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Shanghai, 11th April – The four-year partnership between Weichai Power and the Scuderia Ferrari announced at the unveiling of the F138 on February 1st last was made official this morning during a press conference for the Chinese media at the Shangri-Là Hotel. Also present were the Italian Consul in Shanghai, Vincenzo De Luca, Weichai Group chairman Tan Xuguang and Ferrari deputy chairman Piero Ferrari.China’s leading industrial brand and its largest automotive component and machinery group is the Maranello team’s first Chinese sponsor. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who are in Shanghai for the third round of the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship, and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali were also guests at the event.A very proud Piero Ferrari, who was introduced to the assembled audience at the ceremony by Tan Xuguang, had this to say: “Our relationship with China has gone from strength to strength since we sold our first car here in 1992. Greater China is now our second largest market, thanks to sales of 750 cars per year. We also have a large following here made up of clients, collectors and incredibly passionate fans. The first permanent Ferrari exhibition at the PalaExpò in Shanghai is a great testament to that passion. We feel very close to the Chinese culture which is both forward-looking and very respectful of its roots and tradition, and I am certain that the relationship between Ferrari and Weichai will be hugely advantageous to both brands.”

Shanghai, 11 April – Under sunny and clear blue skies in the massive Shanghai paddock, rather than the smog the weather forecasters had predicted, Fernando Alonso tackled the usual Thursday session with his friends in the press and even three weeks on, the first topic was that Malaysian race retirement. “I am not concerned about the fact I did not score points in Malaysia, because everyone has at least two or three DNFs per season in Formula 1,” said a philosophical Fernando. “Although I hope not, I guess it will happen to me again this year, because of the law of averages. We need to be prepared for that and also be prepared to take any opportunity and try and score maximum points when it happens to our rivals. It was a shame that there was that contact at the second corner, but as regards stopping or not stopping, I think the damage was already done. Now, we will try and be a little bit more careful, leave a bit more of a margin and hopefully, it won’t happen again.” As to a suggestion from a journalist that Vettel, who was involved in that collision, had slowed deliberately to impede Alonso, the Ferrari man denied it. “That’s impossible,” he insisted. “Because there are 22 cars on the track and you don’t know what line the drivers behind you will take.”Even though the journalist who asked the question offered Fernando the get out clause of suggesting he was running a different set-up aimed more at the races, the Spaniard denied this was why Massa has out-qualified him in the last four races. “It’s not that, but I think he is doing a fantastic job and driving at a hundred percent. However, to talk about the last four races is a strange calculation, as it involves races from last year as well as this one and the conditions in the qualifying sessions in Melbourne and Malaysia were not so normal. Like I say, he is doing a good job and I hope I can qualify in front of him for a few races this year and if I manage to do that, it will need to be with a fantastic lap.”

Team orders had been the big talking point after the Red Bull and Mercedes tactics in Malaysia and Fernando was asked for his views on what happened. “As a driver, one always wants to win and to do whatever it takes to win,” said the Spaniard. “However, what counts are the priorities of your team, so it’s difficult to comment or have an opinion on what Red Bull and Mercedes did in the last race, without knowing what discussions they had beforehand. But like I say, when we come to F1, we enter an agreement with our team and we have a professional obligation towards that team and sometimes people confuse team orders with the obligation to do one’s job.”

As for this weekend in Shanghai, Fernando’s answer featured his usual blend of optimism and analysis. “I think we have to improve our qualifying, which is a weak point compared to our race pace, but overall here, our target is to fight to finish on the podium,” he concluded. “With a gap of five weeks since Australia we, and I guess most teams, have had the time to produce some updates and I am reasonably optimistic that what we have brought here will deliver the results we expect. That’s why we are aiming for the podium and with both cars it would be even better.”
Read more…2013 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand

Shanghai, 11 April – After ten years of coming to the Shanghai circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix, the veteran F1 media know they have a busy time on Thursday as they negotiate the labyrinth of paths that lead to the team hospitality areas, perched on stilts above an artificial lake in the paddock. But they all found their way to the Scuderia Ferrari unit for the regular pre-weekend chat with Felipe Massa.The Brazilian was first faced with the statistic that, if he is quicker than Alonso on Saturday afternoon, he will be the first of the Spaniard’s F1 team-mates to out-qualify him five times in a row. “Honestly I never thought about it,” admitted a surprised Felipe. “All I can say is that I’m pleased with my start to the season and want to continue in this fashion. That statistic isn’t what gives me pleasure. What I like is to go well and to feel confident in the car. These sorts of figures only give you problems. I just want to get on with doing a good job.”Wisely, the Ferrari man would not set himself any clear cut target for the third round of the world championship. “Our aim for this weekend is the same as always, which is to work to keep improving the car, especially in qualifying. If we manage to do that and at a rate a little bit quicker than the others, then we can be more competitive in qualifying and even in the race too. The key is to work in the right direction throughout all the championship.”

Finally, the inevitable question in the wake of the Malaysian team-orders story involving Mercedes and especially Red Bull. “I approve of the intelligent use of team orders and by that I mean those that come at key moments of the championship, not in the second race of the season,” explained Felipe. “They must be taken with the good of the team in mind. I have helped many drivers, for example with Kimi when he won the championship with Ferrari and again last year with Fernando, when he was fighting for the title. I have no problem with team orders that fit these criteria.”

Maranello, 10th April – Although almost 37 years have gone by, their rivalry remains one of the gripping and enthralling in Formula 1 history. The long duel between Niki Lauda and James Hunt that dominated the 1976 season has been turned into a major new film opening in cinemas worldwide on September 13th next. The trailer for Rush, which was directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard, is available online from today. With Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda, the film also sees Olivia Wilde playing Hunt’s wife, Suzie Miller, and Alexandra Maria Lara playing Marlene Knaus, Lauda’s then partner. Rush also features Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, in the role of another Ferrari favourite, Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni.The outcome of the duel between the two men leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Ferraristi to this day. The 1976 World Drivers’ title should have gone to Niki Lauda and would have, had his tragic accident at the Nürburgring not knocked the Austrian driver out for three grands prix, allowing Hunt to make up ground lost in the early part of the season. Despite an incredible comeback, Niki couldn’t possibly have been at his best in the final races but somehow managed to be leading the standings three points ahead of his McLaren rival on the eve of the decisive Japanese Grand Prix. However, Sunday, October 24th went down in history after Lauda decided to pull out of the race because treacherous weather conditions were making the track virtually, if not totally, undriveable. Even had the Austrian finished outside the points (at the time awarded from 1st to sixth positions), he would have been able to take his second Drivers’ title if Hunt failed to do better than fifth. However, Lauda took the decision to retire after two laps because he felt the track conditions were simply too dangerous. Hunt finished the race in third position and, at the end of what was an extraordinary race, was declared World Champion. In the intervening decades, much has been said and written about that day and what happened before, during and after the race. Now enthusiasts can relive the rivalry between two men who took a very individual approach to their job that was a world away from the Formula 1 of today. Anyone that has seen the film was impressed by the way in which Howard has drawn the drivers’ personalities and his masterful portrayal of the world of Formula 1 as it was at the time. Despite the passing of almost thirty years and the enormous progress made in safety, the Rush trailer declares that one fact hasn’t changed: “There’s a lie that all drivers tell themselves: death is something that happens to other people”. Anyone that works in the paddocks knows all about that and never forgets it.

