interior has the same theme: comfy seats, regular red seatbelts and the carbon package. The combination of black and red really fits the aggressiveness of the car, check it out for yourself.

Thanks to Rajia for bringing me along!

Ferrari showcases a red and grey 488 Pista!

Ferrari just pulled off the covers of the Ferrari 488 Pista, their latest high-performance V8 model. The Italians decided to show to examples; one is finished in the traditionally red and the other one is grey. We will be at the show this Saturday (10th of March).

There’s not much that hasn’t been told about this car yet. After several leaks in the past few months the car practically revealed itself before Ferrari did. Although there were so many leaks I am personally still surprised and happy to see Ferrari making a V8 Sport Special Series this extreme again. It all started with the Challenge Stradale, which was as extreme as the race car. The 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale followed later, but were not as track-focused as the Challenge Stradale. By the looks of it, Ferrari used the philosophy they used to build the CS with, again on the 488 Pista.

I can’t wait to see these cars driving on the streets or on track. The track-focused exhaust should take care of the turbo noise of the 488 GTB that bothered a lot of people. And the active rear wing makes it look like the LaFerrari had a baby (which is not a bad thing at all!).

Check out this article for all the specifications.

This is why the 488 Pista is so special

The 488 Pista is the fourth generation in Ferraris’ so called V8 Sport Special Series. But first, let’s dive into the history of this outstanding segment and figure out why the Pista is so special.

But first, a bit of history

It all started in the early stages of this century. Ferrari offered clients the Fiorano Handling Package for their 550 and 599. This additional package added lowered suspension, better brakes and faster steering. In 1999 the 360 Modena was revealed and Ferrari felt like it wasn’t a real Ferrari. Compared to the F355, it looked kind of dull.

So what Ferrari did is they took the 360 Challenge and converted into a road-going car: the Challenge Stradale, standing for road-challenging, was born. The car had a roaring V8 pushing out 420 bhp and that made a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) possible.

Then came the 430 Scuderia

Ferrari felt like the V8 Sport Special Series was indeed something special so they did the same with the successor of the 360 Modena. This time, Ferrari converted the road-going F430 into a more-racier car, which meant it was less stiffer and less racier than the Challenge Stradale. It still was a race car for the roads but driving through a crowded area is more pleasant in the Scuderia than in a Challenge Stradale.

The suspension is less stiffer, the seats are a bit more comfortable and unlike the first few Challenge Stradale’s it had electric windows instead of sliding windows. The V8 in the 430 Scuderia produced 510 bhp and had a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).

The third generation V8 Sport Special Series

Time flies when you’re having fun: the 458 Speciale celebrates its fifth birthday this year. The Speciale is the race-version of the 458 Italia from 2009 (the last Ferrari with a non-turbocharged V8). More options were available, just to make the 458 Speciale an almost daily-drivable car. There was even a carbon-fibre package you had to tick when assembling your ultimate Speciale spec.

If you would put the Challenge Stradale against the 458 Speciale you will find out the CS is a rawer beast than the Speciale is. Ferrari managed to tune the V8 to 605 bhp. The top speed was set at 330 km/h (205 mph).

Why the Ferrari 488 Pista is special

To start off, it has a whopping additional 106 bhp and the top speed is said to be higher than 340 km/h. The base car, the 488 GTB dry weighs 1,544 kg (3,404 lb). The 488 Pista? 1,280 kg or 2,822 lb (dry). That’s a weight loss of 264 kg (582 lb)! It’s not even logical to compare it to the 458 Speciale so let’s take the LaFerrari as a comparison. The Ferrari hypercar dry weighs 1,255 kg (2,767 lb).

Just weeks before the launch of the 488 Pista it was rumoured it could be faster than the LaFerrari around Pista di Fiorano, Ferraris racetrack. The LaFerrari features KERS and other small aerodynamic spoilers and flaps, but so does the 488 Pista. Will it be quicker than the LaFerrari? Time will tell. We’re very excited to hear the Pista di Fiorano track time of the 488 Pista. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the car with the official pictures.

Wondering Wednesday is a two-monthly column where we explain the many unclear subjects in the World of Ferrari.

This is the Ferrari SF71H!

The 2018 Formula 1 World Championship contender has been revealed today in Maranello. It is called the Scuderia Ferrari 71 Hybrid. Let’s look forward to the upcoming season.

The new Ferrari F1 is an evolution of the 2017 car, this means technical changes are limited. The car has a 1.6L V6 and MGU-H hybrid system working together to deliver maximum power at all times. The limit this year is set on 3 units, so reliability is becoming even more important. The mimimum weight is set at 733kg, most other technical stuff is secret.

