Ferrari shows Volkswagen how its done, with this promo footage of two 458 Italia models racing around Mugello before heading into the Tuscan hills. It certainly ups the charisma levels from Michael’s black t-shirt!
Watch the clip after the jump…
News has emerged that Valentino Rossi was in discussions with Ferrari that could have seen him make his Formula One debut at Monza next weekend.
According to Rossi himself it was only a combination of bad timing and concerns about a lack of physical preparation that scuppered this dream opportunity.
In the build up to this weekend’s San Marino MotoGP Rossi explained, “We spoke with Domenicali, but we had two big problems.
“The first one is the neck, because I don’t know if I would be able to finish the race with my neck. Monza is not very strong (hard) for the neck, but anyway it still needs great effort.
“And also, because we’re fighting for the (MotoGP) championship, for sure the race at Monza would be a big stress and it’s better to stay in MotoGP.”
Don’t you reckon the tifosi would have gone completely nuts if Rossi was driving a Ferrari at Monza! I suppose fellow Italian Giancarlo Fisichella is the next best thing.
[Source: autosport | Pic: Yamaha Racing | Thanks to Dylan for the tip]
It now seems an eternity ago that Felipe Massa paraded the F60 Ferrari F1 car with such optimism. But, with the injured Massa now ruled out for the rest of 2009, it only seems a few moments ago that Force India boss Dr Vijay Mallya denied F1’s worst kept secret. That is, Giancarlo Fisichella will take Massa’s seat at Ferrari for the rest of the season.
Mallya confirmed on the Force India website, “Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari. For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this.”
Fisi replied with gratitude, “I am very grateful to Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team. It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous.”
Fisichella showed strong form at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, claiming pole position and finishing the race in second, behind his new teammate Kimi Raikonnen. It was the first ever podium finish for Force India F1.
Fisi’s first race for Ferrari will be just under two weeks away at the Italian Grand Prix. Nice timing! Naturally, Giancarlo is quite excited about this.
“I’m in seventh heaven,” Fisichella told the Ferrari website. “I still can’t believe it that the dream of my life comes true and I want to thank Ferrari and Chairman Luca di Montezemolo. Over the last week some really incredible things happened to me: the pole position and then second place at Spa and now I’m called by Ferrari to race the last five races of the season for them.”
It is understood that Fisichella will remain with Ferrari in a test driver role next year. But with the rumour mill suggesting Raikonnen could be returning to McLaren in 2010, is Fisichella about to give his 14 year career the most amazing of second winds?
[Source: Force India F1]
Mikey might have a sore neck, but he still found the time to jump in the solarium to prepare for his little chat about the Ferrari 458 Italia.
This time last month Ferrari released a few images of its new 458 Italia. With just a few weeks to go until the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ferrari have set free a few more pics of the little red coupé that could with the donkey badge on the front.
Also included, for the first time, are pics of the 458’s interior. No time for padding this article out with a bunch of words. Especially when the images say so much. More images and a press release from Ferrari after the jump…
Like a big old tease Michael Schumacher has called off his much hyped return to Formula One. The F1 world has been whipped up into a frenzy with news the seven-time world champ would be back out on the track, standing in for the injured Felipe Massa, but it’s not to be.
It’s that dreaded pain in the neck that is behind Schumacher’s decision to withdraw. In a statement on his website Schumacher says, “Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.”
He continues, “The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike-accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe.
“I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power.”
So, that’s that then. Perhaps the only followers of Formula One to be overjoyed with this news will be Ferrari test drivers Marc Gené and Luca Badoer, who will most likely settle the question of who will race Felipe’s car with a game of rock, paper, scissors. The seat is vacant for the next Grand Prix at least, which takes place in Valencia in a couple of weeks.
UPDATE: Ferrari have announced that Luca Badoer will race for the F1 team until Massa is fit to resume his place.
[Source: MichaelSchumacher.de | Thanks to Wes for the tip]
Never mind that big lovable smiling face from the seven time F1 world champ, the BBC reports that Schumi’s comeback could be scuppered by a neck injury suffered after he crashed while testing a motorbike earlier in the year.
A loosely translated report from Schumacher’s press agent, Sabine Kehm, states, “It is not sure yet the neck will hold and the comeback can be started.”
Aww, but we need Michael back in F1. Surely the spat with Sir Frank has a few rounds left in it.
A new press release from Ferrari has just arrived at AUSmotive HQ. The statement begins below and continues after the jump:
Ferrari has announced that the legendary seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, will return to Formula One to replace injured Felipe Massa, subject to the successful completion of a training programme to get Schumacher back up to race fitness.
Headlines around the globe are announcing the return of, who many consider to be the world’s greatest ever Formula One racer, Michael Schumacher.
Although, interestingly, there is just a brief statement on the Ferrari website which states rather coyly:
Maranello, 29 July 2009 – “Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro intends to put Michael Schumacher in Felipe Massa’s car until the Brazilian driver will be able to race again. Michael Schumacher said he is ready and, over the next few days, will undertake a specifc training programme at the end of which confermation will be given of his participation in the Championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August.”
However, it does seem certain that the seven time world champion will return to the F1 starting grid in just a few weeks. Of course, the ban on in-season testing means Schumacher cannot get behind the wheel of Ferrari’s F1 car until Friday practice at the European Grand Prix, to be held in Valencia, 21-23 August. It will be his first start in Formula One since the end of the 2006 season.
In related news Felipe Massa is expected to make a full recovery after his horrifying incident in qualifying at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Although, it remains unclear if he will be able to return to racing this season. If so, that would leave Schumacher to fill in for seven races.
By their standards, Ferrari’s season to date has been dreadful. But, after Kimi Raikonnen’s strong showing last weekend, where he finished second, it looks as though Ferrari are on the improve. Will we see Schumacher on the winner’s podium again?
[More: BBC, Formula1.com, FoxSports.com.au, TimesOnline | Image: AFP]
This YouTube clip is supposedly the sound of Ferrari’s new 458 Italia. It sounds good, but not great. I really hope there was a big hairy dog over the top of the microphone used to record this audio, otherwise the sound of Ferrari’s newest dream car fails to match the visual drama and finesse displayed by that stunning body.
Ferrari have just released these images of their F430 replacement, the 458 Italia. Wow! Was that as good for you as it was for me?!
The proportions. The curves. The drama. Does anyone do it better than Ferrari? Just look at it. It is beautiful.
Sure, there are some fiddly details, like triple exhaust pipes (say what!) and the detailing around the LED headlights may be a bit awkward. But, overall, well the prayers of the tifosi have been answered.
Oh, the engine. Yeah, almost forgot about that in among all that beauty. The 458 Italia will be powered by a 4.5 litre V8 which Ferrari reckon will be good for 425kW. That’s a lazy 570bhp! Torque is a very tidy 540Nm. The power and motion will be forced through a seven speed double clutch gearbox. And you can bet that will be lightning quick.
Speaking of which, the Italia can reach 100km/h in 3.4 seconds before a claimed v-max in excess of 325km/h. Dry weight of the berlinetta is 1380kg, with 58% of that weight placed over the rear axle.
The official reveal of the Ferrari 458 Italia will take place at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. One feels we are witness to a new phenomenon. Only time will tell if the 458 has been sent from above. Fast forward 10 or 15 years, and I reckon when the name 458 Italia is mentioned the words “hallowed be thy name” will follow.
More pics, including details, after the jump (all available as wallpaper-friendly 2000px super images). Along with Ferrari’s full press guff.
Every morning the AUSmotive inbox greets me with a snapshot the latest motoring press releases from the UK. Often there’s some really great material. But sometimes there’s a fair bit of boring stuff to wade through as well. Today, there was a bit of a both.
Ferrari have announced their “With You†free roadside assistance program for UK owners, blah, blah, blah. But it was the pictures with which they accompanied this story that were of interest. There’s five in total and all are well worth a closer look.
Back in June 2007 Ferrari achieved a world record for the largest number of Ferraris in one location. That location was Silverstone in the UK and there were 385 Ferraris in attendance. Pretty cool, huh. I’d never seen these pictures at such a scale before and the chances are you haven’t either. So, as an extra special treat for AUSmotive readers by simply clicking on each of these pics you can see it as a massive 4000px mega image (they’re a bit over 2mb each). Can’t be any fairer that that.
Oh, and if you have any better suggestions for a collective noun for 380-odd Fezzas, let me know in the comments section below.