Ferrari Challenge NA – 488 Challenge and Laguna Seca, a perfect marriage
Posted: 17.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monterey, 17 May 2017 – The Ferrari 488 Challenge made its second continental debut, racing in North America at Laguna Seca, one of the world’s most famous circuits. This followed its overall debut at Abu Dhabi in the Asia-Pacific championship.
Legendary corners. The California track was a perfect setting for the 488 Challenge, which on legendary corners such as the Corkscrew and the Andretti Hairpin showed off all the features that make it a revolutionary car for a single-make championship. The drivers at the wheel of the Ferrari turbo with its 650 hp V8 engine, winner the International Engine of the Year award, were thrilled to take full advantage of its power and extraordinary driving torque on the ups and downs of the Californian track.
Thirty-six cars. Thirty-six 488 Challenges raced at Laguna Seca in addition to the 18 in Asia. The car’s European debut will take place next weekend at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which will feature 40 of the new cars. Over 100 488 Challenges are now in action if we also consider the ones used in the Corso Pilota activities.
Ferrari Challenge NA – Actor Michael Fassbender Races with Ferrari
Posted: 15.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Laguna Seca Raceway, Salinas, CA – May 15, 2017 – Known across the globe for starring roles in films including “Alien: Covenant,” “Steve Jobs,” “Twelve Years a Slave” and “Assassins’ Creed,” actor Michael Fassbender has stepped into the real-time role of racecar driver as he successfully completed the first round of the 2017 North American Ferrari Challenge racing series. A lifelong fan of Ferrari and Formula 1, Fassbender began his training with Ferrari’s “Corso Pilota” driving program last year.
“Ferrari is defined by racing, and training with the Ferrari team gave me a great foundation to hone my skills behind the wheel of the 488 Challenge race car,” says Fassbender. “From a very early age I idolized Ferrari and its champion, Michael Schumacher, in particular, so now racing in the Ferrari Challenge brings that dream full circle,” he continues.
A single-model championship series developed by Ferrari for clients who have a passion for racing, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli has thrilled drivers and fans alike since its inception in 1992. The Challenge is run in three divisions– Europe, Asia, and North America – and is an ideal platform for drivers who have a passion for racing. Fassbender will compete in the North American Ferrari Challenge series.
Challenge NA – Ludwig, Holden, Zekelman and Rubbo win at Laguna Seca
Posted: 14.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monterey, 14 May 2017 – Skies remained clear and crowds flocked to see the all-new 488 Challenge race car turn its first racing laps at Laguna Seca. Within that crystal clear day, however, was true competition at every level and in every class.
Trofeo Pirelli/Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO. The first race of the day featured both the Trofeo Pirelli class in 488 Challenge cars and the Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO category. Drivers saw over 140mph cresting Turn 1, before applying maximum braking to slow down in time for the tight Andretti hairpin. Peter Ludwig (Wide World of Cars) was the class of the field and despite two caution periods, was able to manage and maintain his lead throughout the race. Ludwig is a rookie in Ferrari Challenge but is an experienced GT driver. Martin Fuentes gave valiant chase, but ended up second ahead of Cooper McNeil, his teammate at Scuderia Corsa-Ferrari of Silicon Valley. In the Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO class, Joseph Rubbo (Ferrari of Long Island), back in the series after an appearance at Lime Rock in 2013, took charge of the race right from the off. He was followed home by rookies Naveen Rao (Ferrari of San Diego) and John Boyd (Ferrari of Denver). In the competition for the Ladies Cup between Lisa Clark (Scuderia Corsa-Ferrari of Beverly Hills) and Debra Palermo (Ferrari of San Francisco), Lisa edged out Debra after close competition throughout the race.
Trofeo Pirelli AM/Coppa Shell. Race two of the day ran virtually incident free, with just a single caution on lap 7. There was an intense battle at the front throughout the race, a battle that was eventually won by rookie Brent Holden (Ferrari of Newport Beach), holding off former Coppa Shell champion Jean-Claude Saada (Boardwalk Ferrari) for the win. Ferrari of Ontario’s Marc Muzzo, our pole sitter, came in third position. In Coppa Shell, Barry Zekelman (Ferrari of Ontario) and Osvaldo Gaio held a comfortable lead over the rest of the Coppa Shell class. It was an impressive performance by Gaio to finish on the podium in his first ever Challenge race. The Miller Motorcars driver also won the Gentlemen Cup class. Third on the Coppa Shell podium was another rookie: Murray Rothlander of Ferrari of Vancouver.
Next stop Canada. The next North American round of the Ferrari Challenge will be held at Montreal in conjunction with the Grand Prix du Canada on June 11.
Challenge NA – Muzzo, Williams, Ludwig, Rubbo Capture Top Prize at Laguna Seca
Posted: 14.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monterey, 14 May 2017 – A blustery, chilly morning gave way to sunshine and mostly blue skies in Northern California for Race 2 of the first round of Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli North America. Drivers had clearly acclimatized to their new 488 Challenge cars as times tumbled compared to Race-1 on Saturday.
Trofeo Pirelli AM. In Trofeo Pirelli AM Marc Muzzo of Ferrari of Ontario made good on his pole position to take the checkered flag on Sunday in the first race of the day. A clean, but contested start provided plenty of drama as the field of 488 Challenge cars streamed through the fast Turn 1 and into the heavy braking for the Andretti Hairpin. Just behind Marc, Chris Cagnazzi of Ferrari of Long Island applied heavy pressure to Jean-Claude Saada of Boardwalk Ferrari. Saada, however, had an answer and pumped in the fastest lap of the race thus far, a 1:29.2 on lap 7.
Coppa Shell. In Coppa Shell, Karl Williams took off from pole position in his Scuderia Corsa prepared 488 Challenge car and did not look back. A caution on lap 9 closed the field back together, but Karl had an answer, even as Barry Zekelman of Ferrari of Ontario began to close the gap towards the end of the race. Rookie Robert Picerne was able to capture the Gentleman’s Trophy.
Trofeo Pirelli. High drama struck the Trofeo Pirelli class in their second race of the weekend when pole-sitter Cooper MacNeil of Ferrari of Silicon Valley and second place driver Wei Lu (Ferrari of Vancouver) touched and spun in the middle of the Andretti Hairpin. Drivers dodged to either side of the two cars as they faced the wrong direction and were forced to wait for the field to pass. Wei was able to continue in his Ferrari of Vancouver prepared 488 Challenge car in 21st position, but Cooper was out. Out of the chaos, Enzo Potolicchio, Peter Ludwig and Ricardo Perez emerged in first, second and third respectively in the Trofeo Pirelli class.
Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO. Fortunately, the incident did not cause too much chaos in the Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO class, which started behind the Trofeo Pirelli class. Joseph Rubbo maintained his qualifying advantage after Turn 1. John Boyd of Ferrari of Denver and Naveen Rao of Ferrari of San Diego enjoyed an intense battle in the first few laps for second position. However, heartbreak soon followed for Naveen who pulled to the side of the track on lap 5 and triggered a full course caution period. This, however, played right into the hands of Wei Lu who had overtaken most of the 458 EVO class by then and used the caution to close up to the back of the Trofeo Pirelli 488 class competitors.
