Fairy-tale weekend in beautiful Budapest
Posted: 26.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Budapest, 26 June 2017 – Ferrari’s 70th anniversary celebrations landed in Budapest over the weekend, with the third round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe. Prancing Horse customers from Hungary and neighbouring countries could take part in a series of events aimed at sharing the passion for the marque.
The parades. Two parades took place on Friday, one starting from the city centre and heading to the Hungaroring circuit and the other organised in the afternoon in the opposite direction, which concluded with an exclusive dinner. Customers also had the chance to take their cars for a spin on a track that in under a month will host Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in the Formula One Grand Prix.
The paddock. The paddock, as always in the 2017 Ferrari Challenge and Passion Ferrari events, hosted a Ferrari Store along with the entire Ferrari range, including the LaFerrari Aperta, the car symbol of the 70th anniversary, and the single-seater cars used before the 488 Challenge, the 348 TB and TS, F355, 360, F430 and 458.
The races. The four races of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell were also held over the two days with Daniele Di Amato, Eric Cheung, Chris Froggatt, Jens Liebhauser and Johnny Laursen.
Ferrari Cavalcade 2017
Posted: 25.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
The sixth edition of the Ferrari Cavalcade – a “travelling show” of over one hundred Ferraris coming from all over the world – took place in Apulia from 21 to 25 June. The event is restricted to the most loyal customers and collectors, who share their passion for the Prancing Horse by visiting some of Italy’s most beautiful areas every year.
The “base camp” of Ferrari Cavalcade was at Borgo Egnazia, in the Savelletri countryside that straddles the Brindisi and Bari provinces. From there, all participants drove along scenic routes in their Ferraris, meandering through villages and cities of art. The programme combined Mediterranean charm and sheer driving fun, and gave the opportunity to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari.
The list of over 30 Countries the participants come from is a testament to the brand’s global appeal: all five Continents were represented, all sharing the same passion for Ferrari.
The Ferrari models registered for the event are mainly recently-manufactured ones: from GTC4Lusso via F12tdf and California T through to 488 Spider. The “jewels in the crown” included some special limited series, such as the F40, the F50 and the Enzo. LaFerrari Aperta – the iconic car that symbolises Ferrari’s 70th anniversary – also attended.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Celebrations in Budapest for Di Amato, Froggatt and Laursen
Posted: 25.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Budapest, 25 June 2017 – Daniele Di Amato, Chris Froggatt and Johnny Laursen won the second set of Ferrari Challenge races in the third round of the European series held over the weekend at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest.
Trofeo Pirelli. The day again kicked off with the Trofeo Pirelli. Daniele Di Amato confirmed his great form by pulling away from the start after securing another pole position. Fabio Leimer (Octane 126) followed him in the 488 Challenge of CDP, while Sam Smeeth, Alessandro Vezzoni, Philipp Baron and Andrea Gagliardini were involved in a great battle for third. At midrace Alessandro Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing) pulled off a brilliant attack on Sam Smeeth at the end of the main straight, taking third position and leaving the British Stratstone Ferrari driver and the Austrian from Rossocorsa to fight it out for fourth. This victory consolidated Di Amato’s lead in the standings ahead of Leimer.
Pirelli Am. In the Pirelli Am class Martin Nelson had another tricky day on the Budapest circuit. Scuderia Autoropa’s championship leader went into a spin at the fifth corner and had to resume from last. Chris Froggatt (HR Owen) then found himself in the lead followed by Canada’s Josh Cartu, driving for Ferrari Budapest. However, Cartu had to let go of any idea of winning because he was under pressure from Jens Liebhauser (Gohm Motorsport) who after a difficult start pulled off a great recovery. The Race-1 winner overtook Cartu on the last lap to maintain his record of a podium finish in every race this season. This was Froggatt’s first victory in the Ferrari Challenge.
Coppa Shell. Johnny Laursen (Formula Racing) triumphed in the Coppa Shell after starting fastest from pole and managing to hold off Thomas Gostner (Ineco-MP Racing). Fons Scheltema and Erich Prinoth came into contact on the second corner with the Kessel Racing man keeping ahead of his Ineco-MP Racing rival. A little later, Manuela Gostner went into a spin after bumping with Vladimir Hladik (Baron Service) and was forced to retire. Laursen crossed the line first ahead of Gostner, who secured a first career podium along with victory in the Gentlemen’s Cup, while Prinoth was placed third after passing Scheltema in the final laps. The Ladies’ Cup went to Tina Kok (Formula Racing).
The next race at Le Castellet is from 21 to 23 July.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Di Amato, Liebhauser and Cheung win at Budapest
Posted: 24.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Budapest, 24 June 2017 – Daniele Di Amato, Jens Liebhauser and Eric Cheung won the first two races of the Ferrari Challenge in Budapest, in a third round of the European series packed with spectacle and excitement.
Trofeo Pirelli. The day kicked off with the Trofeo Pirelli. Daniele Di Amato, dominant at Monza with the 488 Challenge of CDP, was fastest off the mark from pole, immediately outpacing the rest. Alessandro Vezzoni, Fabio Leimer, Philipp Baron and Andrea Gagliardini put on a show behind him. Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing) initially managed to hold onto third but soon had a fight on his hands with Leimer (Octane 126) who started to press hard. A little further back it was the same story for Baron, unusually in trouble with the 488 Challenge of Rossocorsa, and his challenger Gagliardini (CDP). At midpoint, Leimer passed Vezzoni with a wonderful piece of overtaking and then was hot on the tail of Sam Smeeth (Stratstone Ferrari). Gagliardini also managed to pass Baron but did so by cutting the chicane midway and so was forced to yield the position. The deck was shuffled yet again the final part of the race. Di Amato drove undisturbed but Leimer went into a spin while trying to overtake Smeeth and ended up behind Vezzoni once more. Di Amato and Smeeth crossed the finish line unchallenged, while at the final corner four cars were in the mix for third place, with Vezzoni winning out over Leimer, Baron and Gagliardini. Di Amato is the new championship leader.