Maranello, 10 April – The pace with which methods of communication have developed over the past ten years is close to the speed of a Formula 1 car. We are in the digital era and the ways to transfer information are going through a continual shift – with the internet’s arrival accelerating development and extending this process even further. There is no longer any limit to space and time. Among the latest platforms, social media is certainly one of the most important and meaningful examples. In these ‘virtual town squares’, on Twitter to be precise, the Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has earned a leading position within the world of Formula 1. The number of his ‘followers’ is growing with every day that passes: admirers and fans who follow the professional exploits, stories and moments from the personal life of the two-time world champion. Fernando decided to start his official Twitter account, called @alo_oficial, with the simple intent of entering into direct contact with all his fans and recounting the experiences and the anecdotes from his daily life – in the first person. The birth of the Spaniard’s virtual profile dates back to last year: from the very first day it was welcomed with extraordinary enthusiasm by his fans. Ever since that moment there has been an exponential growth that has brought the number of Alonso’s ‘followers’ to 1,573,427 – with people scattered all over the world. And who knows how many there will be tomorrow! Another factor that marks out the active interest of Fernando’s ‘followers’ is the amount of views and comments that greet the Asturian driver’s customary virtual press conferences.These are published under the now famous label – it would be better to say ‘hashtag’ – of #askAlo and #preguntaAlo. On this occasion, the chance for Fernando’s fans to pose questions lasted a few days. In the first hour of the ‘Twitter-conference’ the driver had already received 3,450 questions of a total of almost 11,000 that came through in just under two days in Italian, Spanish, English and Portuguese. Following a vital and painstaking selection process in collaboration with the Ferrari driver’s personal website, www.fernandoalonso.com, the questions and answers will be published in two interviews: the first, with queries linked to Fernando’s professional life, follows here. The second, with questions pertaining more to the driver’s personal life, will be published in the coming days on both the websites. For anyone who wants to know our Fernando better… happy reading!

@LukeWormald: Have you ever been afraid/scared while racing?

FA: Yes. Sometimes, when it’s raining a lot and you’re racing behind someone…you have no visibility! In those moments, you have a sense of inevitable respect and concern.

@ally_cu: What’s the worst accident you’ve ever had?

FA: Without a doubt my crash in Brazil in 2003. I was very lucky to come away unscathed from Interlagos, I didn’t even brake a bone. It was the biggest accident of my career. I remember there were loads of pieces of the car scattered on the track. I was unable to dodge a tyre and then the rest happened very quickly. After impacting the tyre, the car flew into the barriers on the left, then crossed the track and crashed into the wall on the right. I was a little bit groggy when I got out of the car and in pain but I knew nothing was broken. My only concern was calming down my family with a gesture reassuring that all was well.

@Ste_chan_ : If you could choose any driver from the past to race against who would you pick? And why? Thanks Fer :)))

FA: I would pick Senna. He was the best. Thank you Ste_chan!

@WhosCeejayReyes: Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna?

FA: Ayrton, without a doubt.

@thanksfernando: Which #Ferrari do you prefer? #f60 #f150 #f2012 #f138? And which Ferrari of the past would you want to drive?

FA: The F10 is the best car I have driven. If we’re talking about trying them out…I think that the Ferrari F2004 would be the chosen one.

@gordo_l: If you could choose a winning car from another F1 era, which one would you pick?

FA: I would pick a Ferrari. The best cars which have won have mostly been Ferraris.

@ngtvk: What has changed the most from your first years in F1 to now?

FA: There’s an area which has gained more and more importance: aerodynamics. The horsepower of the cars also…

@ChChCharli : Throughout your entire life and career, who have you enjoyed racing against most?

FA: The best duels have always been in my karting races. Very, very fun!!!

@Sirius_spa: Has anything changed now that there are 3 Spanish drivers in the team? Have you imported anything typically Spanish?

FA: Hahaha, no! Nothing has changed, we’re still clearly a minority. It’s us who have to adapt…;)

@Paula_fanAlo: What virtue of Pedro, Marc Gené, Felipe Massa, Vettel, Hamilton and Kimi would you highlight?

FA: They’re all drivers with great talent, who are capable of making the most of cars that aren’t quite perfect.

@jamie_wigg93: If you could include one circuit that isn’t currently on the F1 calendar, which would it be?

FA: I would love to race at Mugello. I know the circuit well and it’s more than prepared, in every aspect, to be on the calendar.

@ChefBlake_F1: What did you really think of the Austin circuit and did you really like the city?

FA: I think the track at Austin is fantastic. The Circuit of the Americas is full of great challenges, especially in the first sector. The atmosphere during the Grand Prix week, the city and the weekend in general is one of the best in the whole year. I think it was a great move for Formula 1 to return to the United States.

@Patricklanuit: This morning I asked myself how and when you test the car. We only see the official tests. Thank you GENIUS!!!

FA: Thank you @Patricklanuit! That´s all the testing we do! During the season we don’t do any more testing than what you see because we’re not allowed.

@ConsuCalero: What is the average fuel consumption of your car per race? Best regards and all the best!

FA: Thanks ConsuCalero! Close to 200 litres per race. For 315 km…

@gabiolivaresb: If in a non-DRS area you press the DRS button does it activate?

FA: No, it doesn’t activate. The DRS is programmed only for the straights where it is allowed to be used.

@Pablo_I_Torrado: What’s the secret to being quick in the rain?

FA: The secret?…Train a lot in karting! 😉 And that the sensations you get from the car give you the confidence to increase your speed every lap.

@z3n0mal4: How do you feel about next year’s engines? How’s the Ferrari engine looking so far?

FA: The truth is I have no idea. I don’t think we’ll know much until January of 2014. They will be small engines, with less power…quite a task for the technicians!

@HelenGates6661: Don’t you think that with the new engines for next season, Formula 1 is becoming less Formula 1?

FA: Well, the rules always lead towards a reduction in the speed of the cars. It’s a bit strange, yes. But on the other hand, it brings Formula 1’s technology closer to everyday cars on the street.