The most striking visual change is obviously the halo. Love it or hate it, it will be on all the cars this season. Ferrari has opted for a red halo, which makes it less obvious and less ugly. Kimi Raïkkönen commented “It’s not that big a difference, you get used to it.”

Another controversial novelty is the exclusion of grid girls, Liberty media has stated the practice “does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms.” Fans, journalists and grid girls have outed many negative reactions to this decision, saying it belongs to the sport and is not sexist at all.
Instead, the GP grid will now be open to a few lucky kids who can meet their favourite drivers and racing team.

This season introduces the return of the French GP, held at the popular Paul Ricard track in Le Castellet. A highly technical and modern complex, featuring a very long straight with a chicane in the middle. Germany also gets a Formula 1 race in Hockenheim. But we have to say goodbye to the Malaysia GP, this brings the total at 21 Grand Prix.

All cars will be using Pirelli tires this season, ranging from the new hypersoft to the superhard compound. But most races will use the medium/soft/supersoft tires.

The last thing to keep in mind: the races will start an hour and ten minutes later than usual, meaning the European races will start at 15:10 instead of the 14:00 time we’re all used to. The positive side is you can sleep longer for the season start in Melbourne, on the 25th of March. A little over a month to go!

LEAK: 488 Pista official pictures!

Pictures of the new 488 have been leaked. Ferrari is planning to reveal their latest creation tonight 18.00 UK time: it’s the 488 Pista and it’s a track weapon pur sang. The car will be revealed to the public at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) in March.

The past few weeks have been very interesting. All sorts of leakes were coming out starting with some pictures from the presentation that Ferrari hosted for worldwide dealerships. And now another leak. Ferrari really has to work on their security!

Gallery is updated with pictures from the official Ferrari website.

Compared to the 488 GTB, this is a whole new car. The engine you’ll find in the back is an evolution from the 488 Challenge engine and it’s 10% lighter than the 488 GTB engine.

Rumored specs are 721 bhp @ 8,000 rpm and 770 Nm. 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint can be done in 2,85 sec and its top speed is 340 km/h (211 mph). The car weighs 1,280 kg (2,822 lb).

As you can see, there’s an overload of carbon fiber: the front hood, front bumper, rear spoiler and rear bumper are all fully made out of carbon fiber. Even the 20 inch wheels are made out of carbon fiber, which means they’re 40% lighter than the standard wheels that came with the 488 GTB. One part I personally like is the massive front intake.

It’s not sure how many will be produced, but it’s no surprise the demand is like nothing else. Every dealership gets a certain amount of allocations. It’s rumoured the bigger ones will get between 40 and 80 and the smaller ones might not even able to sell 10. If you haven’t heard back from your dealer yet, you might not even get one.

At the presentation back in January, Ferrari also revealed there will be highly tailor made Pista’s for Ferrari Pilots (Challenge, GT Racing). Very exciting to find out how some of the talented drivers will spec their 488!

Happy Birthday to Enzo Ferrari

On the 18th of February in 1898 the innovative car maker Enzo Ferrari was born. Little did we know that he would go on to change automotive history forever. Let’s take a look at why he was so important for the industry.

Formula 1
His determination made it possible for Scuderia Ferrari to become the oldest surviving and most successful F1 team, having competed in every world championship since the 1950 season. Although he used to visit just the Italian GP’s, his passion was always present, no matter which Grand Prix.

He is responsible for Lamborghini
Let’s be honest, without Enzo Ferrari the brand Lamborghini would not even exist as of today. How come you ask? Ferruccio Lamborghini became very wealthy from his tractor business. Like anyone who comes into wealth, he bought several luxury cars, including a Ferrari. Lamborghini had a passion for cars, so much so that he began racing some of the cars he had purchased. However, since he knew quite a bit about car mechanics he decided that the cars he raced needed a little changing. When it came to racing his Ferrari, he noticed that it was much too noisy and rough on the road. Another issue with the car was that the interior clutch needed repairing often. When Ferrari told Lamborghini he didn’t want advice from the tractor mechanic, a rivalry of years had begun. This started Lamborghini’s passion for cars. At first it was just a hobby and most likely to annoy Enzo Ferrari, but it later became his passion.

His own race track
In 1972 Enzo Ferrari build his own test track which is still being used for developing new cars. It has a wide range of corner types to simulate as many Grand Prix’s track as possible. Niki Lauda once said in an interview: ‘’The track is incredible, it has a lot of technical features around the track including a timer which measures the time of every part of the track. If I drive fast enough on the straight but not in the corner, I can exactly see where I have to improve the speed. This way it’s very easy to test cars there.’’ One of the reason Enzo built Pista di Fiorano was to stay at home as much as possible. He wanted to put all of his energy on the cars he was building.