Pirelli Am. The drama in the Pirelli Am class all took place in the early laps. At the start Chris Froggatt (HR Owen) collided with championship leader Martin Nelson, forcing the Scuderia Autoropa driver to retire. Jens Liebhauser was undisturbed in first, while Gerald Aubock (Gohm Motorsport), Christian Overgaard (Scuderia Autoropa), Tommaso Rocca (Rossocorsa) and Ferrari Budapest driver Josh Cartu battled it out for the podium. The latter knocked Rocca off the track on the second corner and received a drive-through penalty. Aubock and Overgaard carried on the fight, with the Danish driver eventually beating the Austrian to secure his first podium with the 488 Challenge to add to the others he has won with the F430. Liebhauser carried off the first winner’s laurels that had just escaped his grasp at Monza when the German Gohm Motorsport driver had run out of fuel on the final straight. Nelson still tops the standings despite today’s retirement.
Coppa Shell. The second race of the day, the Coppa Shell, kicked off in the afternoon with Erich Prinoth (Ineco-MP Racing) who clocked the best time in qualifying, but was relegated to the sixth row due to a penalty picked up in the previous round at Monza. The actual poleman Johnny Laursen (Formula Racing) was immediately overtaken by teammate Eric Cheung with a brilliant manoeuvre on the outside at the first corner. At midrace, Eric Prinoth and Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) came into contact, with the latter forced to retire. It was a great race for Manuela Gostner (Ineco-MP Racing), seventh in the overall standings and winner of the Ladies’ Cup. Cheung managed to keep Laursen at bay to the end for the overall win along with victory in the Gentlemen’s Cup. He was the fifth different winner in five races of this season’s Coppa Shell. Rick Lovat (Kessel Racing) finished third, ahead of Thomas Gostner (Ineco-MP Racing). The programme repeats itself on Sunday with the Coppa Shell at 12:50 pm and the Trofeo Pirelli at 3:35 pm.
Ferrari Challenge – Championship back on track in Hungary
Posted: 23.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maygorod, 23 June 2017 – With two races at the Hungaroring track on the outskirts of Budapest, the Ferrari Challenge Europe reaches the halfway mark ahead of a final round at the Paul Ricard before the summer break.
Trofeo Pirelli. Fabio Leimer, winner of Valencia Race-1, tops the Trofeo Pirelli standings. The Swiss, who drives for Octane 126, has a three-point lead over Philipp Baron (Rossocorsa), always in the podium places in the first four races. Daniele Di Amato (CDP), who dominated at Monza, lags 10 points behind the leader. Then after a weekend off, Bjorn Grossmann is back in the second 488 Challenge of Octane 126.
Pirelli Am. Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa) has won all four races so far in the Trofeo Pirelli Am class and is 30 points ahead of Jens Liebhauser of Gohm Motorsport, finishing on the podium in every race so far this year. Tommaso Rocca (Rossocorsa), with two podiums at Monza, lies two points behind.
Coppa Shell. In the Coppa Shell, Johnny Laursen (Formula Racing), with a victory, a podium and two fourth places, has a 13-point advantage over Rick Lovat (Kessel Racing) and Eric Cheung (Formula Racing), two of the Challenge’s most experienced drivers. Lovat also leads the Gentlemen Cup for the over-55s. In the Ladies Cup, Manuela Gostner (Ineco-MP Racing) returns after Valencia with ground to make up on Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126), who took the lead with a fifth place at Monza.
Programme. Free practices are programmed for Thursday. Qualifying is on Saturday and Sunday at 9 am and 11:30 am. The races are at 12:50 pm (Trofeo Pirelli) and at 3:35 pm (Coppa Shell) on both on Saturday and Sunday, and are also streamed in English at http://live.ferrari.com/.
The Ferrari turbo V8 wins The International Engine of the Year Award
Posted: 21.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
The second consecutive overall victory. The F12tdf’s 6.3l V12 takes the Above 4-litre title
Maranello, 21 June 2017 – For the second year running, the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers the 488 GTB, 488 Spider and, in a slightly smaller displacement, the California T and GTC4Lusso T, has taken the outright International Engine of the Year Award along with the Performance Engine class and the 3-litre to 4-litre displacement category.
Since its introduction in 1999, the International Engine of the Year Award has become one of the industry’s most coveted honours. As well as dominating the Award’s Above 4-litre and Performance Engine categories in the past six years, Ferrari has taken a record number of wins for any high-performance sports car manufacturer.
This year also saw Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated 6.3-litre V12 engine, that powers the F12berlinetta and F12tdf, receive the Above 4-litre award for the second year consecutively, and for the third time after the distinction awarded in 2013. This result for the V12 is even more significant this year, as it is this power unit that hailed the start of the glorious Prancing Horse story 70 years ago in 1947.
A concentration of uncompromising engineering solutions, Ferrari’s return to twin-turbo technology for the V8 range has set a new benchmark for turbo-charged engines. Zero turbo lag and a progressive delivery of power and torque throughout the rev range maintain unprecedented levels of driver involvement.
According to Tony Robinson, founder of the International Engine of the Year Awards, “This is only the second time in the history of the IEOTYA that such a powerful performance engine has taken the overall honours two years consecutively and won the most coveted, outright IEOTYA title. The Ferrari V8 is all about amazing power delivery, precision, driveability and a wonderful soundtrack, too. One day soon it’ll be a classic in its own right; indeed I think it is already!”
| Circuit | Baku City Circuit |
| Date | 25.06.2016 |
| Laps | 51 |
| Distance | 306,049 km / 190,211 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 4. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | retired / mechanical |
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku, 25 June
Posted: 25.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “I think that everything that happened today was clear to see for everyone, starting with the incident on the opening lap, with Kimi pushed into the barrier, then what happened to Sebastian on the restart lap after the Safety Car. We don’t want to get into an argument but I think I can say that some decisions that were not entirely clear, never worked in favour of our team. We fought hard even if the results don’t show it. Today, our car was on the pace and that was clear to see. The team demonstrated its strengths, from changing the engine on Seb’s car on Saturday to the work done on Kimi’s when the race was red flagged, to get it back out on track, despite the damage it had suffered. That’s Ferrari for you. We let our actions speak for us. We will continue in that vein immediately, in preparation for the remaining twelve races starting with the Austrian GP, with even more determination than before.”