@Manurocks87: V10, V8 or V6 Turbo?

FA: I choose V10.

@Joorgitoro: How do you know if the lap you’re doing is a good one?

FA: We know thanks to some indicators on the steering wheel. They show you the time difference with regards to the quickest lap you’ve done until then. With every corner you take, you get an update on the new time you’re going to set, therefore you know how you’re doing throughout the entire lap…

@DavidAguilera25: Fer, in competition cars, when you brake and reduce gear why do you also give the throttle a quick tap? THANK YOU

FA: Thank you @DavidAguilera25! This is to avoid blocking the rear tyres. In a race car, a lot is asked of the engine brake and the rear tyres tend to block. You try and compensate by tapping the throttle.

@Artu_Code: Don’t you think it’s better to drive slowly in extreme wet conditions and please the spectators than not run at all?

FA: Hehehe, driving slowly in qualifying for Formula 1, I can tell you right now, is impossible. Slow and qualifying can’t go in the same sentence. Formula 1 cars nowadays, with current aerodynamics and tyres, aren’t prepared for certain amounts of water on a rainy day; that’s been the problem the last few times in races or practice sessions that have been stopped. It’s simply impossible to complete a lap. If, as you say to please spectators, the price to pay is that the 22 drivers on the grid put their lives at stake…then I think it’s not worth it. The only possible option, as much as it may affect everyone, is to restart an hour later or even a day later.

@Manuelmd17 : Why do some drivers get dizzy on simulators?

FA: It’s a reaction of the mind. When a driver is working on the simulator, the image he sees on the screen doesn’t correspond, by a little bit, with the view or force that the memory recalls in a situation where you’re really driving the car. Therefore, the mind receives a stimulation that it isn’t expecting and it reacts by protecting itself. In this case, its protection comes in the form of dizziness and nausea.

@charlessultana: What is your normal routine on race day? i.e. time of arrival at track, any meals/exercise, meetings with engineers etc.

FA: Supposing we’re talking about a race starting at 14:00h, this would be the agenda (up until the race, afterwards we attend the media, have meetings with the engineers…):

-Breakfast: 08:30h
-Circuit: 09:00h
-Sponsors/events: 09:30h
-Lunch: 10:30h
-Strategy reunion: 11:00h
-Greet the fans: 12:20h
-Stretching/changing clothes: 13:00h
-Warm up laps: 13:30h
-Race: 14:00h

@Express91: How do you see the year after your bad luck in the last race? Are your options intact?

FA: It’s looking good; my options, of course, are still intact. Also, the stats show that there are between two and three retirements per season, therefore it would be logical for us to not finish on another Sunday. That would be logical and expected. The season is very long, we’ve only completed two Grands Prix! It happened to Rosberg in Australia, me in Malaysia…This happens to everyone.

@Ath0506: Do you believe you have a car that is able of winning races without a need for extraordinary performances like last year?

FA: Any victory requires an extraordinary performance. Hopefully this year I’ll have the chance to win Grands Prix again.

@xisu_99 : Why did you think it was better to stay on track than come in for a pit-stop?

FA: Once you’ve seen the result, in hindsight, it’s easy to say it would’ve been better to come in for a pit-stop. But it’s a decision that has to be made in a matter of seconds, during which we thought that I could hold on for another lap to make the most of the pit-stop and also switch to dry tyres. In any case, the race simulations state that if I would have stopped to change the nose, I would have finished ninth or tenth, so we didn’t lose anything. The problem wasn’t not coming in; the damage was done in the collision and it’s something that we will try to avoid in the future…;)

@davidgg92: What were you thinking when you were going down the straight at 300 km/h with the nose falling off?

FA: I was thinking about not crashing into Webber. My front tyres weren’t in contact with the ground, I was going at 280 km/h and was running the risk of wiping Mark out, which would have been very dangerous. Luckily the car went straight on.

@tomeu_bover : Have you spoken to Webber after he remembered you on the podium?

FA: I talk to Mark frequently. I thank him for remembering me on the podium. Hopefully we will share many podiums in the future.

@nkmadrid: Was it as special to win in Monza with Ferrari as it was in Valencia, given how you did it and the support you received from everyone?

FA: Yes, they were two very special victories. I remember them with special emotion. When you race at home, and in this case I consider them both my “home”, the support you receive makes it unique.

@MoleroPhoto: What was your hardest moment in F1? McLaren 2007, Minardi 2001 or Benetton 2002?

FA: My hardest “moment” came in 2002, when I was the test driver at Renault. Occupying that test role and seeing the races from the outside, on TV, made it the hardest season by far.

@hanc0502: What is your biggest target in your F1 career? That one that when you retire you can say I DID IT! (YOU’RE THE BEST)

FA: Thanks @hanc0502! Well when I started, I wanted to be World Champion and I’ve achieved that. Therefore when I retire I’ll be able to say: I did it!! 😉

@lapolemista: Would you like to finish your career in F1 or would you like to race in other competitions before you retire?

FA: That’s something I haven’t decided on yet. It depends on how I feel when the moment comes, my personal situation…What I am sure about is that if I continue racing, it will be more for fun than for anything else. But we’ll see about that! There’s plenty of F1 life still in me!

@jodieparker_ : Would you like to end your career at Ferrari?
FA: Yes, that’s what I’m going to do. It’s the best team in the world, there’s nothing above Ferrari.

Maranello, 10 April – With just a few days to go until the weekend when the Blancpain Endurance Series gets underway in Monza, Davide Rigon and the Kessel team have confirmed an agreement for the 2013 season. “I am really happy to have this opportunity,” commented Rigon. “Especially because it means I will be able to continue the work I did with the Kessel team in 2012. I will be starting this new challenge with one more year’s experience behind me, both in the championship and at the wheel of the fantastic Ferrari 458 GT3.”The 26 year old driver from Venice and the Swiss team run by Ronnie Kessel will be aiming to capitalize on the experience gained in the six races in which Rigon competed in 2012. “Last year I came to Monza without a single kilometre of testing,” recalls Davide. “Now however, I can count on the experience gained over a whole season. I hope the rain will hold off for the Monza weekend, so that we can rapidly get an idea of the relative merits of everyone.

“It will be a tough season,” concludes Rigon. “With just five races on the calendar, any error can be a big handicap in the final classification, especially as the level of competition is very high. Again this year, the most awaited event will be the Spa 24 Hours, a race which is worth a whole season, both for its attraction as a race and for the important points allocation for the championship.”

Rigon ended the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series in tenth place, with 45 points. In the six races, he took one pole position and finished on the podium at the end of the Paul Ricard race.