Final laps. Peter Ludwig survived sustained pressure from Ricardo Perez to take the victory after a late time penalty was applied to Enzo Potolicchio and fell to ninth position, moving Martin Fuentes onto the podium. In the Trofeo Pirelli 458 EVO class, Rubbo built and maintained a strong gap and stayed out of the intense battle for second between Trevor Baek and Oscar Paredes-Arroyo with James Walker close behind. A last lap collision brought out caution flags, but not before James had sneaked past Oscar for the final position on the podium. Lisa Clark of Ferrari of Beverly Hills took the Ladies Cup after another close-fought race with Debra Palermo. The next North American round of the Ferrari Challenge will take place on June 11th in Montreal where Challenge will support the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Challenge NA – 488 Challenge makes its North American debut at Laguna Seca
Posted: 10.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Monterey, 10 May 2017 – The 2017 Ferrari Challenge North America series is set to commence at the historic Laguna Seca circuit in California on May 12-14, 2017. Following the successful international debut of 488 Challenge in Abu Dhabi one month ago, this all-new Ferrari Challenge race car is set to compete in North America for the very first time.
A History of Success. This year marks the 25th anniversary since the Ferrari Challenge series was announced in 1992. Since then, hundreds of drivers have competed at some of the most historic race circuits around the world. 488 Challenge is the seventh car used in the one-make series that started with the 348 TB/TS used between 1993 and 1996. Since then, Ferrari has turned each of its mid-engine V8 sports cars into Challenge competition cars, a tradition that continues with 488 GTB and 488 Challenge
488 Challenge Makes its Debut in North America. 488 Challenge marks a new evolution in Challenge competition cars, and the biggest step in performance to date. This new race car is powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 motor that won the 2016 overall International Engine of the Year award and is used in 488 GTB and 488 Spider. In 488 Challenge, this 3.9-liter V8 produces 670cv. Side Slip control also makes its first appearance in Challenge competition, allowing drivers to better manage the car’s significant performance potential.
The series. In 2017, drivers will compete across 6 circuits in North America before returning to the Mugello circuit to compete in the Finali Mondiali in October. Competitors are grouped into 4 classes, Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli AM, Coppa Shell and 458 EVO cars (for older 458 Challenge EVO chassis).
Schedule. Practice will take place on Friday starting at 9:00am with qualifying slated for Saturday at 11:20. The first races of the 488 Challenge era will begin at 2:40pm on Saturday with additional qualifying and race action on Sunday starting at 10:45am and 2:05pm respectively.
Ferrari Cavalcade Classiche 2017
Posted: 09.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seventy Ferraris from over 20 countries have taken part in this year’s Ferrari Cavalcade, devoted to the cars that have made the history of Ferrari. In fact Cavalcade Classiche is a special event included in the 70th anniversary celebrations.
The exclusive event has taken place from 5 to 9 May in Tuscany. It is based in Forte dei Marmi from where the cars set off to explore this wonderful region. Ferrari conceived the event in order to bring its customers from all over the world to famous places in Italy, promoting Italian excellence in art, history, and gastronomy together with local specialities.
From the beaches of Versilia, the 70 crews set off each day in their vintage cars to discover art cities such as Pisa, Lucca and Modena, fishing villages like Lerici, towns packed with history such as Pietrasanta, hazardous mountain passes through the Apuan Alps and the Apennines, to finish in Maranello with a unique fashion show inside the factory. Every day big surprises have been in store, including some that will remain etched forever in the memory, such as when the cars are displayed outside the Cathedral of Pisa, the parade on the walls of Lucca or the stop at the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari in Modena.
The cars entered in the event include the most important models in the history of the Prancing Horse: specimens like the 340 Mille Miglia, the 250 SWB, the 250 Le Mans, the 250 Tour de France, the 500 TR, and the 860 Monza. It has been a” travelling exhibition” as never before seen, a unique opportunity to admire the 70 years of the Ferrari myth.
| Circuit | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya |
| Date | 14.05.2017 |
| Laps | 66 |
| Distance | 307,104 km / 190,866 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 2. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | retired / accident |
Spanish Grand Prix – Barcelona14 May
Posted: 14.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “Shame for the end result, but we leave Spain knowing that we can count on a car that is solid and very quick. Seb’s race was very good from the start, and he was able to lead for many laps. In the last stint, despite being on Medium tires, he held off Hamilton until he had to give way to his main rival, who could take the best of DRS and Soft compound. More time was lost behind Bottas and also because of the Virtual Safety Car, which ended just when we had to pit to cover Hamilton’s move. Kimi’s race did not last long, as he was rammed at the first corner. That’s racing, and we must keep our concentration and humility, as we are aware that there is still a lot of work to do and so much to improve. The championship is still a long way and we are already focusing on the next race at Monaco.”
Sebastian Vettel: “My start was good, I saw Lewis struggle with wheelspin, and kept looking in mirror to see if anybody else had a better start. The first stint went ok, then we had to pit, otherwise they might have got us with an undercut. My second stint was also pretty good: I managed to get close to Valtteri who was all over the place with his tyres. He blocked me, in the end I managed to get past, but by then I had lost an awful lot of time. Then in the last stint we did everything we could, the car was good, it was close with Lewis. I am happy when we have the chance to race the Mercedes cars, we can be very happy but not entirely happy today. The most important thing, though, is that we were in the fight; the team is in great form, we need to improve because we want to be ahead of them.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “I made a good start, but on the main straight I got blocked once by Bottas. I chose to lift and go a little bit on the left to leave him space, but, I don’t know how, he hit me on the right rear corner , my car jumped and I end up going into Verstappen. There was nothing me or Max could have done, when you get hit from behind in that way there’s no way to avoid the collision. I’m pretty sure Valtteri had enough space. Unfortunately my race ended there. Obviously it’s very disappointing, we had been running quite well all weekend and I was happy with the behavior of the car.”
Spanish Grand Prix – “Thanks everyone, the car was quick”
Posted: 14.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb finishes 2nd in Spanish GP to maintain championship lead. Kimi knocked out at start
Montmelò, 14 May – “Thanks everyone, the car was very good and very quick today.” That was Seb’s message to the team over the radio, similar in fact to what he had to say after qualifying. Scuderia Ferrari leaves Spain with Vettel still leading the championship, while Kimi had the misfortune to be the first retirement, after a collision on the opening lap. In the five races so far this season, the Scuderia has always finished on the podium.
This race was one of the best of the year. A perfect getaway from second on the grid saw Seb move ahead of Lewis Hamilton and into the lead. Things did not go so well for Kimi: at the first corner, he was tapped from behind by Bottas and that pushed him into Verstappen which meant the Iceman had to pull over to the side of the track with broken front left suspension.
Seb pulled away in the early laps and behind him, Hamilton reacted. For the opening laps, the gap stayed around the 2 second mark and then it looked as though the Mercedes man was trying to close with the intention of pulling off an “undercut” by pitting early to emerge in front. Ferrari reacted, bringing Seb in on lap 14, fitting another set of Softs. Vettel rejoined behind Ricciardo. At the start of lap 16, he passed the Red Bull under braking and set a fastest lap of 1’24”901.
Hamilton pitted on lap 21 and went for the Medium tyres, while Seb was attacking Bottas who was doing everything he could to keep ahead. Lap 35 and Seb dived to the left, went onto the grass and got by at Turn 1, so the Vettel-Hamilton duel was back on. Lewis was 4” down but on the harder rubber. On lap 33, Vandoorne closed the door on Massa, went off the track and the race went into Virtual Safety Car mode. Hamilton came in on lap 37 and soon after the race was on again. Seb went for the mandatory set of Medium tyres.