Sebastian Vettel: “First of all, I think that today the car was very good. The pace was strong in the race. I think you could see that we were losing a bit here and there, but overall it was a good race. It was a very busy start, and Vallteri was very aggressive. As for what happened at the restart from the safety car, I don’t know why I got the penalty and Lewis didn’t. It’s disappointing, because it could have been a better result. I don’t have a problem with Lewis but I just think that what he did on the track was not ok. By now the decision is done but, in an episode like this one, I still think that if you give out a penalty, then it should be to both drivers.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “Today many things happened that were out of our hands and unfortunately we paid a big price. After the start, at the second corner, I got hit by Bottas; I don’t know what he was doing, he braked very early but probably he noticed that and let the brakes off, went too fast and hit me. Because of that the rear end of my car hit the wall and I had a massive damage. We were able to keep going but then I was unlucky. The two Force Indias collided, some debris flew off and destroyed my rear tire. As a consequence my whole floor and the rear wing were damaged and we decided to retire. When the red flag stopped the race we thought that we might try and go back on track. The mechanics did and amazing job, managed to change the floor and the endplate in a very short time. But obviously my car was still not perfect and we decided to stop. It’s not a good day when your car retires twice in a race. I’m disappointed because, without all these things happening, my car would have been good. There’s nothing else we could have done, we tried our best.”
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – A hard-fought fourth place
Posted: 25.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
A crazy race but Seb extends his championship lead. Kimi out
Baku, 25 June – In the most amazing race of the season so far and possibly in the history of the sport, Seb Vettel took a fourth place which sees him extend his Drivers’ Championship lead to 14 points over his nearest rival. Unfortunately Kimi had to retire because of damage following a collision shortly after the start.
Just two corners in and already it was all kicking off, with Kimi pushed into the right hand side wall, when he had already got ahead of Bottas round the outside, with the Mercedes suffering a broken front wing. Seb found himself second behind Hamilton, with the other Ferrari still running in fifth. On lap 9, Seb set a fastest lap and he was less than 4 seconds off the leader. Kimi’s SF70H was no longer in good shape, but the duel between Perez and Verstappen ahead of him meant he was able to stay in touch. The Red Bull then had engine problems and the Iceman moved up one place.
Lap 12 and Kvyat parked at the side of the track, which brought out the safety car and Seb dashed into the pits to fit the Softs, with Kimi immediately doing the same. The neutral period changed everyone’s strategy, with fuel consumption now less of a concern, but keeping tyres up to temperature was more worrying.
The race resumed on lap 17 and Seb was doing a sterling job of fending off Perez, although Kimi couldn’t do the same and thus lost two places. But then the safety car had to come out again immediately because of debris on track, with a barge board on Kimi’s car shattering. The drivers had to drive through pit lane while the track was cleaned, then Hamilton slowed too much, with Seb almost running in to him which angered the Ferrari man. Then at the restart, Kimi got a right rear puncture from the debris of Perez’s Force India. The race was neutralised yet again and Raikkonen headed for the pits. But his tyre disintegrated, causing more damage and he had to retire. Shortly after that, the red flag was shown and the long break gave our mechanics time to perform another miracle on Kimi’s car to get him back out on track for the restart. But the work carried out in the “fast lane” to remove a broken component, led to an investigation. The race restarted at 18.18, with 27 laps remaining and this time Seb made a forceful attack, while simultaneously fending off Ricciardo. With everyone running Supersofts to the finish, the pace hotted up again.
That wasn’t the end of it. Hamilton had to stop to fix his loose head rest and at the same time, Seb was informed he had a 10 second stop-go penalty for “dangerous driving.” He came down pit lane and came out…in front of the Mercedes! And then it was Kimi’s turn to take a drive-through for the pit lane repairs.
On lap 36, the order was Ricciardo-Stroll-Magnussen-Ocon-Bottas, followed by Seb and Hamilton duelling it out. Vettel dispensed with Magnussen to go fifth. Then he overtook Ocon under braking for Turn 1 and for one lap the Force India was a buffer between him and his pursuers. Then it was a case of smashing the sector times and Seb set the quickest lap on lap 45. Three laps later, Kimi pitted for a final time, congratulating his mechanics, “Great work all the same.”
The final lap seemed to last forever and by the skin of his teeth, Sebastian held on to a fourth place which almost felt like a win.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – “Tomorrow it can be closer”
Posted: 24.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari drivers confident about the race
Baku, June 24th – Scuderia Ferrari drivers managed to lock out the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after an eventful P3 session, in which our mechanics did another splendid job of rebuilding Seb’s car after a precautionary engine change, following a hydraulic issue.
Kimi was third fastest in qualifying and commented: “The whole weekend has been about making the tires work well and today we struggled a bit more than yesterday. If you can get them working 100% on one lap you can easily go a lot faster, but it was not the case today. When we were able to switch the tires on, the car felt nice, but this feeling kept changing from lap to lap and from set to set. I did not feel comfortable going into the first corner and could not push so hard. It was easy to slide or make a small mistake. It was always on the edge of working and not working, but on the last lap it felt a bit better. Third place is obviously not a disaster, I take it happily. I think we did the best we could achieve today. In the race, with more laps, the tires should start working better. I’m positive that we are going to be a lot closer to our competitors”.
Sebastian didn’t use his car troubles to make any excuses: “The result is ok, but obviously I am not entirely happy and this qualifying didn’t help. I don’t have excuses, I could have done better. I think I had the rhythm at the end but just didn’t get everything right. We were not quick enough, but tomorrow I think we still have a good chance. The car has been fast during the races and that was the case yesterday too, on the long-runs. So, let’s see what happens. The start of my qualifying session was a bit slow, then by Q2 I think I had the car under control. But my Q3 was not ideal. I had to stop at the end of the pit-lane when the red flag came out and my tires got cold. Tomorrow, anyway, it could be a different story.”