Maranello, 9th April – The F40, the last car launched by Enzo Ferrari before his death, received a major new plaudit this afternoon, a good 25 years after its debut as more than 20,000 readers of the highly-respected German car magazine, Motor Klassik, voted it Classic Car of 2013 in the 1980-1991 category.

The award was presented to Stefan Müller, head of Ferrari Central/East Europe, at a ceremony held at Schloss Dyck Castle in North Rhine-Westphalia. “This award is a great honour for us because the F40 was a unique car that epitomised the Ferrari supercar myth in the 1980s,” declared Müller. “It became an object of desire for collectors across the globe, and, to this day, enthusiasts and experts the world over regard it as one of the great iconic models in our history.”

The F40 took over the baton from the GTO, the first of the limited edition supercars whose ranks were recently swelled by the new LaFerrari. A total of 1,315 were built. Enthusiasts of all kinds can currently enjoy a first-hand experience of the Prancing Horse’s supercar history at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. The latter’s special “Ferrari Supercar. Technology. Design. Myth” exhibition features not just the GTO, the F40 and the LaFerrari but also the F50 and the Enzo, all protagonists in an extraordinary chapter in the Prancing Horse’s history.
Read more…Ferrari F40

Maranello, 9 April – This year, the Chinese Grand Prix celebrates its tenth birthday, with every race having taken place at the massive and monolithic Shanghai International Circuit. As Formula 1 has expanded its horizons in recent years, it has generally headed for nations that were expanding their economy. That was definitely the case when the sport landed in the country with the second highest Gross Domestic Product. Since then, China’s growth on the automotive front has run at the speed of a Formula 1 machine, making it the second largest market in the world for Ferrari road cars: just under 800 cars were shipped to the area known as Greater China in 2012, with no less than 500 going to China itself. Motor sport is expanding in the region and later in the year, the Shanghai circuit hosts a round of the Asia-Pacific series of the Ferrari Challenge one-make championship. The Grand Prix teams have yet to perform to a full house at this circuit on the outskirts of Shanghai and that is unlikely to change until a Chinese driver makes it to the grid. Here too the Maranello marque is helping to promote motor sport, and the Ferrari Driver Academy is working with the Chinese Automobile Federation to increase awareness of the sport and to assist young drivers.

Last year, running a three stop strategy in the less than competitive F2012, Fernando Alonso finished ninth, while a two stopping Felipe Massa was thirteenth. Twelve months on, the Brazilian is confident that a better weekend is in prospect. “I know we have only done two races, but I have a good feeling so far this season,” says Felipe. “The work we did with the F138 over the winter has taken us in the right direction and the car has much more potential. Of course, I always want to be fighting for the win, although that did not work out in the first two races, but the signs were good with an excellent race pace and now we have to keep moving forward race by race.” After just two Grands Prix, it would be unreasonable to expect to see any definite trends emerging. “All I can say is that there are definitely more than two teams that are capable of fighting for the wins and the championship,” reckons Felipe. “Our team is one of them, with the car moving forward in the right way and it is delivering results on track that we expected when looking at data in the wind tunnel and the factory. In Melbourne we had a car that was capable of winning and in Malaysia the car was again competitive, even if conditions made the race something of a lottery.

In the break since Malaysia, Massa, along with Alonso, has spent some time at the factory in Maranello and that’s put him in a reasonably confident frame of mind for the coming weekend. “We are well prepared for China and we will have all the updates we hoped to bring with us in Shanghai, after work in the factory and the simulator last week,” he revealed. “I hope this translates into a further performance improvement on track. Shanghai is a very nice track with a variety of corner types and fast straights, so you definitely need a car that works well in the fast sections, but you also need it to have plenty of downforce to deal with the tighter turns. We can expect to see quite high tyre degradation, especially on the fronts. As to the Brazilian’s expectations for the third round of the championship, the Paulista sums them up succinctly: “the aim is to fight for a lot more points, for a podium, for a win even, because you have to set yourself high targets.”

It is part of a driver’s make-up to always be optimistic, but we can expect Technical Directors to be a bit more circumspect and that’s the case with the Scuderia’s Pat Fry. “We’ve shown reasonable race pace and on all the tyre types we have used so far we have performed well, however we still have a way to go to be quickest in qualifying and we are working very hard on that at the moment,” says the Englishman, when asked for an assessment of the first two chapters of this season. “We’ve been concentrating on the longer runs, even if they are not as long as in the past, because this year we expect more pit stops during a race. However, we have not ignored our qualifying pace. I am sure there is more to come on this front, as we learn more about our car and start getting the best out of it. The key will be to try and move our car development programme forward quicker than the other teams do. It’s a tough cycle that will last all year and we need to at least match our 2012 development pace if we are to perform better in qualifying. So far, we have worked well, all the way through from design to manufacture, improving on how we did things last year in terms of actually getting new bits onto the car. Also, our aero correlation is better.”

Fry is equally cautious when it comes to assessing the F138’s chances in China. “Shanghai is a challenging mix of different corner types and a 1.2 kilometre straight. Is it going to suit our car better than some others? It is too early to say, as there are too many unknowns. For example, it will be the first weekend this year that we will use the Pirelli Soft compound, along with the Medium. At the end of this Grand Prix, we will have a clearer picture of how all the tyres compare to one another. So to some degree, Shanghai will be another learning exercise for everyone, although we can say that our pace, relative to the other teams, has been okay on all the tyres we have tried so far.”

The Scuderia was the first team to have its name engraved on the Chinese GP winner’s trophy when Rubens Barrichello was first past the flag in 2004. There were a further two wins for the Prancing Horse, from Michael Schumacher in 2006 and Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. As for our current line-up, Fernando Alonso won, but not in red, in 2005. The Spaniard has started from pole twice and has two other podium finishes to his name. Felipe Massa’s best finish was a second place in 2008.
Read more… 2013 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand

Maranello, 8th April – This is a very special week for Milan as the city takes its rightful place as world capital of design between tomorrow and Sunday next when it plays host to the 52nd edition of the now-legendary Salone del Mobile international furniture fair. The main event will, of course, also be flanked by a series of stylistic and design excellence-focused events, installations and exhibitions at various locations across the city.

One of these locations is the Ferrari Store in Piazza Liberty. Its windows will be acting as a showcase for original installations created by Massimo Iosa Ghini, one of the founders of the Boldista Movement. The Italian architect has incorporated several different elements into the tubular furnishings in the Store (Poltrona Frau Alo stools and Zumtobel Scuba lamps, to name but a few) to create some of his signature stunningly dynamic compositions. The installations are completed by materials, finishes and objects that are an everyday part of the world of Ferrari and have as their backdrop rough wood panelling to underscore the strong links between innovation, style and an environmental impact-minimising philosophy.