Hamilton was passed on the straight and yet again the duel resumed. Seb pushed hard, really hard in the first two corners. The SF70H hung onto the lead, while Bottas retired. Seb made the most of getting through the backmarkers to also be able to use the DRS down the main straight. But with a clear track, Lewis made the most of his tyre advantage and the moveable wing to get ahead finally on lap 44.
But the fight wasn’t quite over, because Seb’s rival had to look after his softer tyres. “Keep your head down,” engineer Ricky Adami advised his driver. But there were no more opportunities for attempting one final assault. The next episode in this thriller will unfold in Monaco in a fortnight.
Spanish Grand Prix – “I don’t know how the mechanics did it”
Posted: 13.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb thanks team for ‘massive effort’. Kimi: “Disappointed, but the speed was there”
Montmelò, May 13th – Scuderia Ferrari secured second and fourth place on tomorrow’s starting grid with Seb and Kimi respectively. But numbers don’t tell the whole story, as a precautionary replacement of the Power Unit on car #5 required an extraordinary team effort to have Seb on track in time for Q1.
“I don’t know how the mechanics did it”, said Seb after the end of the session. “It’s a lot of work to put together. I want to say a big thanks to the team. This morning we couldn’t do what we wanted to. We know the track and the car, and I know that it is working. In the end we could have got pole position, but I missed the apex at the chicane. I was a bit late and lost a bit of time there. But, overall, putting the car on the front row is a massive success. I think we worked really well. We realized that there was an issue and that we could fix it. Tomorrow, with the race rhythm, it will be fine, because when you get into the pace it is easier. A good start looks always good, so we’ll see, but I am confident for tomorrow and I always try to keep a smile”.
Kimi was not as happy, as some small errors during his last flying lap meant that he missed third slot on the grid by 0.066 secs. “The car has been working well the whole weekend and I’m happy with that, but I’m disappointed with the qualifying result . Track conditions were a bit tricky today, better than yesterday though. Although I felt I had a lot of speed I struggled here and there, making small mistakes, hitting the kerb, running wide, so I did not put a good lap together. Tomorrow we’ll try again. We can make hundreds of different plans for the race, but there’s no guarantee things will run as we wish. We know the strategies of our two cars, but we don’t know what the others will do. We’ll try to react in the right time and take the right decisions. The length of the DRS area has been increased: we don’t know if it will make a big difference, but it’s probably going to help a little bit”.
Spanish Grand Prix – Ferrari on the front and second rows
Posted: 13.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb 2nd, Kimi 4th in qualifying for the Spanish GP
Montmelo, 13th May – In today’s qualifying at the Catalunya circuit, Sebastian Vettel set the second fastest time of 1:19.20. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in 1:19.439. Sebastian tackled qualifying with a new power unit, fitted as a precaution thanks to some impeccable work in the garage.
Spanish Grand Prix – Practice 3, Ferrari 1st and 2nd
Posted: 13.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb told to pit in closing stages as a precaution
Montmelò, 13 May –Ferrari finished first and second in the final free practice session at the Spanish track. Kimi Raikkonen was fastest with a 1:20.214, followed by Sebastian Vettel who was 0”242 slower. The work was aimed at qualifying, with some practice race starts towards the end. The Scuderia Ferrari drivers ran the Hard compound for the first run and then the Medium and Soft. Towards the end of the hour, Seb had to be called back to the pits to check an anomaly on the telemetry system on his SF70H. As a precaution, it has been decided to change some components of the Power Unit prior to qualifying.
Spanish Grand Prix – “Everybody struggled today”
Posted: 12.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Difficult conditions in P1 and P2. “The car is quick, we just need to get it right”
Montmelò, May 12th – Gusty wind conditions and a hot tarmac surface turned the Circuit de Catalunya into a very different track from the one we had seen during winter testing. Kimi and Seb made the best of it to take third and fourth place in both sessions. Conditions will certainly evolve during the weekend and the fine-tuning of the SF70H car will proceed accordingly.
“Today the conditions seemed to be quite challenging, but we can improve,” said Seb. “I wasn’t totally happy as I think a lot was left in the track and I didn’t find it at the end. At the same time I feel the car is quick so I just need to get it right. Overall, the atmosphere is good, but obviously now I am more focused on what happened today. I think everybody struggled today. I don’t know who brought more updates but I think what really matters is who brings the best ones”.
Kimi is on the same page as his team-mate, in terms of his thoughts on the day: “It was pretty windy and slippery out there today. I think it was the same for everybody; the first day you find out how the track is and you go from there. The lap times from today’s practice don’t tell a lot , we were able to follow our programme and try different things. Compared to winter testing, it’s pretty normal to find different conditions, because temperatures are higher and the track status changes. As on any other Friday, there is some work to be done, so we’ll see what we come up with for tomorrow”.
Spanish Grand Prix – Warm and windy Montmelò
Posted: 12.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Difficult track conditions as Kimi and Seb are 3rd and 4th fastest
Montmelò, 12 May –Second free practice ended with the Scuderia Ferrari drivers in third and fourth places, courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel respectively. The Finn’s best lap was a 1’21”112 and the German did a 1’21”220.
Track conditions today are significantly different to those the teams encountered during winter testing at Spain’s Montmelo circuit, with much higher temperatures and intermittent wind. As usual during the first part of the session, the Scuderia Ferrari drivers did a series of quick laps, before focusing on race simulation work. Both men used the Medium and Soft compound tyres in this afternoon’s session.
Spanish Grand Prix – Comparison testing
Posted: 12.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi and Seb 3rd and 4th fastest in first free practice
Montmelò, 12 May –The first session for the fifth round of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix, has just come to an end. Kimi Raikkonen was third quickest with a time of 1:22.456, while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel’s best lap of 1:22.600 was good enough for fourth on the time sheet. For this first session, Scuderia Ferrari opted to start on the Hard tyre, before switching to the Medium. Over the 90 minutes of track time, work on the SF70H centred on evaluating various new solutions introduced this weekend. At one point, Seb’s car suffered a small problem on the left rear wheel, which was quickly fixed.
Spanish Grand Prix – Ahead of Free Practice
Posted: 11.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb: the winter feeling was good, but circumstances may vary. Kimi: the learning process is never-ending
Montmelò, May 11 – The Spanish Grand Prix marks a turning point in the F1 season and so, traditionally, it has been associated with major changes being brought to all cars in the pit-lane Furthermore, the Circuit de Catalunya has a variety of corners which require both downforce and stability and this has contributed to it being regarded as one of the iconic tracks of the current Formula One calendar. Some of these assumptions are true, while others could be challenged nowadays.
Seb Vettel has his own view: “Historically, a lot of updates have been brought here because in Europe it is much easier to do so. However, in the last eight or nine years it hasn’t been like that, because updates have been brought everywhere else as much as here”.
But according to the Scuderia Ferrari driver, “ if your car works here, it generally works everywhere. Here there are straights, low speed sections, high speed corners, all of which are challenging for the tires and the car. The feeling we had a couple of months ago here for testing was good. If we can keep that feeling I am sure we will be quick”. Yet, Seb takes nothing for granted: “It depends on how the weekend goes, on the circumstances. We are working very hard to make Ferrari the best car”.