Arzebaijan Grand Prix – Ferrari on the second row
Posted: 24.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Baku qualifying: Kimi ahead of Seb
Baku, 24 June – As qualifying came to an end in Azerbaijan, Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest with a time of 1:41.693. His German team-mate Sebastian Vettel was fourth in 1:41.841. The mechanics did a great job in the garage to get Seb’s SF70H ready in time for the session, fixing the hydraulic problem that developed in free practice. Both Scuderia Ferrari drivers ran Supersoft tyres for the entire session.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – FP3, Kimi second
Posted: 24.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb 12th, held up with an hydraulic problem
Baku, 24 June – Ferrari finished second and twelfth in the third and final free practice session at the Baku circuit. Kimi Raikkonen posted a time of 1:42 837, running a set of Supersofts, as did Sebastian Vettel. The German managed a best time of 1:44.344 before a fluid leak on his car meant the system had to be checked over. Qualifying gets underway on the Azerbaijani track at 17h00 local time.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – A day spent learning
Posted: 23.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi and Seb 4th and 5th at the end of P2
Baku, June 23rd – The first day of practice at Baku circuit is always interesting, with drivers using a lot of the run-off areas and trying out their reverse gear. The compromise between the fast and the twisty section means that, in the latter, drivers must rely heavily on mechanical grip – which is questionable on Friday. Different choices of set-up though, meant the times were very close. Kimi ended up fourth quickest with a 1min 43.489 seconds, while Seb recorded a best personal lap time of 1min 43.615s. The long runs were even more encouraging for the Scuderia Ferrari drivers, ahead of a long preparation for tomorrow’s P3 and Qualifying sessions.“The most challenging part of the day was to make the tires work”, said Kimi “to get them hot enough. And obviously, when they are not performing 100%, it’s a bit tricky out there on the track. The car feels ok, but we still have to work on that. If you manage to do that, then everything is a lot easier”. Seb’s comments reflect what was basically a day of learning: “We tried something in the afternoon, but I think it is difficult to find the rhythm here as the track is not easy. I believe I was not the only one to go down the escape roads. However, tomorrow is another day. I think we are close. Red Bull is very fast and today it was not just for one lap but throughout both sessions. However, I was pretty happy with our overall job. The straight here is very long, so you have to make sure you are quick enough there. Maybe we may still want to try a couple of things even tomorrow”.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – First practice in Baku
Posted: 23.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb 3rd and Kimi 9th: Ferrari only ran the Softs
Baku – Formula 1 has moved on from Canada to Azerbaijan, the street circuit that made its debut last year. As expected, the track was still very dirty for the first free practice session. Sebastian Vettel was third fastest in 1:44.967 the fastest of those drivers who only used the Soft compound. Kimi Raikkonen was ninth in 1:46.000 and he wasn’t able to push to the limit because the session was stopped after Perez crashed.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – “We expect to be in the fight”
Posted: 22.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi, Seb gearing up for “specific layout” track
Baku, June 22nd – A different track and a different challenge await the Scuderia Ferrari drivers in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. That’s how Kimi Raikkonen describes the newest circuit in the F1 calendar: “The Baku track is a unique place. It’s a street circuit, but nothing like Monaco and more similar to Singapore, with long straights and very narrow sections. Last year it was the first time we were racing here and it was difficult. It was very hot and quite tricky on the tire side, not very easy to manage. This year being the second time here, it should be easier for everybody, even though the cars are different and we have slightly different tires. Today it’s a bit cooler, but it is supposed to heat up over the weekend; let’s see how the weather will turn out. Last year there were many teams that proved to be fast and you would not expect that; maybe it will be the same thing this year, maybe not. As for us, we have been quite good everywhere this season; obviously there are stronger and weaker places, but our base level is quite strong and we expect to be in the fight. Then it’s a question of putting all the things together and try to be the fastest team”.
Sebastian Vettel is also looking forward to the weekend: “In Canada we didn’t have an ideal race. But I think we had a good recovery from there. Now, we’ll see what happens during this weekend. This is a different track with a specific layout. Last year we did a god job here in Baku. We finished second, struggled a little bit on Friday, but managed to recover well on Saturday. Now we are working real well in the team and I think things are coming together”.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – A track of two halves
Posted: 20.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
“Street” and super quick: Baku is a set-up puzzle
Baku, 19 June – It’s the “youngest” circuit on the calendar and, at 6.003 kilometres, the second longest after Spa. It is undoubtedly one of the most unusual tracks on the Formula 1 calendar. It is a street circuit, running through the centre of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, but nevertheless it boasts a straight of 2.1 kilometres, which is over a third of the total distance and is tackled flat out. Last year, the highest recorded speed was in excess of 378 km/h. This year, it is unlikely the F1 cars will hit those sort of numbers because of their increased downforce and wider wheels. However, finding the right set-up for Baku will still be a difficult task for drivers and engineers, because when deciding on the optimal level of aerodynamic downforce, one has to weigh up the demands of the slowest section, with the need for speed down the straights. This type of circuit also requires excellent traction in the twistier corner and it is also tough when it comes to energy recovery. S
cuderia Ferrari’s advance party already arrived in the capital city on the banks of the Caspian Sea over the weekend. Indeed, just like the circuit, the city itself has two sides: one, dynamic and modern, the other more historic and friendly. The forecast is for sunny weather, but cooler than the heatwave conditions affecting parts of Europe at the moment. Pirelli is bringing its Medium, Soft and Supersoft compounds, as degradation here is higher than in Monaco and Montreal.
Seb Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have gone for the same tyre choices: one set with the white stripe, four of yellow and eight of the softest compound that bear the red band. Last year, Seb finished second, while Kimi lost out on a podium place because of a penalty. The 2016 pole was 1’42”758 and it’s expected that this time will be beaten by some margin.
Ferrari Challenge and Passione Ferrari at Monza and Milan
Posted: 12.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 12 June 2017 – The Monza raceway and the city of Milan have been the stars of a great Ferrari weekend. On Saturday and Sunday the Ferrari Challenge Europe held the four races of the second round of the European Series. Almost fifty drivers offered great racing action and a lot of thrills at the wheel of the 488 Challenge, the brand new race car introduced for the 25th year of the world’s most famous one-make series championship, the first equipped with a turbo engine. Among the drivers there were the 2013 Gp2 champion Fabio Leimer and three very fast girls: Fabienne Wohlwend, Deborah Mayer and Tina Kok.
To further enrich the weekend, in the paddock were available all the initiatives linked to Ferrari’s 70 years: the entire range was on display, including the limited edition LaFerrari Aperta, the 70-year iconic model. Enthusiasts were able to purchase the official merchandise available at the Ferrari Store and had the chance to prove their ability at the wheel of the F1 simulator. On Friday, a symbolic parade including cars from Switzerland and Italy, kicked off the weekend allowing customers to drive together from Monza through to the Piazza Castello in Milan, a way to honour the Italian city and celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the brand together with the extended Ferrari family of owners, drivers and fans alike.