Maranello, 28 March – “A man of great passion and ability, a real Ferrari man.” That is how President Luca di Montezemolo described Giulio Borsari, a long time Formula 1 mechanic, who passed away yesterday.Born in 1925 in Montale, a short distance from the Maranello factory, Giulio dedicated his whole life to his passion for racing. At the end of 1957, after ten years at Maserati, ending in the team securing the Formula 1 World Championship title with Juan Manuel Fangio, but at the same time pulling out of racing, Giulio moved from the Trident marque, first to Paganelli and then to Scuderia Centro-Sud. Then, in 1962, he made the move to Ferrari.Giulio spent 17 years with the Prancing Horse, working alongside many Formula 1 drivers, as well as working on the Sports Prototype cars. John Surtees was particularly attached to Giulio, who was Scuderia chief mechanic when he won the world championship in 1964. His farewell to racing came in 1979, at the end of another extraordinary season for Ferrari, culminating in winning both titles with Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve and the 312 T4. In fact it was at the thirtieth anniversary commemoration of Gilles that, on 8 May last year at Fiorano, Giulio met the son, Jacques and many former colleagues, all part of the Club Meccanici Anziani, the association for former Formula 1 mechanics, which he founded in 1988.Giulio continued to play an active role in many international motoring events and was the head of the Ferrari Shell Historic Challenge technical commission from 2000 to 2008. His in-depth knowledge of race cars meant he was a reference point for everyone who shared a passion for these cars and for the racing history of the marque that represents Italian excellence around the world.

The thoughts of everyone at Ferrari, those from yesteryear and today, as well as of the drivers who worked with Giulio, are with his family at this difficult time. They remember the dedication and expertise which he applied to his passion for racing.

A special bonus for all employees

Posted: 28.03.2013
Source: Ferrari

F12berlinetta receives “Best Sports Car” award from Czech edition of Auto Motor und Sport

Posted: 27.03.2013
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 25 March – Five points just don’t explain it. The difference from the 35 points collected in 2012 to the 40 we have this year is much more, especially in terms of the overall competitive performance of the team and its combination of car and drivers. Last year the haul was largely the fruits of the extraordinary talent of Fernando Alonso, who knew what to do to come away with fifth place in Melbourne before romping away to a sumptuous victory in Sepang – even though he had a car that was clearly worse than many of his opponents. The F2012 certainly proved it was far from competitive in qualifying, with just one appearance in Q3 – the ninth place in Malaysia – to show for four attempts. The performance of the F138 is very different, with an average grid position of 3.5 so far due to one front row, two second rows and one third row – very different from the 12.25 average a year ago.This year’s 40 points have been shared almost equally between the two drivers. It’s true that Fernando (18 points) paid a heavy price for his zero from yesterday and he has as many as 17 points less than 2012. But this deficit has been more than made up for by Felipe Massa, who has brought home 22 points whereas he was yet to get off the mark last year. The Brazilian has now taken his run of consecutive points finishes to 12 races, maintaining in this year’s two grands prix the constant improvement that characterised his second half of last year.

A united team, two strong and determined drivers, a competitive car: there is still a lot of work to do to get ahead of all the opposition but all the ingredients are there for a fight to the finish for both titles. That is the first verdict of 2013.
Read more… 2013 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand

Stefano Domenicali: “Clearly today’s result leaves a somewhat bitter taste in the mouth given the start positions we had secured in qualifying. As soon as Fernando collided with Vettel it was clear that his race would involve fighting his way up the order. At that time, we felt the front wing could hold out and on a track that was progressively drying out, we risked leaving him out. With hindsight, it did not work out, trying to avoid doing two stops in the space of just four laps. As for Felipe, the gap that grew during the opening laps compromised his chances to fight with the leading group of four towards the end. Given the competitive performance level of our rivals, now the important thing is to turn the page: we must put this Sunday behind us and calmly analyse the positive and negative aspects, as we immediately turn our attention to the next race in China.”

Fernando Alonso: “Today, unfortunately, we were very unlucky. After making a good start, I touched with Vettel at the second corner: it was a surprise to find him there, almost stopped and I don’t know what speed he was doing. Despite the fact the car was damaged, it didn’t seem to be too bad and, together with the team, we decided to keep going, because if we’d stopped immediately and then again on lap 3 or 4 to fit dry tyres, we would have dropped too far back and definitely lost the chance to finish up the front. It’s easy to criticise this decision, but at the time it seemed like the right one. It was certainly a shame, because here we could have fought with the Red Bulls, but circumstances didn’t help and apart from the wisdom of the decisions we took, bad luck really played its part, when you think how many off-track excursions there were in Australia without any consequence and even here when the cars first went out on track. Now we are already focusing on the coming races in China and Bahrain, where we hope to do better than last year, so that we arrive in Europe with as many points as possible”.

Felipe Massa: “Today’s race was really complicated, because starting with a new set of intermediates on a track that was very damp at some points and completely dry at others, prevented me from having a good pace and I lost ground to many other drivers on the first lap. Maybe bringing forward the first stop to fit dry tyres was a slightly risky choice, because the track was still damp and this cost me time. Then on the dry track, the car improved, the tyre degradation wasn’t excessive and I managed to settle into a good pace, but at that point, any hope of finishing on the podium had vanished. I can’t say I’m satisfied with this result, but given all the difficulties I had at the start of the race, I am happy to bring home a good points haul”.

Pat Fry: “For both drivers, the initial part of the race affected the final outcome, which is a real shame because the start was very promising. The contact between Alonso and Vettel at the second corner was an unfortunate episode: we knew the front wing was damaged but the car still seemed to be competitive and we decided to run the risk of staying out. We definitely could have played safe and called him in, but that way we would have ended up behind everyone on rain tyres and would have lost even more ground with the next stop to fit dry tyres. With hindsight, we can say the risk wasn’t worthwhile. In the wet, Felipe struggled a bit to find the right balance and that compromised his chances of fighting for a podium position. Once it was dry, his lap times improved: he definitely drove a good race which enabled him to pick up useful points”.

Sepang, 24 March – Felipe Massa fought back strongly after slipping down the order from his front row start position, to bring home valuable points for fifth place. Fernando Alonso’s 200th Grand Prix is not one he will care to remember, as it lasted only just over a lap, before ending in the gravel. Sebastian Vettel headed home a Red Bull Racing one-two ahead of Mark Webber. Completing the podium was Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes.

Inevitably here in Sepang, the rain appeared minutes before the cars were due to leave the shelter of the garages, so the Intermediate and Extreme rain tyres were prepared, as the rain intensified. It was heavy in parts and several cars went off the track on their way to the grid, which resembled a strange Garden Party as all the teams erected temporary tents over their cars. With 15 minutes to the start, the rain began to ease, turning to a light drizzle, as team strategists faced the traditional Malaysian puzzle.