And it’s hard work also on Kimi Raikkonen’s side, after finishing on the podium in Race 4 at Sotchi: “In the last race weekend I was much happier with the car set up; we have understood a lot since the first race, but obviously there are always thing you can improve and do better. Little by little, it is getting better and hopefully we can keep going that way and be in the front again. It’s a never-ending process”. In this learning process, Kimi is keeping very focused on the job he has to do: “So far this weekend I haven’t seen the other cars, and from tomorrow’s free practice we won’t get much information about them. We’ll do our own stuff, follow our own schedule and try to improve. We have a good plan and we’ll follow it. As for the rest, we cannot control what the others do; we just have to get the best out of the package and I’m sure we can take the fight to them. The season is still long, there’s some work to be done, but that’s what we are here for. As a team we are doing a good job, but we want to do better”.
Spanish Grand Prix – The challenge begins
Posted: 09.05.2017 / Source: Ferrari
A track that has it all: very hard on tyres, different logistics
The Spanish Grand Prix is traditionally regarded as the race that kicks off the European part of the season. It’s not strictly true as Sochi, home to the previous round is also in Europe, but the race in Barcelona marks the first appearance of the team “motorhomes.” The logistical aspect and preparation work for this event is also different. Prior to this race, the cars return to the team’s headquarters for the first time since the start of the season. There, they will be prepared and repainted before heading off on Tuesday for the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, by road this time. It means that, unlike at the first four rounds, the cars arrive in Spain more or less ready to go. The Montmelo track, to the north east of Barcelona, first hosted a Formula 1 race in 1991. Ever since, it has been the preferred venue for winter testing, because it boasts every type of corner. There are some very fast ones, specifically turns 3 and 9 and in pre-season testing, the new 2017 specification cars proved capable of taking them flat out, thanks to the wider tyres and increased aerodynamic downforce. The final sector features slower corners, including the turn 13 chicane, which was put in a decade ago, where good traction on exit is a requirement. The track layout means overtaking is difficult. On the tyre front, it’s more or less the opposite to Russia, which is why Pirelli has brought its hardest trio of compounds, the Hard, Medium and Soft. Last year, Scuderia Ferrari got both its drivers, Kimi and Seb, onto the podium. During winter testing, the SF 70H went well here, but the F1 teams will encounter very different weather this weekend, with temperatures predicted to be around the 22-23° mark.
F1 Clienti – Paolo Barilla and his 312B at Mugello
Posted: 27.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 27 April 2017 – Paolo Barilla’s dream of owning the car of his dreams, a 312B, the car that Ferrari used in its 1970 and 1971 Formula 1 campaign. Mr. Barilla is well known for his victory in the 1985 Le Mans 24 Hours and raced 9 times in Formula 1 with Minardi and had a chance to drive his singleseater at Mugello Circuit during the F1 Clienti event in April. Ferrari.com had a chat with him about his fantastic race car.
Car of dreams. “The 312B of 1970 is one of the cars of my dreams – says Barilla – I remember it when I was a kid. I was nine year old when this car won the Italian GP with Clay Regazzoni and I remember the emotion: my passion for motorsport was growing and as an Italian kid Ferrari was the best”.
A Dream that came true. Later on, Paolo had a chance to buy the car: “I always thought that this car was the symbol of my passion and now I own it and I can drive it. When I’m at the wheel it’s like jumping back in the past because I can still see myself as that kid dreaming. The beauty of the car is not just aesthetic: I was ready to find myself driving something wild but when I drove it the first time I realized it was a fantastic car to drive too. It was easy with an incredible sound. This car is able to combine beauty with the perfection of the technology of that period”.
| Circuit | Sochi Autodrom |
| Date | 30.04.2017 |
| Laps | 52 |
| Distance | 303,897 km / 188,873 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 2. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 3. |
Russian Grand Prix – Sochi, 30 April
Posted: 30.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “A shame, because today’s result could have been better. We didn’t get a great start and that penalised us for the rest of the race, on a track where overtaking is difficult. Our race pace was very good, as indeed was our strategy. Once again, both Seb and Kimi proved their worth, driving great races. Now it’s already time for us to look ahead to the next Grand Prix in Spain.”
Sebastian Vettel: “I think my getaway was ok. Maybe I could have been a bit more aggressive. There was a delay in turning the lights off, so that I didn’t get a proper reading of how the grid was. Still, I had a good start but we had a strong head wind all day and Bottas could get a massive tow, so there was nothing I could do. Valtteri had a great race. He drove better than the rest of us so he deserved to win. Towards the end I was flat out, I had a feeling that I could get into DRS distance, maybe on the back straight, put some pressure on him and, who knows, lead him into a mistake, but he made none. What happened swith Massa was just a bit of a misunderstanding, I wasn’t sure where he was going, but I did not lose the race at that point. Now we look ahead to Spain. We had a good answer about our car in Barcelona during testing days and I don’t need to think about the championship. We had a very good start. We are here to win, to do our best, but we can still learn and improve. The speed was there today, but we could have done better. Yet, we have a strong car and a strong team and there is a lot of positive aspects.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “Overall, it has been a more positive weekend compared to the first three races. I was happier with the car and when I needed to push I could get the lap time out. The race was decided at the start and I had a pretty bad one. I thought I was losing a lot, but I managed to get the position back and stay there. My car was good all the way through the race, but after that, not a lot happened. We tried our best but there was not much to do, I was just holding my position. So, obviously, I’m happy for the podium, but I’m disappointed to lose a place at the start instead of gaining one. Now we need to keep working; small details can make a big difference in the end. I’m very happy for Valtteri who won his first race, I’m sure he will have a bright future.”
Russian Grand Prix – A double podium for Scuderia Ferrari
Posted: 30.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb second and Kimi third in Russia: a thrilling race
Sochi, 30 April – A front row lock-out in qualifying and both cars on the podium at the end of the race, courtesy of Seb Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finishing second and third respectively in a Russian Grand Prix that was settled in two moments; the start and the final lap. Thanks to this result Seb extends his lead in the Drivers’ classification over Hamilton, who finished fourth today, to 13 points. In total the Scuderia walks off with 33 points thanks to Kimi also making it to the podium for the first time this season.
There was a worrying moment with the need for an extra formation lap, when Alonso was forced to park his stop his car on track. At the start, Bottas managed to get ahead of Seb and Kimi, who did a good job of fending off Hamilton, in the long run down to the first turn. But the Safety Car was called out immediately following the Palmer-Grosjean collision.
At the end of the third lap, the race was on again and the positions at the front remained unchanged. Drivers were able to use the DRS from lap 6, but there was a long way to go, so managing the race was on the agenda. Seb posted a quickest lap on lap 16 and a long-distance battle continued. With track temperature reaching 45 degrees, tyre blistering was a concern, but at this stage, Seb’s lap times were improving and on lap 23 he posted another fastest lap. Kimi also raised his pace. Bottas pitted on lap 27 and took on Supersofts. The first of the two Ferraris to stop, while now leading, was Kimi on lap 29, switching from the Ultrasofts to the Supersofts. On lap 31, Hamilton pitted with Seb staying out, even improving his split times.