Fastest production car
Enzo Ferrari claimed the F40 could easily reach 200 mph or 322 km/h. And it did. It was actually the fastest production car (+500 unites) until 1990 when Lamborghini revealed the Diablo. Some may say both the Porsche 959 S and RUF CTR were faster and that’s partly true, but both were not production cars (limited to 345 and 29 unites).

Without Enzo Ferrari, the automotive industry would not be what it is now, and we would like to take this time to celebrate his life. Join us on Instagram today to take a look back at his life!

Happy Birthday to racing legend John Surtees!

John Surtees would have turned 84 today. He was an English Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. He was a four-time 500cc motorcycle World Champion, winning that title in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960 and he was the Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels.

Until today no other driver was able to repeat his success in the Englishman’s unique style. Enthusiasm, passion, rigour, a detailed analysis of the race tracks and of his adversaries transformed Surtees’ long career into a continuous success in every class and on all kinds of tracks. Born in 1934 with an inherited passion for motorbikes, as a young man he dedicated himself to two wheels, debuting and winning his first official race in 1951 in the Excelsior B14 class 500.

First on two wheels, and later on four. Until the 60s “Big John” as he was called conquered one success after the other, for an unmatchable record of 37 Grands Prix, 44 podium places and an incredible number of fastest race laps. Surtees’ talent didn’t go unnoticed in the world of motor racing and soon he was offered a driver’s seat. In 1961 he started with Cooper and in 1962 with Lola, where he studied, improved technically and let his technicians make some mechanical interventions to make the British cars more competitive. In 1962, at Monza, the Englishman awoke Enzo Ferrari’s attention, impressed by John’s personality and style. Without hesitating Ferrari made Surtees the Scuderia’s number 1 driver in 1963. A memorable year, when John, called “Son of the Wind” by his new family from Maranello, gained his first Formula One World Title. A splendid 1964 followed with one of the most exciting duels in the history of racing. Despite his great passion for extremely competitive cars the following years didn’t satisfy John. It was the moment for looking at races other than Formula One.

In 1966 Surtees had a bad accident, where he got seriously injured, but recovered completely. Due to some differences with Enzo Ferrari, John concluded the season with a Cooper and changed his team several times until 1972 when he decided to form his own team, but without great success. He retired from racing in 1973, dedicating himself to his team, which he left in 1978, when he definitely abandoned the world of racing.

Last year John unfortunately passed away, but he will always be remembered as a legend.

These three cars stole the show at Interclassics 2018

The beautiful Ferrari 250 GT SWB that was on display at the 2018 Interclassics Maastricht.

The first car event of the year and a pretty unbeatable one to say the least. Interclassics Maastricht is a well-organized event with special vehicles all over the place: the Alfa Romeo 8C (1932), two F40s and the one-of-six Ferrari Sergio just to name a few. I’ve picked three personal favourites, all of them which I had never seen before.

1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 3200
I have to admit it’s kind of strange to start a Ferrari related article with an Alfa Romeo but this one is so close to my heart. It’s the first time the famous Scuderia shield were used on a car. This 8C was one of the three cars produced specially for the Mille Miglia of 1932. It sadly didn’t raced the Mille Miglia but competed in 24 hours of Spa organized that same year. The reason why this 8C is so special is a particular moment in its history. Just before getting ready for the race, one of the financiers asked Enzo Ferrari to place the prancing horse that used to be on his killed son’s airplane on the car. This is basically the birth of one of most famous automotive logos ever existed. Very cool to have seen this car in the flesh.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB
This particular example was bought by the Italian racer Eduardo Lualdi in 1961. Lualdi used the car in many races and hill climbs all across Europe. After being sold for a few times, the car ended up with an owner from Milan. When he passed away his daughter inherited the car. For some reason she didn’t really cared a lot and wanted to sell it at some point. She then found out the car was stolen… When most parts were found years later they decided to rebuild it. The car has been a part of a Dutch collection for over 30 years now and is often used on track days at Zandvoort and Goodwood.

1990 Ferrari F40 LM (kit)
Any car show should have an F40 and this one had two. One was a regular Rosso Corsa example but the other one was a black F40 with LM kit and immediately caught my eye. I asked the seller about the car and he explained to me it used to be a regular F40 but was changed into LM spec on request of its previous owner. That guy owned an F40 LM but wanted to drive it on the road. He purchased a regular F40 and sent it to Michelotto who then converted the car into LM spec. It was resprayed in Nero Daytona, and the famous LM wing, skirts and front splitter were added. Even the whole hood of the car was replaced by an LM example. Great to have seen this car!

Thanks to Bodie from Real Art On Wheels for arranging access to the show and providing the trunk of a C63 AMG Black Series to stow my jacket and bag in while exploring all the goodies present!