Along with the other 20 drivers, Felipe and Fernando opted to start on the Intermediates. It seemed the best choice as the cars threw up plumes of spray on the parade lap. As the lights went out, Vettel led from pole, Fernando got ahead of Felipe, but Webber in the other Red Bull nearly passed the Spanish Ferrari driver, as Felipe dropped to fifth behind Hamilton in the Mercedes, ahead of Nico Rosberg.

Trouble struck on lap 2: Fernando had fought hard to get ahead of Vettel, but the two men touched and this had caused damage to the nose on the Spaniard’s F138. On the pit wall, the thinking was to leave him out for a lap or two longer to deal with the damage, in order to change the front wing at the same time as the switch to slicks, which was imminent. But the part failed, consigning Alonso to the gravel trap on the outside of Turn 1. He signalled for the marshals to push him back on track but in vain. Meanwhile, Button in the McLaren had moved up to fourth ahead of Rosberg, with Felipe, having had a difficult opening lap, now sixth. The top three was made up of Vettel, Webber and Hamilton, but Rosberg had managed to get back in front of Button for fourth. With four laps gone, Felipe was 2 seconds behind Button.

Lap 5 and Vettel was the first to pit for slicks, followed by Felipe, who thus dropped to eighth. The track seemed very wet in sector 1. On lap 6, Sutil, Ricciardo Raikkonen, Di Resta, Maldonaldo, Van De Garde, Bianchi, Bottas all came in for slicks. Lap 7 and it was Webber, Hamilton, Button, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Perez, Pic. Hamilton made the classic “new team” mistake and at first stopped in the McLaren pit, instead of Mercedes! With the field now all on slicks, the order on lap 9 was Webber, Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Hulkenberg, Felipe in seventh, 4 seconds down on the German Sauber driver and 22.6 behind the race leader. Behind the Brazilian, Perez, Grosjean and Raikkonen completed the top ten, all of whom were on the Medium tyre. The order hardly changed, with the most exciting battle at this point being Raikkonen’s attack in the Lotus on Perez’s McLaren for ninth spot.

The second pit stops started on lap 19, with Webber and Ricciardo. Felipe was closer to Hulkenberg in the Sauber, but eighth placed Grosjean in the Lotus was closing on the Ferrari. In fact these two came in together on lap 20 for new tyres – the Brazilian was now on the Hard Pirellis – and left pit lane in the same order. Di Resta also pitted the Force India at this time. Hamilton and Button both came in on lap 21, as did Hulkenberg and Raikkonen. Felipe was in a battle for seventh, behind Sutil in the Force India and ahead of Grosjean and Hulkenberg. Lap 22, Vettel and Rosberg, lying first and second came down pit lane, followed by Perez from sixth. Sutil had a very long stop and Felipe was sixth, 9.2 behind Button. At the front, Webber was coming under attack from his second placed team-mate, with the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Rosberg still behind the Red Bulls fighting among themselves. Button was fifth, 8.9 ahead of Felipe.

On lap 30 of 56, Hamilton was the first to three-stop, coming from fourth, followed in by race leader Webber and third placed Rosberg. Felipe was still sixth, with Hamilton five seconds ahead of him. Vettel pitted from the lead on lap 32, coming out fourth, just centimetres in front of Rosberg. Felipe made his third stop next time round, while Button now found himself temporarily leading, but on fresher tyres, Webber was able to pass him on lap 34, as Hulkenberg and Raikkonen came out of pit lane wheel to wheel after their third stops. Button then brought the McLaren into the pits but stopped the car in the middle of the pit lane with a loose wheel and had to be pushed back to the garage.

With 20 laps to go, Felipe had fought his way up to a lonely fifth, a long way off fourth placed Rosberg and around 7 ahead of Grosjean. While Webber had a 3.6 cushion over Hamilton, the Mercedes man had Vettel and Rosberg breathing down his neck. It became a Red Bull one-two at the front, as the reigning world champion got past Hamilton on lap 38. The English Mercedes driver was the first to four stop on lap 41, followed next time by Vettel and then Rosberg. Webber made his stop on 43 and just managed to get out ahead of his team-mate with the two Red Bulls running wheel to wheel for a while. Felipe was still posting good lap times and was now 6.5 behind the battling Mercedes. Hard to believe Vettel and Webber were team-mates as they fought tooth and nail for the lead, the German eventually getting ahead on lap 46. Felipe made his fourth and final pit stop on lap 48 which dropped him to eighth, right behind the Perez-Raikkonen battle and it didn’t take long for the Brazilian to dispense with the McLaren and the Lotus to get back up to sixth. On fresh rubber he was flying and with two laps to go he made his final move, passing Grosjean for fifth. Nico Rosberg finished between the Ferrari man and the podium trio.

This result means that after two races, Scuderia Ferrari is third in the Constructors’ classification, although equal on 40 points with second placed Lotus, while Red Bull now leads. Felipe and Fernando are fifth and sixth respectively in the Drivers’ points table.

Maranello, 22 March – Maranello is Italy’s motor city par excellence so it is hardly surprising that its Mayor, Lucia Bursi is also president of the representative association for all of the Italian towns and cities with links to engines, be they destined for cars, motorbikes, trains, ships or aircraft. Mayor Bursi and her Fiorano counterpart Claudio Pistoni accompanied Deputy Vice President of the European Parliament Gianni Pittella on a visit to the Ferrari factory complex when he was in the area this morning for an event to launch the European Network of Motor Cities, a project due to be unveiled at the European Parliament within the coming weeks. Welcomed to Ferrari by Director of Human Resources and General Secretary, Mario Mairano, Mr Pitella was then treated to a thorough tour of a company that although renowned the world over, remains very much rooted in the local area.“Today, I saw an Italy of excellence, that creates work and wealth whilst respecting the environment and workers,” Mr Pitella is quoted as saying at www.ferrari.com. “This is the Italy we should be fostering and taking example from for our challenges, present and future.”The delegation also included rpresentatives from the Prima Persona association as well as the communications director of ANCI (the National Association of Italian Municipalities) Danilo Moriero who was also present in his role as head of the technical secretariat of the Motor Cities network. 

The Drakers goes into production

Posted: 22.03.2013
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 22 March – The Drakers” is a new animated series inspired by the world of Ferrari. The project is the fruit of a partnership between the Maranello marque and Mondo TV, one of Italy and Europe’s leading animated TV series and cinema and TV feature film production companies.The series has now gone into production and will be aimed at a very young audience. The project will involve the making of 26 26-minute episodes in high definition 2D.

“We’ve developed a great relationship with Ferrari that has allowed us to craft a concept for the series that we’re very, very satisfied with,” declared Mondo TV CEO Matteo Corradi. “We believe very strongly in this project and we’re investing heavily in it too.”

The Drakers’ storyline centres around Chris and Fabri, two young car enthusiasts that suddenly find themselves the official drivers for the team that gives the series its name and which, of course, also fields red-liveried cars. Between unusual encounters, technical transformations, and searching out innovative and unusual new fuels, our two young heroes will enjoy incredible motor racing adventures and also have to solve a mystery. To find out more though, you’ll have to wait and see The Drakers for yourselves!

 

China’s biggest Ferrari showroom open

Posted: 22.03.2013
Source: Ferrari

Suzhou, China

Suzhou, March 22 – Ferrari opened a new showroom in Suzhou, the city which is often dubbed the “Venice of the East”. As an important centre for China’s silk industry historically, Suzhou is also one of the most prosperous cities in China. The 1,400 m2 new showroom is the biggest one on the China mainland and is located in one of the most prestigious areas in the Suzhou Industry Park. The new dealer facility is aimed at meeting the growing needs in East China and showing Ferrari’s commitment to providing the finest service to Suzhou customers.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Edwin Fenech, President & CEO of Ferrari Greater China; Mr. Feng, Changge, Chairman of Harmony Group; Ms. Lily Liu, Vice President Harmony Auto Holdings Group Co., Ltd. and Mr. Ian Shen, General Manager of Suzhou Yijun Automobile Sales & Service Co., Ltd.

Mr. Edwin Fenech, extended his warm congratulations on the opening of the new Ferrari and Maserati showroom in China and reiterated his confidence in Ferrari’s continuing development in China. “Greater China is the second largest market for Ferrari,” commented Fenech. “we have been taking steady steps to develop a solid dealer network in China and finding the best quality partner is the key to ensuring our customers enjoy the closest relationship possible with Ferrari. We are very pleased to cooperate with our Suzhou dealer which has great experience in the luxury car field. I believe the new showroom will further improve our customer service in Eastern China.”

FACT SHEET

FERRARI SHOWROOM, YUANRONGSHIDAI, SUZHOU

Address: 1F Kenmec International Finance Center,Yuanrong

Times Square,Suzhou Industry Park

Marques: Ferrari & Maserati

Components: Sales

Opening Hours and Contact Numbers

	Showroom	Car Storage Service
Monday – Friday	10:00 am – 20:00 pm	24-hour underground parking
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays	10:00 am – 7:00 pm	24-hour underground parking
Contact Numbers	0512-6999 8999	–

Statistics

	Showroom	Car Storage Service	Total
Area in Square Feet	1,400	9,500	1,0900

Facilities

Corporate Identity: Decorated in accordance with Ferrari corporate identity programmes.

Showroom: Restful with low-pressure environment. Ferrari lounge. Eight standard car display stations

Convenience: Car collection and delivery service available

Security: Auto alarm system, CCTV system and 24-hour security protection.

Maranello, 19 March – A delegation from the Italian team visited the Ferrari factory today to take consignment of the bob designed and developed by the sports car manufacturer for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

After the positive experience in Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012, CONI and Ferrari decided to proceed with their technical collaboration for the upcoming Winter Games which will be held next year in Sochi in Russia. Apart from the bob, the other sports benefitting from the contribution of the Prancing Horse are skiing, snowboarding, ski-jumping, cross-country and short track. Furthermore the partnership which started with the Olympics in London for summer sports – canooing, kayaking and archery – will proceed, too.

The CONI – Ferrari team started to develop a two-man bob for Vancouver 2010, and it was also used at the Youth Olympics in Innsbruck in 2012, where the Patrick Baumgartner/Alessandro Grande team took the gold medal.

CONI and FISI asked Ferrari to proceed with development of the bob in order to be able to start the season leading up to the 2014 Games with a competitive sled. The technicians from Maranello, together with those from the Federation and from CONI, first started analysing the previous project, then concentrated their work on the evolutionary interventions and finally on construction and assembly of the new bob. After redesigning the chassis mechanics, optimising the aerodynamics and the structural integration of chassis and keel, the new bob is ready for the first tests on the track, which will start in two weeks in LaPlagne (France).

Fernando Alonso: “I am very pleased with this result, because if our aim for the year is to reduce the gap to our competitors and start from better positions than we have done in the past two seasons, we can claim to have managed it. After winter testing, it was difficult to draw any conclusions and that was also the case today, with a delayed qualifying and very changeable weather conditions. Once again, Red Bull demonstrated its superiority, but while it’s true that we fought with them right down to the last race, for the past two seasons, I am sure that once again this year we will be there to mix it with them, if we do everything perfectly without making mistakes. I think that starting from fifth, a podium finish is a realistic option”.

Felipe Massa: “Given the difficult conditions we encountered yesterday in the first part of qualifying and then again this morning, I’m reasonably pleased with this fourth place. In such changeable conditions, the slightest inconvenient could see you not make it through the various stages of qualifying. Now we can expect a long and difficult race where the strategy will play – like always – a key factor. Anyway, starting from a good position is a positive and encouraging sign for the start of this championship”.

Weather: air 15 °C, track 16 °C. Light rain.
Chassis: Alonso 299, Massa 300

The 2013 Formula 1 World Championship got off to a busy first day of testing for Scuderia Ferrari and the ten other teams at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa completed a total of 100 laps, 51 for the Spaniard and 49 for the Brazilian. Over the three hours of track action for the 22 drivers, the Ferrari men concentrated mainly on evaluating the Pirelli Medium and Supersoft tyres, as well as trying different set-ups aimed at getting the right balance on the F138.Fernando Alonso: “Overall, this was a very productive Friday, as we did a lot of laps and got through an important initial analysis of the behaviour of the two types of Pirelli tyres available for this race. Our efforts were helped by particularly favourable weather with sunshine and summery temperatures. However, the weather is expected to change completely from tomorrow, with wind, rain and a significant drop in temperature, which could influence Sunday’s race. I’m not expecting any major surprises here, we already knew we were not the quickest and that was confirmed today. The car responds well, but we know there is still much to do if we want to fight with the very best”.Felipe Massa: “All aspects of both sessions were positive, even if we are aware that much work still awaits us both this weekend and for the whole season ahead of us. In the second session, when I went out on the Supersofts, something did not work properly on the KERS and that cost me time, denying me the chance of doing a better lap. I am not surprised by the performance of our opponents and I expected Red Bull to be competitive right from the start”.Pat Fry: “This morning we evaluated various aerodynamic configurations and worked on the set-up, while in the afternoon, we worked mainly on comparing the two compounds, which will be a key factor over the rest of the weekend. The degradation appeared to be particularly marked and in fact, it fell in line with our expectations and those of Pirelli. We got through today’s planned programme with both drivers, despite suffering a KERS failure on Felipe’s car during his run on the Supersofts, in the second free practice session. Now we need to analyse the data we have gathered very carefully, especially from the longer runs. We have much to do and a long evening ahead of us to be as well prepared as possible for tomorrow’s qualifying”.