Come the end of lap 34, it was time for Seb to change tyres and he rejoined in second place, ahead of Kimi who was running at a great pace. Five laps later, Bottas flat-spotted his left front when he braked right on the limit and Seb made the most of it to close to within 2.2 seconds. The gap dropped below 2 seconds towards the end and the Ferrari No. 5 set another fastest lap to get within DRS distance, with Kimi still fastest. In the end, it was traffic on the final lap that decided it all, when Massa blocked Seb’s attempt to pass him. Then the finish came in a flash and the Ferrari crossed the line just 6 tenths behind, with Kimi a comfortable third.
Russian Grand Prix – “The car was phenomenal”
Posted: 29.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb, Kimi lock front row after huge team effort.
Sochi, April 29th – Scuderia Ferrari drivers locked the front row of the grid at the Russian Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel coming 0.059 seconds ahead ot team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to clinch his second pole position for Scuderia Ferrari, the 209th for the Maranello team and the 47th of his career. The team had worked until late last night to fix a sensor problem to Kimi’s car in the garage, so this is a very good result for a real collective effort.
“I think it’s just great”, said Sebastian. “We had had a very good run also yesterday and this morning, and the car was phenomenal. So there’s no real secret to today’s result, it’s just the fact that if you get along with the car you find the rhythm and know what to expect. We knew it would be very tight against the Mercedes, it could have gone the other way, but I am very happy that we locked out the front row for the team. I had a good start to Qualifying , then in Q2 I lost a bit the rhythm. My first run in Q3 was not very tidy, so I left it to the last run. For us it’s so important as Mercedes had done an impeccable job in the last few years, so it’s great for the team and for me that we managed to break that. But now we’ll see what tomorrow brings. It’s a long race and we’ll try to confirm this result”.
Kimi came in second in a very close fight, scoring his best qualifying result this year. He commented: “Generally, it has been a very straightforward weekend: we have been happier with the car, set-up wise, since the beginning and when you start well it’s easier to work and improve here and there. This first row is great for the team, obviously I would rather be in front, but this is not an easy track to get a good lap. I’m happy to take second place , it’s a lot better that it has been so far this year. It’s good but it’s only qualifying, tomorrow is the day where we get points, and we have to do a good job out of it. I expect us to be ok, for sure it’s going to be a close fight. Hopefully we can make a good start and see what happens”.
Russian Grand Prix – Scuderia Ferrari locks first row
Posted: 29.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Vettel on pole position with Raikkonen second
Sochi, 29th April – The qualifying session in Sochi just ended with an all-red front row for Scuderia Ferrari. Sebastian and Kimi will start tomorrow’s race respectively from the first and second position.
1:33.194 the best time for Vettel, with Raikkonen stopping the chrono at 1:33.253.
Supersoft and Ultrasoft compounds were used in the qualifying session.
Russian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: Seb on top
Posted: 29.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb first ahead of Kimi. Qualifying starts at 14h00 (CET)
Sochi, 29 April – Saturday’s action in Sochi began with the final free practice session, in which Sebastian Vettel posted the fastest time of 1:34.001 in his SF70-H ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, second in 1:34.338. Scuderia Ferrari’s German driver used two sets of Ultrasofts, the same tyre compound which his team-mate used to set his best time. At 15h00 local time (14h00 CET) qualifying gets underway and it looks like it will be very closely contested.
Russian Grand Prix – A positive Friday at Sochi
Posted: 28.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb: “Reasonably happy”. Kimi: “Things ran smoothly”
Sochi, March 28th – It was another day at the office for Seb and Kimi who eventually came in first and second in the time sheet at the end of Friday free practice. Yet, Friday being Friday, Sebastian feels that there’s still work to be done: “I think we improved so I can be reasonably happy but not entirely. We had a tough start this morning and it took a while to increase speed. I am sure we can still do more. I think this is a circuit where you need to feel confident. There’s a lot of corners that look all the same on paper, they feel similar in the car, but then it’s quite tricky to get everything right. I wish they planted more trees next to the track so that you could have more references! But it’s tricky and that’s why you need to get into the rhythm. I struggled a bit in the morning but I think we understood what we need. We always fight for the pole position, that’s, for sure but on paper this track looks like a Mercedes one. They didn’t show everything today and didn’t get their lap together. So we’ll see”.
As for Kimi, he was quite satisfied with the way things went today: “It’s been a nice Friday, things ran smoothly and we had no issues. I’m happy with the car, I had a nice feeling straight away and it’s always more fun when it goes like that. So far so good; but it’s only Friday and we have no idea what the others are doing, but we started well and I’m quite happy. We’ll try to make a good day tomorrow and then we’ll go from there”.
Russian Grand Prix – Vettel and Raikkonen top the FP2 time sheet
Posted: 28.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
FP2 looking good
The track characteristics and the Pirelli tyres have delivered a significant increase in performance for the cars when compared to last year. Sebastian Vettel ended the second free practice session on the top slot of the time sheet with a lap in 1.34.120, followed by Kimi Raikkonen, second in 1.34.383. Both men did 36 laps. They began the session on Super Soft tyres, before switching to the Ultra Soft, which they also used for the end of the long run test. Now the team will embark on the technical debrief to analyse today’s data and look for areas where improvements can be made.
Russian Grand Prix – The Sochi weekend is underway
Posted: 28.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi fastest, Seb fifth
Sochi – Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel posted the first and fifth fastest times at the wheel of their SF70Hs in the first free practice session at Sochi. The Finn did a 1’36”074, while the German’s best was a 1’37”230, with both men completing 19 laps. As usual in Sochi, the very smooth track surface didn’t offer much grip in the first session, and one can expect that situation to improve as the track progressively rubbers-in. The two Ferrari men began the session on the Soft tyres, the hardest Pirelli is providing this weekend, before switching to the Supersofts. On the softer compound, Kimi immediately improved, while Seb’s first run was nullified by the red flags that came out after Ocon’s Force India lost its engine cover on track. After that, Vettel encountered traffic and also survived a spin. Both SF70H cars were fitted with new turbos as part of the usual programme for rotating components.
Russian Grand Prix – “Focusing on every single step”
Posted: 27.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb and Kimi’s thoughts about Sochi-and the season ahead
Sochi, April 27 – Scuderia Ferrari drivers are all set for the new challenge at Sochi. The team arrives at Sochi leading both drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but both Seb and Kimi are well aware that this weekend won’t be a walk in the park.
“We have a good car and the challenge for this year will be to make sure that we keep on having a good one”, says Seb.” I think everybody will improve their own cars and we’ll do our best as well. I’m looking forward to this weekend as we seem to be closer to our competitors than last year. Of course we had an excellent start to the season, but Mercedes are still very strong. It should be an interesting race. I like the track and it’s not an easy one. It’s difficult to have everything in one lap and there’s always a couple of things to look out for. Tomorrow will be an important day. We are happy with where we are and about the races we’ve had so far, but especially this year we have to focus on every single step.
Kimi finished on the podium last year at Sochi, but he seems to be just a little puzzled with… the location. “I like this race, but you wouldn’t think that we are in a country neighboring Finland, as here we’re quite far away from that border! The track is quite interesting, too. If you look at the past races here, it has not been easy for us to make the car and tires work as we wanted, but with the new cars and new rules the picture can be completely different. Also, the weather seems to be warmer than last year and this could help”.