1000 Good Deeds for 1000 Orphans by Ferrari Owners Club Indonesia
Posted: 11.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Jakarta, June 11th, 2017 – It’s a beautiful Sunday especially for the orphanage located in Priok, North Jakarta. More than 20 Ferrari owners visited their home, bringing gifts, money and food.
The Prancing Horse convoy started from the Ferrari Jakarta showroom, cruising through the highway to the northest side of Jakarta. There were 1000 orphans ready to welcome them. Since it’s Ramadhan season, a holy month for moslems, the community also hosted break fasting with the children and the local citizens there.
“ Our organization’s foundation is based on friendship as we share the same passion and dream for Ferrari. One of our Club’s mission is to transmit this passion by giving back to society. By donating to these orphans, we hope to do our small part in bringing some joy to the lives of these children. We would like to give them hope and a better future. What we did today is a part of our commitment to humanity. “ said Hanan Supangkat, The President of Ferrari Owners Club Indonesia.
Arie Christopher, CEO of Ferrari Jakarta added, “Helping these children is an excellent way to uphold the Club’s commitment to the values of compassion and generosity. Ferrari Owners Club Indonesia strives to be the role model to society and we at Ferrari Jakarta are proud to support them.”
Ferrari Challenge APAC – Martin Berry and Evan Mak win under the rain
Posted: 10.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Zhejiang Shaoxing, 10 June,2017 – The third round of the 2017 Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific finished its second race earlier today on the Zhejiang International Circuit which is located in Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province in China. The heavy rain bothering Yangtze River Delta region from north to south became the leading role today while Evan Mak from Hong Kong won in Coppa Shell and Australian Martin Berry defended his winning in the Trofeo Pirelli 458, the only two classes competing on Sunday.
Coppa Shell. The field in the Coppa Shell showed very pretty drive on wet track. Evan Mak from Hong Kong was the first one to cross finish line in this class bringing back his maiden win in Ferrari family. Korean Andrew Moon got the second place while local hero Eric Zang caught last position on the podium. Grant Baker from New Zealand was the winner of Gentlemen Cup. And Kanthicha Chimsiri from Thailand won the Ladies Cup today.
Trofeo Pirelli 458. In this class drivers raced with their Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO cars in which Martin Berry from Australia who won the Race 1 in this weekend got another win making double wins in this third round of 2017 Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific championship. Hidehiko Hagiwara from Japan was the runner-up catching a two-consecutive podium finish and Sky Chen from Hong Kong got the third place in this class.
Schedule. Finishing two races of the Round 3, next round of this year’s Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific will come to Japan in July 7th to 9th. In Fuji circuit, it will be the fourth round of the calendar.
Ferrari Challenge APAC – Philippe Prette, Jia Xu, Charles Chan and Martin Berry win at Zhejiang
Posted: 10.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Zhejiang Shaoxing, 10 June, 2017 – The third round of the 2017 Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific took place on the Zhejiang International Circuit earlier today. The whole new circuit based in Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province in China. Including 13 Chinese drivers to race at hometown, the field with 28 drivers harnessed the power of their Ferrari Challenge racing cars on this new international class track to full effect in a breathtaking display of Ferrari’s sporting heritage and Prancing Horse’s spirit to make ongoing progress on the way to overcome one and another new challenge. With a 3.20-kilometer lap layout, the newly built Zhejiang International Circuit is the latest international class track in China. This very unique anti-clock circuit was built around a hill which brought its very challenge high-low design made it very demanding on technical and physical.
Trofeo Pirelli. Italian driver Philippe Prette kept his outstanding status. Catching a third place and a first place in last race weekend in Shanghai, he started from pole position in this race and kept advantage in the whole course to be the first one to waving chequered flag which brought him a back-to-back win. Starting from front row as well, Zen Low from Malaysia had a clear start and then kept chasing the leader. With no more overtake chance, the Malaysian driver got second place in this race. And the third podium position came to Japanese driver Go Max who was just promoted from Pirelli AM to Trofeo Pirelli in this race weekend.
Pirelli AM. Five drivers competed in Pirelli AM class this weekend among which local hero Jia Xu matched high expectation and won in this class. In the Race-1, the Chinese driver kept very strong pace even better than those of some drivers from higher class. Ken Seto from Japan and Eric Yeo from Malaysia was the second and the third in this class.
Trofeo Pirelli 458. Seven drivers competed in this class with their Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO cars. Very popular local driver Min Xiao had an accident at the start and retired quite sadly. In the end, Australian driver Martin Berry kept his winning trend. Hidehiko Hagiwara from Japan was the runner-up and Chinese driver Sky Chen caught the last position on the podium.
Coppa Shell. In the Coppa Shell, there was also an accident in first lap. Chinese driver Eric Zang who performed quite well in last round started from pole position in this class while he retired very regrettably cause of the start accident. Charles Chan from Hong Kong showed great race pace crossing the finish line firstly and got his first win in Ferrari Challenge series. Hideo Honda and Makoto Fujiwara both from Japan got the second place and the third place. While Hideo Honda is also the winner of Gentlemen Cup, Kanthicha Chimsiri from Thailand kept the Ladies’ Cup.
Ferrari Challenge underway on three continents
Posted: 09.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 9 June 2017 – The words “Ferrari Challenge Days” give us a clear idea of the weekend ahead. Indeed, this weekend all three of the world’s most famous single-make continental series will be in action, stopping-off at three very special tracks.
Europe. The European series is in Monza for the second meeting of the season. After the first race in Valencia, the championship will be at the temple of speed where cars accelerate to 300 km/h before slowing down at the first chicane, taking full advantage of the 650 hp of the turbo power unit that won the Engine of the Year award. The leading competitors in the three championship classes include Switzerland’s Fabio Leimer, Sweden’s Martin Nelson and the highly experienced Rick Lovat. We should mention the return of Coppa Shell champion, Thomas Loefflad, as well as the arrival of a new woman in the championship, 19-year-old Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein.
North America. The North American series goes to Montreal where, as is now traditional, it is the support race for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. On Thursday, the championship drivers had their photos taken with the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. Peter Ludwig is someone to keep an eye on in the Trofeo Pirelli but Martin Fuentes is geared up to cause him problems. In the Trofeo Pirelli Am all eyes are on Chris Cagnazzi, while in the Coppa Shell Karl Williams is the favourite.
Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific series will be in China where it has the prestigious task of inaugurating the new track in Zhejiang. Various Chinese drivers, along with other representatives from all over Asia, will battle it out on the 3.2km built around a hill. Italy’s Philippe Prette is the favourite in the Trofeo Pirelli, but Chinese fans are looking to Yanbin Xing. In the Coppa Shell, Japan’s Makoto Fujiwara has totally dominated the series so far.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Double for Di Amato and Nelson. First win for Hassid
Posted: 11.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monza, 11 June 2017 – The second day of the Ferrari Challenge Europe at Monza, the Round 2 of the season, was packed full of excitement and spectacle with a number of drivers confirming their dominance and others rising to prominence for the first time. This was the case with France’s Henry Hassid, who dominated the Coppa Shell in the second Ferrari one-make series race, while Jens Liebhauser just missed out on a first win on the final straight, losing out to Martin Nelson and Tommaso Rocca. The Trofeo Pirelli saw a second win for Daniele Di Amato.
Coppa Shell. The Coppa Shell again provided the first race of the day and a lot of excitement. At the start, Fons Scheltema in pole held onto first position while behind him Erich Prinoth (Ineco-MP Racing) sowed a bit of confusion at the first chicane. Shortly after, Vladimir Hladik (Baron Service) ended up in a spin at the Roggia chicane. The Safety Car was called out one third of the way through, when Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing), who was in a battle with Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) and Fabienne Wohlwend, lost control of his 488 Challenge colliding with the woman Octane 126 driver. No one was hurt but the race was over for the pair. At the restart Henry Hassid (Team Charles Pozzi) overtook Fons Scheltema and broke away. However, the Dutch Kessel Racing driver successfully defended second position firstly from the attacks of Johnny Laursen (Formula Racing) and then from Christoph Hurni (Team Zenith Sion-Lausanne) who came third. Hassid also won the Gentlemen’s Cup while the Ladies’ Cup went to Deborah Mayer (Kessel Racing) in one of the greatest performance of her Challenge career so far.
Trofeo Pirelli. In the Trofeo Pirelli Daniele Di Amato (CDP) started again from pole and totally dominated the race. At the start Philipp Baron (Rossocorsa) tried to keep up with the Italian driver, but in vain. He also had to look over his shoulder at a rampant Fabio Leimer (Octane 126). The three arrived in that order.
Pirelli Am. In the Pirelli Am class for most of the race Jens Liebhauser (Gohm Motorsport) did the lion’s share of the work, scattering all his opponents from the start. Indeed he forced Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa), dominant in Valencia and on Saturday in Race-1, to chase the lead for the first time this season. The German driver was ahead of the Swedish championship leader right down to the final straight. However, as luck would have it just at that point Liebhauser’s 488 Challenge ran out of fuel. Nelson won, with Rocca second while the German salvaged third place. Japan’s Yoshiki Ohmura (StileF Squadra Corse) was the best of the drivers in the 458 Challenge EVO. The next round is in Budapest in two-week time.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Di Amato, Nelson and Prinoth win at Monza
Posted: 10.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monza, 10 June 2017 – Daniele Di Amato, Martin Nelson and Erich Prinoth in the brand new 488 Challenge won the first Ferrari Challenge races of the Monza weekend, celebrating the second round of the European series. Fans were treated to two races packed with excitement and spectacle.
Coppa Shell. The first race of the day was the Coppa Shell, which, as often, was also the most spectacular with lots of bumps and a spectacular accident. Johnny Laursen started poorly from first on the grid and ended up being sucked back into the group. Christoph Hurni (Team Zenith Sion-Lausanne) pulled ahead of everyone but Erich Prinoth was in immediate pursuit. Indeed the Ineco-MP Racing driver was already in front by the end of the first lap after a great overtake at the Serraglio. Soon after, Thomas Gostner offered further proof of the sturdiness of the new 488 Challenge. The Ineco-MP Racing driver was involved in a terrible accident. After colliding heavily with a curb, Gostner suffered a puncture to lose control of the car at nearly 300 km/h on the main straight. Like a billiard ball, the 488 Challenge smacked first into the barriers to its left, before crossing the track and smashing into the entirely innocent Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport). Both drivers were unhurt. After a long period of the Safety Car, Prinoth, who also won the Gentlemen’s Cup, crossed the line first ahead of Hurni and Eric Cheung (Formula Racing). The debutant Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126) also had a great race, placed fifth overall and winner of the Ladies’ Cup.
Trofeo Pirelli. The Trofeo Pirelli provided an equally tight race, although without any dramatic incidents. Daniele Di Amato (CDP), in pole, enjoyed the best start, immediately establishing a lead with a bit of help from Sam Smeeth (Stratstone Ferrari). The latter had a real fight with Philipp Baron (Rossocorsa) and Fabio Leimer (Octane 126). Amato drove unchallenged to victory while behind Baron and Leimer both overtook Smeeth. Then at the end the pair collided and ended up skipping the first chicane on the penultimate lap. Leimer suffered damage that relegated him to last place while Baron was hit with a 25-second penalty. This allowed Smeeth to finish second while third place went to Alessandro Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing).
Pirelli Am. Martin Nelson, the driver who had dominated in Valencia, did the lion’s share of the work in the Pirelli Am class. The Scuderia Autoropa driver finished ahead of Tommaso Rocca (Rossocorsa) and Jens Liebhauser (Gohm Motorsport) dominating the race and taking the 9th win of his career. It is the same again on Sunday with the Coppa Shell at 12:50 pm and the Trofeo Pirelli at 3:35 pm.
Ferrari Challenge underway on three continents
Posted: 09.06.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 9 June 2017 – The words “Ferrari Challenge Days” give us a clear idea of the weekend ahead. Indeed, this weekend all three of the world’s most famous single-make continental series will be in action, stopping-off at three very special tracks.
Europe. The European series is in Monza for the second meeting of the season. After the first race in Valencia, the championship will be at the temple of speed where cars accelerate to 300 km/h before slowing down at the first chicane, taking full advantage of the 650 hp of the turbo power unit that won the Engine of the Year award. The leading competitors in the three championship classes include Switzerland’s Fabio Leimer, Sweden’s Martin Nelson and the highly experienced Rick Lovat. We should mention the return of Coppa Shell champion, Thomas Loefflad, as well as the arrival of a new woman in the championship, 19-year-old Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein.
North America. The North American series goes to Montreal where, as is now traditional, it is the support race for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. On Thursday, the championship drivers had their photos taken with the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. Peter Ludwig is someone to keep an eye on in the Trofeo Pirelli but Martin Fuentes is geared up to cause him problems. In the Trofeo Pirelli Am all eyes are on Chris Cagnazzi, while in the Coppa Shell Karl Williams is the favourite.
Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific series will be in China where it has the prestigious task of inaugurating the new track in Zhejiang. Various Chinese drivers, along with other representatives from all over Asia, will battle it out on the 3.2km built around a hill. Italy’s Philippe Prette is the favourite in the Trofeo Pirelli, but Chinese fans are looking to Yanbin Xing. In the Coppa Shell, Japan’s Makoto Fujiwara has totally dominated the series so far.
| Circuit | Gilles Villeneuve – Montreal |
| Date | 11.06.2017 |
| Laps | 70 |
| Distance | 305,270 km / 189,727 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 4. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 7. |
Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal 11 June
Posted: 11.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “Unfortunately, our race was compromised right from the start, when Seb’s car was damaged so he was no longer able to give it his best shot. Initially, our data showed the damage was not too serious. It was only in the following laps that the wing broke, causing further damage to the turning vanes and the floor. As for Kimi, towards the end he had a problem with the braking system. Right from tomorrow in Maranello we will carry out a detailed analysis of the race, making the most of the data gathered as we prepare as well as possible for the next round in Baku.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “At the start I got wheelspin off the line and obviously we lost quite a few places. From that moment it was not an easy race: I struggled in the first few laps, it was difficult to get past . We decided to switch our tactics to two stops to create a speed difference with fresh tires. We had a very good pace again and we were nicely going back close to the guys in front. Unfortunately, we had the issue with the brakes and we could not really use our speed. In the last ten laps I had hardly no brakes; it’s a pity but at least we could bring the car back and get some points. It was not an easy day for the team but this is how it goes sometimes. If this is our bad day, then we have to take it and go forward.”
Sebastian Vettel: “I think my start was not particularly good but at the same time not that bad either. The car was good, I think it was clear that today we could have been better than fourth, but that’s how we finished and what is done is done. Overall, we know we have a strong car. Looking back at the start, Bottas and I were trying to go from the inside when Max came around but these things can happen. Then, with the safety car on track I did not realize that the damage to the front wing was as bad as it actually was, we only noticed it at full speed. There was also some additional damage to other parts of the bodywork, hard to say what they cost me in terms of laptime, but the car did not feel as the one I had driven in the past two days. Yet the pace was there and I would have liked some more laps to finish on the podium, the trophy here looked nice… That was my target and I missed it. But we are growing up as a team.”
Canadian Grand Prix – A result to be proud of
Posted: 11.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
A long fight back for Seb to finish fourth and Kimi seventh
Montreal, 11 June – The toughest Grand Prix of the year ended with Seb in fourth place and Kimi in seventh. Given how things went on the opening lap, with both cars damaged and a front wing to change, a strategy to rejig, overtaking moves to make, it was a demonstration of courage and determination from drivers and team. Sebastian still leads the Drivers’ championship on 141 points, 13 more than Hamilton.
Gusty conditions, dust flying around the track and even a few black but harmless clouds all served to ramp up the tension before the start. Verstappen’s blistering start meant that Seb, who had got off the line well, had to lift off. He thus found himself back in fourth, but further back, a collision between Massa and Sainz immediately brought out the Safety Car. Max’s move had damaged the right front wing end plate on Sebastian’s car. Rather than risk further problems, he pitted for a new nose and a change to Supersofts. Unfortunately, the SF70H had additional damage to the floor. Meanwhile, Kimi lost ground in the duel with Ricciardo and found himself sixth and a trip across the grass also caused him some damage.
Verstappen’s race ended at the side of the track at Turn 3 and out came the safety car again, albeit this time a virtual one. The race resumed on lap 14 and that number also represented Seb’s position, but he soon dispensed with Grosjean. On lap 18, Kimi, who was having a tricky time of it, pitted and fitted the red-banded tyres and by this point Seb was already up to eleventh. He then passed Hulkenberg to move into the points before pulling off a passing move on Stroll at the chicane. Kimi got ahead of Alonso to go sixth, with Sebastian now just two places further back having come out on top of duels with Magnussen and Fernando.
Life wasn’t easy with two damaged cars: on lap 42, Kimi pitted for fresh rubber, the super-quick Ultrasofts. Seb stayed out until lap 50, dealing with traffic ahead of him, but he would also have to rescue his race with the purple tyres, with which Kimi was now flying. Seb started to demolish the lap times, getting under the 1’15” mark with 10 laps to go. He passed Kimi who had a brake control issue. At the start of lap 66, Seb pulled off a miracle, risking everything to pass Ocon who was also using the DRS. Perez was now in his sights and he slipped by at the start of the penultimate lap, so that his race ended just off the podium. KImi brought his wounded No 7 car home in seventh spot. “Thanks guys” was the immediate message from Maurizio. That said it all.
Canadian Grand Prix – “A lot of potential, a few mistakes”
Posted: 10.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Both Ferrari drivers convinced race can go better
Montreal, June 10th – After qualifying on the first and second rows of the grid for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari drivers reflect on their performance. “I was not so happy with my job in the last run of Q3” says Seb, who will start from second slot on the grid. It is true that we faced tough competition, but we could have been closer. We could even have been ahead, but Lewis did a very good job today. As for me, I lost the car in Turn 2 and from there I knew I had to catch up. The car was very good and I had been happy in the morning session. To be on the front row gives you the chance to make a good start. I am looking forward to tomorrow, I am sure we’re going to have a very close race. This is a nice track and we had a good run here also last year”. Kimi makes no secret of not having got everything right: “Today it was a bit tricky: for whatever reason yesterday we had been a bit more comfortable. The car felt pretty OK, but we struggled to make the tires work as we wanted. There was a lot of potential in the car, but I was not driving very well, and did not manage to put a good lap together. My last run was very poor, I made mistakes in the first and second corner and I paid the price for it. Tomorrow it should be a different story. It’s going to be a long race and obviously a lot can happen; you never know here, it’s one of those places where things can change very quickly. We’ll try to make the best choices; we should have the speed, let’s see”.
Canadian Grand Prix – On the front row in Montreal
Posted: 10.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Seb second fastest, Kimi fourth
Montreal, 10 June – Come the end of qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari secured a spot on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s race. He was second quickest, just 0.330 seconds slower than the pole time of 1:11.459 set by Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen was fourth with a lap in 1:12.252.
Canadian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3, Ferrari still ahead
Posted: 10.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Sebastian faster than Kimi by 292 thousandths
Montreal, 10 June –The sun was out and the temperature was already high for the final hour of free practice prior to qualifying, although the track surface was still dirty at the start of the 60 minutes. Scuderia Ferrari were first and second, with Sebastian Vettel (1:12.572) and Kimi Raikkonen (+0.292) respectively. The two SF70 Hs ran with the Soft and Ultrasoft tyres and are now all set for qualifying which takes place at 13h00 (19h00 CET.)
Canadian Grand Prix – “A good Friday on a tricky circuit”
Posted: 09.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Kimi happy so far, Seb finds the right direction
Montreal, June 9th – Warm weather and a ‘green’ track were the conditions in which the first two practice sessions took place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. As usual, we can expect a lot of track improvement over the next two days but, for the moment, Kimi Raikkonen’s lap time at the end of the afternoon was the best overall (1’12”935 on Ultrasoft tires), while team-mate Sebastian Vettel was in third spot with a best lap time of 1’13”200.
“It was a good day”, says Kimi. “Things worked out smoothly and the car felt ok both on high and low fuel; that’s the main thing. So far so good, but it’s still Friday and obviously there’s always things to improve. The nature of the circuit is quite tricky because of the low downforce configuration; in some corners, like in the chicanes, you have to use the kerbs a lot to go fast, but because of the low downforce the car is bouncing and it always feels very slippery. But at this track, given the long straights, to achieve pure lap time you have to drive in that configuration. Today we started pretty well, we keep on doing our usual work, trying to improve for tomorrow”.
Seb was slightly less happy than his team-mate, but saw a substantial improvement over the day: “Today I was fighting with the car at the beginning, but in the end I understood what we needed and what we had to do. Tomorrow should be a better day. It was an interesting session. The track was slippery and very dirty this morning. We try to do our best, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But in the end we found the right direction. So we’ll see what tomorrow brings, but I am confident it will be better. We focus on what we have to do. We could have had a better session today, but hopefully we’ll have it tomorrow”.
Canadian Grand Prix – Ferrari first and third in Free Practice 2
Posted: 09.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Kimi ahead of Seb in Montreal. Supersofts and Ultra Softs on the agenda
Montreal, 9 June – Kimi Raikkonen was fastest for Ferrari in the second free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix with a lap in 1:12.935. Sebastian Vettel was third fastest just 0.265s slower than his team-mate. Both Scuderia Ferrari drivers used two sets of Supersoft and Ultrasoft tyres. Towards the end of today’s last session, Scuderia Ferrari concentrated on running in race trim. Next up, the final hour of free practice at 10h00 (local time) tomorrow.
Canadian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1, aerodynamic testing
Posted: 09.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Seb 2nd and Kimi 4th for Ferrari
Montreal, 9 June –Sebastian Vettel was second fastest come the end of the first free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix. He took the number 5 Ferrari round in a time of 1:14.007, running the Ultrasoft tyres. Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth, using the same compound on his way to a lap in 1:14.230. During the first free practice session on the Canadian track, Scuderia Ferrari concentrated on comparative aero tests, as well as some long runs at the end of the session.
Canadian Grand Prix – “Our strength comes from team effort”
Posted: 08.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Seb, Kimi ahead of Canada: “We’ve done well so far but there are no guarantees”
Montreal, June 8th – Sunny conditions and very agreeable temperatures welcomed Scuderia Ferrari at Montreal. As usual, the team’s hospitality is filled with guests. After the Monaco double win, both Sebastian and Kimi have been asked about the team’s strong points and their expectations for the Canadian weekend.
“I think our strength comes from the team effort”, Seb says. “We are working very hard together to extract the maximum. People see what I do on track, but you don’t see all the work in Maranello. Obviously, looking back we can say that we have done very well so far, but there is no guarantee that just because the last race was good, then the next one will be good as well. So, we have to sit down again and go through everything, paying attention to details. I like this place and I am looking forward to driving here. The car has been very good so far, it should be good here as well, but as I’ve just said there is no guarantee”.
Kimi says nothing’s for granted, either: “We have to face this weekend like any other one; we’ll try to maximize everything, go from the practice and see what it brings on Saturday and then on Sunday. Every track is different and it’s never going to be easy. It’s not an easy circuit even if there are not many corners. Also because, in the race like this, usually quite a lot of things can happen”.
Canadian Grand Prix – In the name of Gilles
Posted: 07.06.2017
Source: Ferrari
Montreal – an altogether special track and not just because of its history
Three famous circuits have hosted the Canadian F1 Grand Prix, with the first race dating back fifty years. The “Gilles Villeneuve Circuit” might be the most recent venue, following on from Mosport and Mont-Tremblant, but it is also the best known. It was built on the Ile Notre-Dame, with the paddock running alongside the rowing basin used in the 1976 Olympics and the first GP was held here two years later. Gilles Villeneuve won for Ferrari and a few years later the facility was named in his honour. Gilles used to own a house nearby, a small wooden cottage, painted white and he would also live in a caravan near the track.
Scuderia Ferrari feels very much at home in Montreal. The trip across the ocean that splits the European season is much liked by everyone in the team, as the capital of Quebec is always welcoming and is home to an Italian community of around 200,000 people. From Monaco to the Gilles Villeneuve circuit is a long way and not just geographically: the 4.361 kilometre track is one of the shortest on the calendar, but it is also very fast. It has several straights split by hairpins and chicanes.
Fuel consumption and engine power, as well as good traction out of the slow corners are the technical themes of a pretty special race. The nature of the track surface leans towards the use of the softest compounds in the range. Seb Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will each have just one set of Softs, three of Supersoft and nine of Ultrasoft. Dry conditions are forecast for qualifying and the race with temperatures no higher than 24 degrees.