Weather
First session: air 21°C, track 32/34 °C. Sunny
Second session: air 21/22 °C, track 37/31 °C. Sunny.

Melbourne, March 14th – Australia is a nation in which Ferrari has deep roots, having enjoyed a presence there for the last 61 years. However, the links between Maranello and this part of the world will be further strengthened when, on April 1st , Ferrari Australasia commences importing Prancing Horse cars for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The announcement was made this morning by Ferrari’s Senior Vice President Commercial and Marketing Enrico Galliera at a press conference at the Zagame dealership in Melbourne. The event was also attended by Fernando Alonso who was in town for the season-opening F1 grand prix.

“Ferrari has a long tradition in Australia and New Zealand where our brand has been very close to the hearts of sports car owners for more than six decades,” explained Galliera. “We made this decision as part of a broader strategic reorganisation of our presence worldwide which has resulted in the creation of four major hubs. Ferrari Australasia, which will be based in Sydney, is part of the Far East region which supervises all activities in the Asia Pacific area, aside from Greater China. This will also allow us to strengthen our personal relationships with our clients in the area and create a more complete Ferrari experience for them, both on the track and at ad hoc events.”

“Beginning a long, challenging season in a nation as beautiful as Australia is the best,” commented Alonso who signed a 599 decorated with a special Scuderia Ferrari livery. “There’s a huge motorsport culture here and, most importantly, a huge passion for the Ferrari brand.”

Ferrari Australasia will be run by a dedicated team headed by Herbert Appleroth, who will hold on to the same position in Ferrari Japan.

Maranello, 12 March 2013 – Here we are. Only a few days left until the first, eagerly awaited Grand Prix of the season. Saturday afternoon in the qualifying and then on Sunday at the race at Melbourne’s Albert Park the F138 will compare itself with its ten competitors under race-conditions to discover what the real situation is.The last, who left Maranello in the direction of Australia, were Stefano Domenicali and the head technicians from the Scuderia, while the rest of the Team is already at work at the track to set up the box and the infrastructure, necessary for a flawless workflow during the race weekend. Meanwhile the two drivers arrived in Australia, too: Fernando from Europe and Felipe from Brazil. At the moment they are getting used to the Australian climate and the time difference.The last hours in Maranello were used to meet Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo to talk about the current technologial situation in the preparations and the development programme in the short and medium term. The objective for Melbourne is clear: fighting for a place on the podium while showing that the gap to the top has been significantly closed.

Massa took part in a press conference along with Douglas Costa, the Head of Marketing for TNT, the energy drink that is a Supplier to Scuderia Ferrari and, from this year, a sponsor of the team and it’s drivers. Felipe dealt with a whole host of questions from the assembled journalists.

“It’s a dream come true for me to drive a Ferrari Formula 1 car through the streets of the marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro,” commented the Brazilian. “There can be no greater thrill than drive the car with which I raced around the world, in my home country, on the streets in front of the fans who are always supporting me. And there can be no better place to host an event like this than Rio.” As to the coming Championship, Felipe said, “I think the potential is there to fight at the front, even if at the moment, we don’t know where we are compared to the other teams. Apart from those who have been competitive so far, like McLaren, Red Bull and Lotus, there is also Mercedes, who were very strong in winter testing.

“But the moment of truth will come next week in Australia, in qualifying. Today, what matters to me is knowing that I have done a good job and that I have got a good feeling from the car, which is well designed and also easier to drive than last year’s car.” Asked about his future, Massa expressed the desire to stay at Ferrari. “I don’t know what will happen, but definitely the aim is to stay with the most famous Formula 1 team, which has been like a second family to me for so many years. It will depend a lot on the results, therefore I’m not thinking too much about the future, but I am trying to concentrate only on the world championship which is about to start.” Felipe professed not to be concerned about what people said about him. “That’s all part of the world of Formula 1 and I think I have shown to those who had not bet on me, that I know how to deal with the difficult moments. After a very complicated first half to last season, I did not let myself be affected by everything I heard and I got back to being as competitive as ever and this year, I want to start with the same frame of mind.”

After the conference, Massa was a guest at a cocktail reception organised in his honour at the Rio de Janeiro Ferrari Store, the first in Brazil, opened by Via Italia, the official Prancing Horse importer, located within the prestigious Sao Conrado Fashion Mall.

The most exciting moment came with the show by Marc Gené behind the wheel of a F60. The official Scuderia Ferrari test driver fascinated the spectators taking the same single-seater to the limit Kimi Raikkonen used on the same track at the debut Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi in 2009.

Yas Marina was also host to the first stage in the Asian-Pacific series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. In the two races held today – one in blistering sunlight, the other with artificial light, just like at the Formula 1 GP – Max Blancardi crossed the lines first. The veteran driver in the single-marque’s Championship of the Prancing Horse participates in a special class in the series, the International Cup, exclusively for international guest racers in the series. The first race in the Trofeo Pirelli Philippe Prette (Hongkong) was the fastest, while Pasin Lathouras (Thailand) won race two. Eric Cheung (China) and Tani Hanna (Lebanon) won the races in the Coppa Shell. Especially significant was Hanna’s win, after he had to retire in race 1 due to an accident on the first lap. The mechanics from Maranello did some great work over three hours to repair the 458 Challenge’s front, allowing the driver from the Middle East to gain his success in the Ferrari series.

The Ferrari Racing Days were an occasion to see 100 Ferraris parading on the track next to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the first theme park in the world dedicated to the Prancing Horse. The cars from the USE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and even from France went for two laps on the track, underlining the growing success of Ferrari in this region. Over 2,000 spectators came to the paddock and the grandstands during the three-day event: “A nice success for the spectators and for our clients, which confirms the good choice to bring the Ferrari Racing Days here to Abu Dhabi,” said Ferrari MEA director Giulio Zauner. “From here we have to start and build a future for similar events for an incredibly alive market.”

The Racing Days’ second event in 2013 will be held from 12 to 14 April on the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo (Brazil). Together with the North American Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli and the XX programmes (FXX and 599XX) as well as the F1 Clienti, spectators will be able to enjoy a Formula 1 show with their local hero Felipe Massa.
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