“So far, this season has been very close with Mercedes,” he adds, “but It’s hard to know how this weekend will go. Obviously if you look at last year’s races they have been pretty strong everywhere compared to the other teams. This is a new weekend and I think we have a good package, but who knows, there’s always some tracks that fit one team a little bit better than the others. We can only do our best and hopefully we can be up there in the fight. As for myself, I haven’t had a problem with the car in the last race, in fact the feeling has been pretty good, but I need to qualify in a better position to be able to use its speed”.
Russian Grand Prix – Rendezvous on the Black Sea
Posted: 25.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Smooth tarmac, high fuel consumption, every type of corner: that’s the Russian GP
Maranello, 25 April – Next weekend’s race will be the fourth running of the Russian Grand Prix. But if you think that single-seater racing is all recent history for the biggest country in the world, then think again. There was a project to build a Formula 1 car here when it was the Soviet Union, during the Cold War period. However, today’s link to the sport is the Sochi circuit. Despite the fact that its mountainous coast enjoys a mild climate, the town hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014 and since then it has welcomed the arrival of Formula 1. The track is 5.848 kilometres in length, making it a touch shorter than Silverstone and a bit longer than Suzuka and Monza. One of its standout corners is the wide semi-circular Turn 3, taken flat out by the new generation of F1 cars. The surface is very smooth, but the layout means fuel consumption is high, while the final sector has no less than six corners where traction is important. Pirelli is bringing along its three softest compounds, the yellow Soft, red Supersoft and purple Ultrasoft. To date, the Russian GP has not looked too kindly on Scuderia Ferrari, although last year, Seb Vettel was second fastest in qualifying. However, he then had to take a grid penalty and was later hit by Daniil Kvyat, while Kimi Raikkonen drove a great race to finish on the podium.
Ferrari Festival of Speed – A Grand Celebration of Ferrari 70th Anniversary in Indonesia
Posted: 23.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Jakarta, April 23rd 2017 – To commemorate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, Ferrari Jakarta has held a series of events including a press conference on Thursday April 20th, The Red Gala on Friday April 21st and many other events to celebrate this momentous occasion.
On Sunday April 23rd, Ferrari Jakarta has organized for the first time the biggest Ferrari event ever in Indonesia — Ferrari Festival of Speed, at BSD City, where more than 3,500 owners and fans gathered to see an incredible line up of around 200 classic and modern Ferrari models from every era.
The Ferrari Festival of Speed kicked off with a rally of more than 130 Ferrari cars early in the morning from Senayan City, parading through the streets of Jakarta, before travelling to BSD City.
Once at BSD City, the Ferrari Owners Club Indonesia (FOCI) proceeded to parade around the 3.2 kilometer custom-built temporary circuit in their cars. These participants and cars hail from different parts of Indonesia including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Malang and Bali.
Next, a special parade of 70 Ferrari cars ensued; some of the models include Special Cars like the LaFerrari, Enzo, F40, 360 Challenge Stradale, 575 Superamerica, 599 GTO; Classiche Cars like the 250 TR, Dino 246 GTS, 365 GTC4, 365 GT 2+2 Queen Mary, Testarossa; Past and Current Models like the 360 Modena, F430, 599 GTB, 488 GTB, as well as Racing Cars like 599XX, 488 Challenge, 488 GT3 and many more.
To demonstrate the racing DNA of Ferrari, Toni Vilander, Ferrari GT Driver, made a special appearance at this celebration. Toni, who competes in the GT races for Ferrari, drove the icon of the Ferrari 70th Anniversary, the LaFerrari Aperta, during the parade and also participated in a time attack event with the 488 Challenge car.
Ferrari Festival of Speed brings the concept of “Sportainment”, which combines sporting and entertainment elements to entertain all Ferrari enthusiasts. Besides the action on the circuit, there was also a lot of off-circuit entertainment such as live music performances by Eva Celia, The Groove and DJ Patricia Schultz.
This spectacular event to celebrate this significant milestone with the Indonesian clients and fans was truly a unique one. Through Ferrari Festival of Speed, the spirit, passion and the DNA of Ferrari was shared with the Ferraristi in Indonesia.
The highest-performance V12 Ferrari to date has made its first public debut in China
Posted: 19.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Ferrari 812 Superfast sets a new benchmark for performance and luxury
April 19th, 2017, Shanghai — Ferrari announced the first public debut of its most powerful production car to date, the 800-cv 812 Superfast today at Auto Shanghai. As the only manufacturer to have continuously produced sports car with 12-cylinder engines, the unveiling of this flagship V12 Berlinetta is particularly significant. This reveal of the 812 Superfast proudly represents a new chapter in the Ferrari story that began 70 years ago back in 1947.
Powered by a new 6.5-litre V12, the 812 Superfast represents the benchmark in the mid-front-engined sports car segment, achieving its maximum power output at 8,500 rpm, which ensures the kind of thrilling top-end performance that is exclusive to Ferrari’s V12s. Maximum torque is 718 Nm @ 7,000 rpm, a significant 80% of which is already available at 3,500 rpm, improving driveability and pick-up at low revs.
The 812 Superfast is striking for both its highly innovative design and aero package, as well as its unparalleled handling. It is the first Ferrari to introduce Electric Power Steering (EPS) which, in line with the Ferrari tradition, is used to fully exploit the performance potential of the car. The introduction of the Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 system (PCV) combines electric front-wheel steering assistance with the mechanical concept based on tyre dimensions and the rear-wheel steering. This is all integrated with the vehicle dynamics control systems, based on Version 5.0 of the SSC, with the aim of improving the agility and response time to steering wheel inputs. The 812 Superfast will be delivered to the customer in the fourth quarter this year with the price started from RMB 5,388,000.
Ferrari’s 70 years of unrivalled achievements were left in no doubt with a display of the LaFerrari Aperta and one of only 209 to ever be built. The limited-edition spider version – the most powerful naturally-aspirated spider from Ferrari – retains the same characteristic exhilaration as the coupé. All of the planned LaFerrari Aperta, have already been sold.
Completing the range of Ferrari models on display in Shanghai, were the iconic 488 GTB; the four-seater V8-powered GTC4Lusso T; and a dazzling expression of Ferrari’s sporty DNA with its retractable hard top, the California T. Showcasing the full extent of personalization on offer from the Tailor-made team in Maranello were two cars including a Verde coloured 488 Spider and, exclusively for VIP visitors to the Tailor-made showroom a Rosso Scuderia coloured 488 GTB inspired by the acclaimed Tricolore livery made famous by the Ferrari 458 GT2.
Beyond Auto Shanghai 2017, Ferrari is demonstrating its commitment to China with a wide range of ongoing 70th anniversary celebrations across China during the year ahead. After opening with Ferrari Owners Club of Hong Kong “70 Mile Rally” on March 18, from May 28 to 29, the world’s most popular track experience, “Ferrari Racing Days” will return to the Shanghai International Circuit allowing celebrations to continue for owners and enthusiasts. In August, owners will then have an opportunity to embark on an unforgettable seven-day journey setting off from Xining, Qinghai for an incredible 1,000 kilometres journey before arriving at the fabled Yu Men Pass. In a tribute to Ferrari journeys of years past, the expedition will retrace part of the magical route previously covered by the “15,000 Red Miles” in 2005. This year is sure to provide more milestones for the “Cavallino Rampante”.
Bahrain Test – Sebastian brings Bahrain test to a close
Posted: 19.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
After testing for Pirelli, a day dedicated to development
Sakhir, 19 April – This time there was no need to extend the test session: at 18h00 local time, (17h00 CET,) Seb Vettel parked the SF70H in the pits at the end of the day’s work. 67 laps were completed, the best in 1’31’”574, set on the Soft compound. Yesterday, the Bahrain GP winner had been testing for Pirelli, while today it was a normal programme of development for the season. “It would be nice to have done even more,” said Sebastian at the end of the day. “But today we had a few little problems in the morning, which is normal for testing and then, in the afternoon, we lost some time when there was an electrical black-out in our garage.” That’s not unheard of during testing, when so many sets of tyres are used that the tyre blankets can soak up quite a bit of energy. “In any case, driving this car is always a pleasure,” concluded Seb. “The times don’t mean much, given we don’t know what programmes the others are running.”
That marks the end of the first in-season test of 2017. The next one takes place in July in Hungary.
Bahrain Test – Antonio, a whole different feeling
Posted: 18.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Giovinazzi’s first drive in the SF70H; 93 laps in Bahrain
Sakhir, 18 April – “I enjoyed every single lap.” On every one of the 93 times that he sped past the Scuderia Ferrari pits, Antonio Giovinazzi must have had a big grin on his face under the helmet. It’s true that he’d already experienced a Prancing Horse Formula 1 car in Fiorano and is au fait with what Formula 1 is all about in 2017. However, the Ferrari he drove in that first test was the SF15-T, not bad for a first run but two years old. And when it came to this past winter testing and the first two GPs of the season, that experience came at the wheel of a Sauber.
But, truth be told, for an Italian driver, the first “real” day was surely this Tuesday in Bahrain. Antonio’s day began with a massage and some breakfast and that was followed with no less than nine hours of testing and even as we write, the technical debrief is still ongoing. Antonio showed maturity and professionalism at the wheel, setting a best lap of 1’31”984 on Supersoft tyres, although he spent more time running the Mediums and also when downloading information with his engineers. “To drive the car that won the last race and is leading the world championship, working with the Scuderia Ferrari engineers and mechanics, is not just a great feeling, it’s a dream I’ve had since I was little and racing in karts. And today it came true.”
The reality of testing however could be seen elsewhere, as Seb Vettel was working late into the evening, to make up for time lost earlier in the day, as he was at the wheel of another SF70H, working on a separate programme, tyre testing for Pirelli.
XX Programmes – FXX K queen of Mugello
Posted: 13.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Scarperia, 13 April 2017 – The second and final day of testing for the cars of F1 Clienti and XX Programmes were held at Mugello. The second day saw no less of a show, with some of the most successful cars of the last 15 years alternating on track with the special cars of the XX Programmes. These extreme sports cars can only be driven on track although they are not approved for any championship.
Queen. The FXX Ks held court on the ups and downs of the Tuscan track, being the most numerous cars at the event. Indeed, Mugello was graced by 10 examples of one of the most special cars ever to have been driven through the gates of Maranello, endowed with over 1000 hp and hybrid technologies deriving from Formula 1. The special customer-testers took advantage of the perfect conditions at Mugello to push their cars to the limit and then study the telemetry together with the engineers.
The other jewels. The other cars of the XX Programmes, the 599XX, 599XX EVO and the FXX, the first model of a project that last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, also raced around the Arrabbiatas, San Donato and Bucine corners.
Special Award. A special event was held on Wednesday evening when the mechanics of F1 Clienti joined the customers for a cocktail event at the racetrack to present an award to someone special, Giuliano Tacconi, who recently exceeded 500 Formula 1 Shakedowns. His is a life in “red” and one marked by limitless passion.
F1 Clienti – The best of the 21st century on track at Mugello
Posted: 12.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Scarperia, 12 April 2017 – It was the first day of testing at Mugello for the special customers of the XX Programmes and F1 Clienti, who felt the irresistible pull of one of the world’s most beautiful tracks to attend an event with 30 single seaters and GT cars that can only be driven on track.
Kings of the track. The Formula 1 cars at Mugello included the best in the category so far this century. Indeed, some customers drove the F2001 with which Scuderia Ferrari repeated the famous “Red Dawn” of Suzuka 2000. The Maranello team dominated the 2001 season winning the Drivers’ title with Michael Schumacher and the Constructors’ one thanks to Rubens Barrichello in car no. 2. Mugello also saw a F2002, the record breaking car that won 15 races out of 19 in the 2002 and 2003 seasons and was the vehicle in which Michael Schumacher won his fifth Drivers’ championship and Ferrari its 12th Constructors’ title.
Unmistakable sound. The roar of Formula 1 engines is even more fascinating on the ups and downs of the Tuscan track, because the valley in which the circuit is built acts like a giant echo chamber. It is amazing to hear the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated engine of cars like the F2007, the world Constructors’ and Drivers champion with Kimi Raikkonen, and the F2008, another world Constructors’ champion, which also came very close to the Drivers’ title with Felipe Massa. There were also a F150° Italia and a F138, the last generation of the car not equipped with a hybrid power unit and that gave full voice to the 056 engine and its output of almost 800 hp.
| Circuit | Bahrain International Circuit |
| Date | 16.04.2017 |
| Laps | 57 |
| Distance | 308,238 km / 191,571 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 1. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF70-H | – |
Scuderia Ferrari | 4. |
Bahrain Grand Prix – Sakhir, 16 April 2017
Posted: 16.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “Today’s victory was an important one, achieved thanks to the great efforts of all the guys at the track and back in Maranello. For the whole weekend, the team demonstrated courage, determination and a little bit of madness. This is all part of our DNA, characteristics which 70 years ago saw the birth of Ferrari. Courage and determination were needed to tackle a weekend like this, in which we expected to encounter a few difficulties in qualifying, which is why, based on good long run data on Friday, we prepared as well as possible for the race. In order to do this you also need to use some madness… Sebastian drove a really great race, demonstrating once again all his class. Kimi was caught up in traffic at the start and then he certainly wasn’t helped by the arrival of the Safety Car. The SF70H proved itself to be strong also in these conditions, at a track which requires above all power and good traction. The tyres worked very well, which allowed us to fully exploit our very good strategy. And now it’s time to concentrate on the next round of the World Championship, the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.”
Mattia Binotto: “It wasn’t an easy weekend, because, as qualifying showed, Mercedes still has the upper hand on Saturdays and definitely more so here than in the previous two races. That means we must go through a lot of data and perhaps this will help us become stronger in the future. We are very happy about the race result: we definitely showed that today we had more speed than the Mercedes, especially on the Qualifying tyres. This can be seen by the fact that we have less tyre wear than our main competitors.”
Sebastian Vettel: “A great result thanks to all the team! At the start, it was important for me to get second place, and I managed. Also, we got everything right with the strategy. We decided to pit early and this tactics proved to be working. Towards, the end, I tried to manage the gap I had over Lewis. I expected him to charge through, of course I was concerned, with all the traffic ahead of me. But it the end it was all OK. The car was like a dream to drive today. I felt right from the beginning that we had the speed to win today. I had a good feeling yesterday already, and it was just confirmed today. The lap back to pits was so sweet, with all the fireworks around, and I really savored it. Tonight we enjoy the moment, but tomorrow we’ll be back at work. I haven’t changed my mind: to become world champion, you must first beat the Mercedes We’ll take it race after race.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “In a way, a lot of good things happened this weekend, but the end result is still disappointing. The car was working pretty nicely and to be honest I expected that. Today I had a bad start and because of that, the first two corners were really bad; obviously after that I was catching up, I got past Massa reasonably quickly. Then I did my pit stop, but I was unlucky with the Safety Car. The overall feeling was good, I was fast but obviously the time lost at the start did not help: we put ourselves in a difficult position. I feel that we are absolutely doing the right things, and in the big picture we are pretty much where we want to be, but we still need to fine-tune a few things; it’s all about putting the lap together. We need to start more at the front and then our races will be a lot easier. I am happy for Seb and for all the team.”
Bahrain Grand Prix – Scuderia Ferrari wins in Bahrain
Posted: 16.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Sebastian takes his second win from three races. Kimi is fourth
Sakhir, 16 April 2017 –Sebastian Vettel produced a gutsy drive this evening to win the Bahrain Grand Prix, having started from third on the grid. His victory was also down to the strategic calls from the Scuderia Ferrari pit wall. Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth, despite encountering a few difficulties. He fought back to finish just off the podium. After the first three rounds, Ferrari lead the Drivers’ Championship with Seb, on 61 points, and the Constructors in which it has 102 points. This is Seb’s fifth won in Prancing Horse colours.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Statement from Ferrari President Mr. Sergio Marchionne
Posted: 16.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
It is, of course, hugely satisfying to be back on the top step of the podium with Seb. More importantly, however, we are now completely confident that our victory in Melbourne wasn’t just a one-off and that we will be at the forefront of this World Championship until the last. We finally have a competitive car to count on and it is important to recognize the speed with which we implemented the developments demanded for each new race. All this is the fruit of superb work at the track and in Maranello, so my compliments not just to Seb for his achievements in Bahrain, but also to the whole team. Congratulations to Kimi too on a good race. That said, we are well aware we have a long road ahead and know that if we want to get to the most important finish-line of all, we cannot stint on our commitment and focus for a second.
Bahrain Grand Prix – “Tomorrow it should be closer”
Posted: 15.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb hopeful as car looks better for the race
Overall, it has been a good day. Yesterday I couldn’t get the right feeling, I kept sliding too much. We made some minor tweaks on the set-up and the car felt better today, I was quite happy with the balance. But in qualifying, after seeing what the gap was at the end of my first run in Q3, I wasn’t so happy, so I tried it all and maybe pushed a bit too much. This is a circuit where you can easily overshoot it. Today, we were losing a bit everywhere around the lap, perhaps more than usual down the straights. But tomorrow it should be closer, and hopefully we’ll have a tight race. The car feels good for Sunday.
Bahrain Grand Prix – “Not what we wanted yet”
Posted: 15.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi: car has a lot of potential, difficult to unlock in qualifying
The car was good overall, I thought there was a lot of potential, but for many little reasons we never really got the time out of it. The final result is far from what we wanted, but that’s how it ended up today. I have been struggling to find the right set up: all in all it has been better here than it’s been the last few races, but in qualifying, when we start to push, it is not what we wanted yet. Tomorrow is another day, the grid position is not ideal and the race is going to be quite tricky. So let’s try to make a good start , make the right decisions and take the best out of it.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Ferrari on the second and third rows
Posted: 15.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb qualifies third with Kimi fifth
Sahkir, 15 April – In this evening’s qualifying held at the Sakhir circuit, Sebastian Vettel set the third fastest time of 1.29.247, to finish two places ahead of his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, whose best lap was a 1.29.567.
Starting from pole tomorrow will be Valtteri Bottas, quickest for Mercedes with a 1.28.769.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Final practice in Bahrain
Posted: 15.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb 3rd, Kimi 5th in P3
Sakhir, 15 April – Come the end of the final free practice session the Scuderia Ferrari drivers had set the third and fifth fastest times, courtesy of Sebastian Vettel (1:32.750) and Kimi Raikkonen (1:32.785) respectively.
In track conditions that were different to those that will prevail during this evening’s qualifying, Vettel used one set of new Mediums and one set of new Softs, while Raikkonen ran one set of new Supersofts and one of used Mediums.
The German did 10 laps and the Finn 9. Qualifying begins at 18h00 local time, 17h00 CET. Temperatures: track 38°, air 37°
Bahrain Grand Prix – “We still need to do better”
Posted: 14.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Seb “not entirely happy” but car feels good on quick lap
I can’t explain why the car stopped altogether, but we were able to recover, restart the engine in the garage and, fortunately, it happened at the end of the lap. Today it was not our best day for us and we still need to do better. The car feels good on a single lap though, and as for race simulation, we can further improve for tomorrow. Overall, I am not entirely happy with my long runs, but they were OK after all, and we also were caught a bit in traffic. Now let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Bahrain Grand Prix – “The guys did a good job”
Posted: 14.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Kimi pleased with team fixing the car in time for P2
It’s far too early to say what we can do here and conditions were tricky today. We had an issue that stopped us in very early part of the first session; this issue had nothing to do with the engine, but rather with the turbo area. The guys did a good job in fixing the car in order to be ready for the second practice. The day could have been a bit better, but that’s how it goes. I like this circuit, but there’s nothing more special here than in other places. Obviously it’s very hot and this can be a little bit tricky for the tires. As usual on Friday there’s a lot of work to be done to be ready tomorrow.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Social comments – Kimi
Posted: 13.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 13 April – “You and me are in agreement, we think the same way about a lot of things and that’s the most important thing.” Kimi Raikkonen and his race engineer Dave Greenwood get on really well and not just when it comes to work. You can see just this on the eve of a Grand Prix in which the heat, the variations in temperature from day to night, management of the tyres and the car, are all vital elements of this weekend.
Bahrain Grand Prix – Social comments – Seb
Posted: 13.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 13 April – Rhythm, braking, Bahrain peculiarities are just some of the words used by Seb Vette to describe the Sakhir track when talking to his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. We eavesdropped on their conversation round a small table as their chat revealed how when two people have been working together for a few years at Ferrari can develop an understanding that goes beyond just the technical details. To the extent, that in the end, it’s Ricky who surprises his driver…
Bahrain Grand Prix – The challenge hots up
Posted: 12.04.2017 / Source: Ferrari
Temperatures round the 40 degree mark in Bahrain
Maranello, 12 April – In a few days, Formula 1 faces a complete change of scene. From the metropolis to the desert, from the cold and damp of Shanghai to a sweltering Sakhir and temperatures around 40 degrees. The only thing the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix have in common is that they both first appeared on the calendar in 2004. The circuits have very little in common: while Shanghai is all flowing corners, the Bahrain International Circuit juxtaposes straights with hairpins and heavy braking. Engine performance, traction out of the corners and stability under braking make up the technical challenge here. After a good result on Sunday, Scuderia Ferrari has travelled to the small archipelago of Bahrain – it measures just 765 square kilometres – in the Persian Gulf. The first back-to-back races of the year have involved a demanding schedule, with all the work of packing up quickly and sending the freight from China in a very short space of time. The race is run at night, although it’s still hot at that time and afterwards, some of the team will stay on for two days of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday.