Meet the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider: the highest performance Prancing Horse drop-top ever
Posted: 02.10.2018
Source: Ferrari
Paris, 2 October 2018 – After its world premiere at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, the new special series Ferrari 488 Pista Spider has made its European debut at the Paris Motor Show. The 50th drop-top model to be introduced by the Prancing Horse is also the most powerful series production spider in Ferrari history, with an unprecedented weight/power ratio of 1.92 kg/cv.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider combines the finest race-developed technological solutions with the joy of en plein air driving to deliver an exhilarating experience behind the wheel. The driver feels absolutely as one with the car in a symbiotic relationship that guarantees instantaneous responsiveness to commands and absolute control when executing even the most complex manoeuvres. This is hardly surprising as the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider benefits from the greatest technological transfer from the track of any road-legal open-top car.
The model’s engine, dynamics and aerodynamics are derived from two track cars: the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE. The latter won the GT class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2017, thus giving Ferrari a total of five GT Manufacturers’ titles since the championship’s inception in 2012. Furthermore, this model has very clearly benefited from the extensive development work done to produce the coupé version, the 488 Pista.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider sports the most powerful V8 engine in Maranello history which was also named Best Engine for the third consecutive year at the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards. The 3902cc twin-turbo V8 unleashes 720 cv (50 cv more than the 488 Spider) with torque calibrated to deliver a feeling of constant, ever-increasing acceleration. The engine also won the special “Best of the Best” title as the top engine of all the winners of the last 20 years.
Its performance figures are the highest of any spider ever built by the Prancing Horse, including 0-100 km/h acceleration in 2.85 seconds and a lap time at Fiorano of just 1’21’’5.
The 488 Pista Spider’s target client is a typical diehard Ferrarista who already owns other Ferrari spiders. These are drivers that want to feel all the power and speed the 488 Pista Spider is capable of yet also enjoy drop-top driving and the soundtrack of that unparalleled engine.
But the innovations are not confined merely to a boost in power output – they also extend to an overall reduction in weight and beyond. In fact, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider delivers even better handling, making it one of the most enthralling models Ferrari has ever produced, thanks also to multiple innovations in various different areas.
ENGINE
In terms of its characteristics and performance, the 488 Pista Spider’s engine sets the benchmark not just for new generation turbo engines but all engines, including naturally aspirated ones. This is why it was voted “Engine of the Year” for three years running: 2016, 2017 and 2018. It is also the most powerful V8 ever sported by a road-going Ferrari in terms of both its overall and specific power outputs. It also delivers the highest power increase over the model it was developed from, the 488 Spider.
The car’s technical performance figures are exceptional and set it at the very top of its segment. The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider can unleash 720 cv at 8,000 rpm -50 cv more than the 488 Spider and 115 cv more than the previous special version. Its specific power output has been upped to a best-in-class 185 cv/l. Maximum torque is higher at all engine speeds, peaking at 770 Nm (10 Nm more than the 488 Spider) and is available from 3,000 rpm.
These results were achieved thanks to the new engine intake layout developed for the 488 Challenge, with the intakes moved from the flanks to the rear spoiler area, ensuring a higher volume and cleaner flow of air to the engine, thereby contributing to the increase in power. Moving the air intakes from the sides to the rear also freed up space for a larger intercooler ahead of the rear wheels. This solution drastically reduces fluid-dynamic load losses and ensures a higher volume and cleaner flow of air to the engine, thereby contributing to the increase in power.
Weight was reduced by adopting evolved components such as Inconel exhaust manifolds, a lighter crankshaft and flywheel, and titanium con-rods, all using F1-derived technologies. In total, 18 kg was slashed off the weight of the engine alone.
The 488 Challenge also provides the turbos with integrated rev sensors. Response times are instantaneous and even faster than the 488 Spider, thanks to a new specifically-developed control strategy. A new pedal map also makes driving on the limit even easier.
Specific valves and springs combined with a new cam profile also contributed to the engine’s power boost. The cylinder liners are thinner too. These significant upgrades are completed by the geometry of the new exhaust manifolds. Not forgetting either the carbon-fibre intake plenums, which have become one of the signatures of Ferrari’s special series cars.
All the structural components were modified to deal with the engine’s power boost. The pistons and cylinder heads have been strengthened to cope with the higher loads. Parallel to this, particular attention was also focused on reducing internal friction by introducing, for example, solutions derived directly from Formula 1.
The engine’s sound is unique and unmistakable, as befits a special series car. In fact, the sound level is higher than the 488 Spider in all gears and at all engine speeds. The retractable hard top also makes all of this easier for occupants to appreciate than in the coupé version. The new Inconel exhaust manifolds and optimised exhaust bypass logic contribute to the superior quality and the intensity.
All these solutions contribute to the engine’s lower inertia allowing it to rev even more quickly, so much so that the driver can see the rev counter needle flying particularly in rapid transitions, such as gear shifting and scorching low-gear acceleration.
Aside from boosting power, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider’s engine also makes the car’s handling more intuitive and its powerful, razor-sharp performance available to all drivers in all driving situations, both on the road and the track.
A slew of high performance features have been introduced to allow drivers to exploit to the very fullest the potential afforded the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider’s engine.
A new boost control strategy optimises response time and performance in sporty driving on the limit, making all the power the driver asks from the throttle available virtually instantaneously.
The rev limiter’s “Wall Effect” strategy is another leap forward in terms of extreme engine performance. Rather than gradually limiting the revs towards the limiter, it cuts off right at the red-line of 8,000 rpm, maximising the amount of power available in power-on dynamic driving situations.
TRANSMISSION
The sporty driving feedback is further enhanced by the high-performance gear shifting, typical of a thoroughbred race car. The new gear shift strategy, available in the manettino’s RACE position, reduces shifting times by 30 ms.
Also adopted once again on this model is the hugely successful Ferrari Variable Torque Management strategy for all gears. To adapt it to the car’s extreme sporty spirit, all of the torque curves were redesigned to deliver a feeling of consistently smooth, powerful acceleration all the way to the red line.
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
The aim of the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider’s dynamic development was to produce a car that offers high mechanical performance in terms of lap times and standing starts, driving pleasure and accessibility of performance to drivers of all types.
The vehicle dynamics developed for this drop-top V8 special series car thus offer a seamless combination of superb acceleration, braking efficiency, steering precision, grip, stability and handling that produces an unparalleled and genuinely immersive driving experience. This is thanks in part to the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE) which makes controlling the lateral dynamics in high performance situations more intuitive, controllable and predictable.
To achieve these objectives, Ferrari’s engineers had to work on several fronts, starting with introducing numerous lightweight solutions as well as evolving both a new generation of the Side Slip Control System (SSC 6.0), improving the efficiency of the braking system and the introduction of new Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres.
As was the case in the 488 Pista, the Spider features a lateral dynamics control system that uses Ferrari software to adjust the brake pressure at the callipers. The Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE) is available when the manettino is in the “CT-OFF” position. It regulates the lateral dynamics parameters, including side slip angle estimation. The control system intervenes in advance, lightly actuating the callipers through, and exiting corners.
As a result the system manages the evolution of the side slip angle, making control of the lateral dynamics in high-performance situations more intuitive, controllable and predictable. So it is not a stability control system, but a maximum performance-focused system.
The introduction of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer into the integrated SSC 6.0 system thus gives drivers extra confidence so that they can more easily handle even lengthy oversteer situations. It also makes performance on the limit easier to reach and control even for less expert drivers.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is extremely efficient in dealing with rapid changes of direction and offers drivers a unique sense of predictability. The recalibrated SCM-E dampers and the 10% stiffer springs contribute to this improved handling precision. Longitudinal acceleration is 13% higher than on the 488 Spider.
Although the 488 Pista Spider was developed for mostly road use, it was also designed to deliver impressive performance on the track. As a result, the braking system was modified to improve cooling, particularly under extreme use, and also to cut the time it takes to get up to temperature.
The 488 Challenge’s brake servo was adopted to enhance the sporty pedal feel and deliver smooth, consistent braking even in extreme conditions. These interventions, combined with the car’s lighter overall weight, have reduced the 200-0 km/h stopping distance by a metre compared to the 488 Spider.
The bodyshell was designed to keep the car as light as possible and features ultralight materials such as carbon-fibre for the engine cover, the front and rear bumpers and the rear spoiler, and Lexan for the rear window.
This is also the first time that an optional 20” single-piece carbon-fibre wheel rim has been made available in the Ferrari range. Made entirely from carbon-fibre, it is around 20% lighter than the forged wheel rims that come as standard on this car and features a special coating developed for the aerospace industry on the channel and spokes which efficiently reflects and dissipates heat generated under braking.
AERODYNAMICS
In-depth aerodynamics research played a big part in improving the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider’s performance. Working on a concept focused on uncompromising innovation and performance allowed considerable engineering freedom in developing significant solutions.
The already-exceptional aerodynamic efficiency of the 488 Spider has been improved by 20%, with major benefits in terms of absolute speed and lap times on medium-fast tracks as well as sheer fun behind the wheel.
This substantial improvement is due in great part to the radical choices made for the bodywork and underbody forms with the aim of increasing downforce without increasing the car’s drag coefficient.
In fact, the 488 Pista Spider takes the aerodynamic concepts adopted on the 488 Spider from which it is derived and moulds them into a much more technically extreme and ambitious package. Examples are the active aerodynamics on the rear underbody and a completely redesigned version of the blown spoiler (patented on the 488 GTB).
The 488 Pista Spider’s V8 turbo punches out 50 cv more than the car on which it is based, thanks in part to a reduction of almost 15° C in the temperature of the air entering the plenum with respect to the 488 Spider. The development of the thermo-fluid dynamics consequently focused on powertrain cooling, to minimise any impact on pure aerodynamic performance.
To guarantee the kind of performance demanded of the powertrain, the intercooler would have required an increase of over 25% in size compared to that of the 488 Spider. In order to minimise the increase in weight and drag associated with such a large radiating surface, the engineers worked intensively on the car as a whole to improve efficiency, limiting the required surface area increase to just 7%. The main contributing factors to the improved intercooler efficiency were the radical layout choices made at the front of the car.
The front radiator arrangement was completely redesigned. As with 488 Challenge, the rake of the radiators has been inverted and they are now inclined towards the rear to direct the hot air to the underbody ahead of the front wheels. This choice produced, on the one hand, an improvement of 10% in the performance of the rear intercoolers, and, on the other, an additional aerodynamic benefit: the virtual fairing of the exposed area of the tyre which cuts the car’s drag by 7%.
The engine air intakes have been moved from the flanks – the solution adopted on the 488 Spider – to the rear spoiler as per the 488 Challenge. The specific shape of the spoiler delivers powerful recompression which guarantees that the engine air intake benefits from high dynamic pressure, shortening the length of the inlet duct, reducing consequent losses and boosting engine performance.
The need for efficient downforce resulted in the whole of the front of the car being completely redesigned, particularly the bumpers and bonnet. One innovative Formula 1-derived solution in particular stands out: the S-Duct. The air from the intake on the front bumper passes through an aerodynamic duct with calibrated sections and exits through a vent on the bonnet, creating downforce over the front axle.
Furthermore, the front intake is completed by a central lower wing profile with a dual function. On the one hand, it acts as a splitter which, thanks to its curvature, accelerates the flow and increases the amount of air passing through the S-Duct, thus improving its performance while, on the other, it creates a low pressure area under the front underbody, further boosting downforce.
The introduction of this particular solution accounts for 18% of the overall increase in downforce compared to the 488 Spider, but barely a 2% increase in drag.
The exterior sections of the bumper ahead of the wheels were also extensively redesigned with solutions modified from the 488 Challenge and reinterpreted so successfully that they are responsible for 23% of the increase in downforce compared to the 488 Spider. Radical scoops in the front bumper allow aerodynamic elements to protrude in areas where they can be most efficient. The volume of the front bumper is recessed before the wheelarch to deflect the flow ahead of the wheels outwards, generating suction from the wheelarch and thus from the front underbody, which is equipped with diffusers, all to the benefit of front downforce.
At the rear, two elements contributed to the achievement of the downforce target: the blown spoiler system and the venting behind the rear wheels.
The spoiler is higher (+30 mm) and longer (+40 mm) compared to its counterpart on the 488 Spider. Development work focused on the efficiency of the bleed under the spoiler. In fact, the evolution of the spoiler system and its bleed has had a significant impact on downforce, accounting for 25% of the overall increase compared to the 488 Spider.
As is always the case with each new Ferrari, the car’s underbody was specifically redesigned to ensure it delivers as efficient a downforce figure as possible. The first major difference from the 488 Spider is how the hot air from the radiators is deflected to the underbody ahead of the front wheels. This choice, made to enhance the cooling layout and lower the car’s drag coefficient, however shrinks the surfaces that can be used to generate downforce. To make up for this and further boost downforce, the designers decided to exploit other areas of the underbody.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider was thus equipped with front diffusers, made possible by the change in the inclination of the front radiators and the elimination of the dams ahead of the wheels. Thanks to a ramp already optimised for the 488 GTE, the diffusers accelerate the flow, venting it into the wheelarches, creating strong suction that in turn is responsible for 12% of the overall downforce increase compared to the 488 Spider.
The vortex generators on the underbody have also been optimised and now generate 10% more downforce, thanks to modifications to their profile and length.
The rear diffuser is also derived directly from Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship experience and has the same double kink line as the 488 GTE’s, amplifying the extraction and downforce generation capacities of a traditional diffuser. As in the 488 GTB, the diffuser is equipped with a system of 3 active flaps which rotate 14° in minimum drag configuration to completely stall the diffuser and thus significantly reduce the car’s drag.
EXTERIOR DESIGN
Aerodynamic demands guided the work of the Ferrari Design Centre team. The 488 Pista Spider’s forms have been meticulously sculpted to ensure they are more performance-oriented than ever, with huge attention lavished on ensuring that while aerodynamic demands were met, the Maranello marque’s signature styling elements and aesthetic canons were respected.
The designers used innovative elements, such as the aerodynamic S-Duct at the front, as an opportunity to visually shorten the car’s nose, creating an original floating wing effect. The black, omega-shaped edging on the front bumpers and the side flicks reference the prominent aerodynamic underbody motif of the 488 GTE.
Most notable on the flanks is the fact that the splitter in the side air intakes of the 488 Spider has been removed. At the front, the aerodynamic profiles that start at the front bumpers run sleekly along the side miniskirts all the way to the side appendages of the rear diffuser.
The concept of the front is echoed in the dolphin-tail rear spoiler which appears suspended to provide an impression lightness and efficiency, while the rear volumes add a sense of power to the tail.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider has a racing livery that runs the entire length of the car, starting at the front bumper, then diving into the S-Duct and continuing all the way to the rear spoiler.
COCKPIT
The interior has a distinctively spare racing feel. The extensive use of lightweight, exclusive technical materials such as carbon-fibre and Alcantara works brilliantly with the meticulous crafting and sophistication that is the signature of all Ferrari cockpits. Contrasting hand-stitching, tread plates and heel rests in triangular pattern aluminium and sculpted door panels are fine examples of this.
The driver zone has been enhanced by two newly-developed all-carbon-fibre instrument clusters around the main instrument panel (optional content). The glove compartment (normally incorporated into the dashboard directly in front of the passenger) has been removed and replaced by handy storage pockets on the rear bench and the doors. The effect is to significantly visually slim down the volume of the under-dash area.
7 YEARS MAINTENANCE
Ferrari’s unparalleled quality standards and growing focus on client service underpin the extended seven-year maintenance programme offered with the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider.
Available across the entire range, it covers all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the car’s life.
The scheduled maintenance programme for Ferraris is an exclusive service that allows clients the certainty that their car is being kept at peak performance and safety over the years.
Technical Specifications
ENGINE
Type V8 – 90°twin-turbo – Dry sump
Overall displacement 3902 cc
Max. power output* 530 kW (720 cv) at 8000 rpm
Max. torque* 770 Nm at 3000 rpm 7th gear
Specific power output 185 cv/l
Max. engine speed 8000 rpm
Compression ratio 9.6:1
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Length 4605 mm
Width 1975 mm
Height 1206 mm
Wheelbase 2650 mm
Front track 1679 mm
Rear track 1649 mm
Kerb weight** 1485 kg
Dry weight** 1380 kg
Dry weight/power ratio 1.92 kg/cv
Weight distribution 41.5% front – 58.5% rear
Boot capacity 170 l
Fuel tank capacity 78 l
TYRES
Front 245/35 ZR 20 J9.0
Rear 305/30 ZR 20 J11.0
Brakes
Front 398 x 223 x 38 mm
Rear 360 x 233 x 32 mm
TRANSMISSION/GEARBOX
F1 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission
ELECTRONIC CONTROLS
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, ABS/High Performance EBD with Ferrari Pre-Fill, FrS SCM-E, FDE, SSC 6.0
PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h 2.85 s
0-200 km/h 8.0 s
100-0 km/h 29.5 m
200-0 km/h 116 m
Max. speed 340 km/h
Fiorano lap time 1’21.5”
FUEL CONSUMPTION/CO2 EMISSIONS
Under homologation
* With 98 RON petrol / ** With optional lightweight content
Ferrari 488 Pista Spider
Posted: 25.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Pebble Beach world premiere for the new Special Series
The 50th drop-top model from the Maranello marque
Maranello, 25 August 2018 – The Prancing Horse’s new Special Series model, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, has been unveiled during the world-famous Concours d’Elegance® at Pebble Beach in California.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is the 50th drop-top model from the Prancing Horse and a premiere in the US was a natural choice given that, ever since the 1950s, North American clients have always been keen connoisseurs of high-performance convertibles.
The new car sets a new benchmark for Ferrari for spider performance with an unprecedented weight-power ratio of 1.92 kg/cv. A result made possible by the adoption of the most powerful Ferrari V8 engine ever, which was recently named Best Engine in the world for the third consecutive year at the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards. The 3902cc twin-turbo V8 unleashes 720 cv and combines that power with increasing torque at all engine speeds for continuous and unending acceleration all the way to the red line. The unique engine sound is now even more riveting thanks to the open-top configuration.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider represents the natural development of the defining design of the coupé version. The Ferrari designers’ primary objective was to maintain unaltered the perfect marriage of aerodynamic efficiency, purity of form and racing spirit.
This concept is underlined by the characteristic central livery which runs the whole length of the car, expanding towards the rear where it finishes at the end of the rear wing next to the spoiler. This continual expansion of the stripe recalls the movement of the airflow and exalts the lines of the car.
The philosophy that imposed an uncompromising choice of materials for the bodywork is also revisited in the interior solutions, with weight being saved by the use of lightweight, pared-back components. As well as the generous use of carbon-fibre and Alcantara® throughout, the carpets have been replaced by patterned aluminium foot plates and the driver’s-side door handle is now a simple strap.
In terms of engineering, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is directly derived from the 488 Pista which encapsulates all the racing experience gathered on world’s circuits with the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE. As a result, the new Spider offers the highest level yet of technological transfer from the track to a road-legal drop-top car.
The vehicle dynamics honed for this Special Series 8-cylinder convertible deliver a seamless combination of razor-sharp acceleration, braking efficiency, lightning-fast gear shifting, precision steering, grip, stability and superb handling. The result? A completely captivating and unprecedented driving experience. This was achieved thanks partly to the new lateral dynamics control system, the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE), which makes on-the-limit driving more intuitive, controllable and predictable.
The car features new diamond-finish 20” alloy wheels with a novel 10-spoke star-effect interpretation of Ferrari’s traditional mid-rear engine berlinetta-style rims. Also available are the optional one-piece carbon-fibre wheels which offer a 20% weight reduction over the standard forged alloys.
| Circuit | Spa-Francorchamps |
| Date | 26.08.2018 |
| Laps | 44 |
| Distance | 308,052 km / 191,456 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | 1. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | retired/accident |
Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps 26 August
Posted: 26.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “That was a fantastic win today, with a great race from Seb and the whole team which, both at the track and back in Maranello, fought back from yesterday’s difficulties in a strong, calm and determined manner, while the car showed all its potential. What happened to Kimi is a real shame and, but for that, we might have had even more to celebrate and the Constructors’ classification would look a bit different. Now, the important thing is to carry on working with determination and humility, without ever giving up. Now we come to Monza and right from Wednesday, we will get the chance to get close to our fans during the event at Darsena di Milano. I am sure that will be able to count on the support of all our tifosi, as the championship goes on, getting more and more interesting. We hope that, come the end of the year, we can give them something to really smile about.”
Sebastian Vettel: “I’m very happy because we had a great race, the car now has proved to be robust on all tracks and this weekend we got a little more power from the new engine, which I think also helped us down the straights. At the start I tried to stay close to Lewis, getting a good exit out of Turn 1 and then taking advantage of the slipstream to get past. After the Safety car pulled out, it was just the other way round, so I looked after the exit of Turn 1 to stay ahead. The first stint was very close, only a couple of seconds between us; but then the guys did a fantastic pit-stop, I could not believe the light had turned green so fast, and that gave our rivals no chance. The second stint was more about managing the car and the tires for both of us. This is a great win for the whole team and hope in Monza it will be the same, but we need to keep fighting to be always up there.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “I don’t know what happened at the start: the only thing I know is that somebody hit me from behind and straight after that I got a puncture. I had a lot of damage to the rear wing endplate and the floor; at that point I could not go fast and the DRS stayed open all the times, it was hard to remain on track. It was pointless to continue, the damage was too big, so we decided to go back to the garage.”
Belgian Grand Prix – Ferrari selects fifth
Posted: 26.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb wins in Belgium, Kimi unlucky to be hit at start
Spa-Francorchamps, 26 August –And that makes five. Five wins so far this season for Seb Vettel and Scuderia Ferrari, who had not won in Belgium since 2009. Seb has closed the gap in the Drivers’ championship to 17 points, while the Scuderia has lost a further 5 in the Constructors’ because of Kimi’s retirement, after he was hit by Ricciardo at the start. He could have got a great result given the pace of the SF71H, even though he was starting from the third row of the grid. And now we come to Monza.
FILM OF THE RACE . Seb was second on the grid, with Kimi sixth. The start went off normally, but a McLaren was soon flying through the air: it was Alonso, who had been hit by Hulkenberg. Other cars were also damaged and Kimi came on the radio to say he had a right rear puncture (probably after colliding with Ricciardo.) But at this point, all eyes were on the leaders as Sebastian immediately got past Hamilton on the Kemmel climb, to take the lead. Immediately after that, the Safety Car came out. The number 7 car pitted to fit the Medium tyres, showing signs of some damage to the floor and bodywork.
Four laps went by before the restart, when Vettel fought off the advances of his pursuers and was able to build a slight lead. However, his team-mate was struggling to drive his damaged car and returned to the pits to check the damage while work was done on the front wing. But it was all in vain and he was soon back to park up in the garage and retire.
The two leaders were lapping at almost identical pace and the two teams watched one another, waiting for the pit stops to begin. Hamilton was the first to come in at half distance, fitting the Softs. Seb stepped up the pace, prior to pitting. He also went for the yellow tyres and the driver congratulated the team on its perfect work, as he emerged still leading the race by 1”9. On lap 25, Seb a fastest lap.
With 15 laps to the flag, the Ferrari led by over 4 seconds and the key would be tyre management, but the battle was far from over. On lap 35, it was time to lap the backmarkers. There were five laps to go, the gap was 7” and growing. David Sanchez, the head of the aerodynamic engineers was sent up to the podium. “Great job everyone,” said Maurizio by way of words of thanks.
Belgian Grand Prix – “We can find the right way”
Posted: 25.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Weather played a role – again – in today’s qualifying result for Seb and Kimi
Spa-Francorchamps, August 25 – At the end of a messy qualifying session, Scuderia Ferrari drivers came away with Seb in P2 and Kimi in P6 for tomorrow’s race. Given the conditions, the team tried to split strategies between its two drivers to cover both scenarios, as everybody in the pit lane assumed the rain would come midway through Q3, but that was not the case and Kimi was caught out in the garage, while Seb found traffic in the shape of Ocon at the end of his final run. Both the drivers and the team are now fully focused on the race and the opportunities it should offer.
“Today was ok”, Seb commented: “we had the pace and we managed to stay on track and maintain control even if the conditions were tricky. I could have done much more but I made some mistakes, therefore I am happy with second position, albeit not completely of course. When it suddenly starts raining as it did today, everything gets more confused and there’s more traffic on track. You know that every lap is important, but you also know that the last one could be the best. However, we have a good car, our people are pushing very hard and I think we have taken another step forward here. I believe that speed is the main aspect that can make the difference. We’ll see how we get off the line tomorrow in the first lap, but I think that if we have better speed, then we will find the right way to pass. We’ve been very close so far, so I think we’ll see the real pace tomorrow in the race”.
“The weekend so far had being going in the right direction and the car was fine”, said Kimi. “The result of this qualifying is far from ideal, but not a disaster. For sure this is not the place we should have finished today. In the end we only had fuel for one lap and we had to come in. This is what we have got and there’s nothing we can do. It’s just a matter of getting it right and being there when the track is faster. At the moment, it is difficult to find a positive side, but the race is normally a different story and we’ll see what happens. Tomorrow we’ll try again, learn from our mistakes and keep going. First of all we need to come through the first corner without any issues. Yesterday it was surprisingly difficult to overtake, but in the race it is a different story”.
Belgian Grand Prix – P3, Ferrari in front
Posted: 25.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
6 hundredths split Seb and Kimi
Spa-Francorchamps, 25 August – Sebastian Vettel was fastest in the third and final free practice session here in Belgium, with a time of 1’42”661. His Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was second in 1’42”724. Both drivers ran the same tyre programme, using two sets of the red banded Supersofts. The session was red flagged 7 minutes from the end, when Vandoorne went off the track, but it was restarted for the final couple of minutes. Next up is qualifying for the Belgian GP at 15:00.
Belgian Grand Prix – “Going the right way”
Posted: 24.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Kimi and Seb pleased with first day back in the car
Spa-Francorchamps, August 24 – The first day of practice after the mandatory summer break went smoothly for Scuderia Ferrari and its drivers. Both Kimi and Seb topped the time sheets in P2 and P1 respectively and the two SF71Hs, on which several new Power Unit components had been fitted, went through a full program of aero comparison, set-up changes and tyre evaluation on both fast laps and long runs.
Kimi: “That was our first day of practice after the break; we did our pretty usual job to get a feeling for the car once again. I enjoy driving on this track, it has a good flow and this generation of cars are pretty nice to drive here. I think Spa is a great circuit, but obviously this doesn’t make you faster or slower! We always say that Friday is Friday and times don’t really matter today; it was ok, but for sure we still have some work ahead of us. Tomorrow we’ll try to do our best and see where we end up. We expected some rain today but it did not come. But the weather can still be a key point this weekend, as it changes very quickly here”.
Seb: “Overall, I think it’s going the right way. Today it was a bit difficult to figure out where we are and I think we’ll have to wait for tomorrow to have a better idea. The new engine has done what it was supposed to do. Today everything was working well. Now we’ll see about tomorrow: rain shouldn’t give us any more problems and, should we have wet conditions, it would be quite nice to have confirmation that we found the right things to do. On this track everything seems to happen faster, so it should be a lot of fun and if we have dry conditions tomorrow for qualifying, we should be ok.
There are still some special tracks on the calendar and for sure this one in Spa is very exciting in terms of cornering speeds. We still need to do some work, but we have time to do it”.
Belgian Grand Prix – Friday action concludes at Spa
Posted: 24.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
1st and 5th for Kimi and Sebastian
Spa-Francorchamps, 24 August – Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in the second free practice session with a best lap of 1’43”335. In the other SF71H, team-mate Sebastian Vettel posted a 1’44”129, good enough for fifth. Unlike the morning session, this afternoon, the drivers ran different tyre programmes. The Finn started on Mediums before switching to Softs and Supersoft. The German began on the yellow banded tyres, before trying the Supersofts and then Mediums for long runs. Tomorrow’s final practice session gets underway at 12:00 before qualifying starts at 15h00.
Belgian Grand Prix – Back on track for P1
Posted: 24.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Vettel fastest, Kimi 4th
Francorchamps , 24 August – The second part of the F1 Championship got underway after the summer break, with the first free practice session here in Belgium. Sebastian Vettel was fastest for Scuderia Ferrari with a best lap of 1’44”358 and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in 1’44”718. The two drivers ran the Soft compound tyres throughout, running the final part of the 90 minute session in race trim. Second practice gets underway at 15h00.
Belgian Grand Prix – “Keep up the speed everywhere”
Posted: 23.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb, Kimi and the team back to work-with an eye to the rest of the season
Spa-Francorchamps, August 23 – Summer’s not over yet, but the Formula 1 summer break of definitely is. Scuderia Ferrari went back to work in full swing this week and now its drivers, Seb Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, are preparing for the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, a track that everyone loves.
“I spent my break relaxing with the family, swimming, running and biking”, Seb explains. “Now we’re back to work on a circuit that we like so much because it’s a drivers’ track, where you can make a difference. As is customary after the break, we will have some developments on our car. The key from now on will be to keep the speed everywhere. I think we did a god job so far in progressing as a team, and that’s why I’m confident for the rest of the season. There have been races in which we had the upper hand in terms of performance and we didn’t get as many points as we could have, but the same applies to our competitors”.
Four-time Spa winner Kimi added: “I really like the layout of this circuit, driving here is great. I preferred the old part of the track , at the Bus stop chicane, but apart from that bit, the circuit hasn’t changed too much. This place always brings good racing, so it’s nice for us and also for the spectators. We’ll see what the weather holds; here it can change very quickly, it might rain in one place and the next corner it can be dry. We’ll need to adapt the best that we can. As any other race it’s a bit of an unknown where we are going to be against the others; we will find out over the weekend and especially on Sunday. We’ll keep doing the same job we have done so far and then we’ll see what the outcome is”.
Belgian Grand Prix – Off again with a piece of history
Posted: 23.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Objective Spa: A circuit and temperatures from the past
The cogs of Formula 1 have started turning again. At the start of this week, the logistics and catering advance party set off for Belgium, along with the “mini-team” that does all the set-up work at the track. The bulk of the team goes on Wednesday afternoon. The summer break is over and, right away, we’re dealing with another back to back. Two races in two weekends and it’s an important sequence for Scuderia Ferrari, given that, after Spa, we have our home race at Monza.
The novelty this weekend might be the cold weather. Over the past few years, the Ardennes have been more like the Antilles, with unusually high temperatures for this time of year and in this hilly terrain. This time, the forecast, which always has to be taken with a pinch of salt, is for maximum temperatures no higher than 14 to 16 degrees. At the moment, the risk of rain is quite high for free practice on Friday, lower for qualifying and virtually nil for race day.
The track is a part of history, having been in use for over ninety years, albeit with different configurations. It’s the longest track on the calendar at over seven kilometres and the most “swoopy” with over a hundred metres of elevation change. The current cars’ levels of aerodynamic downforce have made it easier to tackle corners such as Eau Rouge, Raidillon and Pouhon, but the circuit maintains its challenging nature, while the crowds help make the show.
Challenge APAC – Hutasoit, Hanna and Iritani blazed their way to win at Suzuka
Posted: 25.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Suzuka, 25 August 2018 – In the second race of Round 5 of the Ferrari Challenge APAC series, track temperatures were at a blistering 45 degree Celsius, which made it very challenging for the drivers and tires were managed to minimize deterioration. This race saw Tani Hanna from Lebanon moving a step closer to sealing the Coppa Shell class championship with his sixth win of the season. In the Trofeo Pirelli class Renaldi Hutasoit from Indonesia notched up his second victory of the season while local hero Atsushi Iritani took the spoils in the Coppa Shell AM class.
Trofeo Pirelli. It was a walk in the park for pole-sitter Hutasoit as he seemed to be competing in a race of his own. He kept his lead from the green light right to the chequered flag. Behind him, Philippe Prette, from Italy, Go Max from Japan and Alex Au from Hong Kong were locked up in a fierce battle for podium, but none were able to close up to the leader. Unfortunately, Go Max spun during lap 9 and Prette grabbed the opportunity to secure second place while Au had to settle for third position, though this was enough to keep him at the top of the table standings.
Coppa Shell. The Coppa Shell race was just as spectacular. At the start Tiger Wu from Chinese Taipei was in first ahead of Hidehiko Hagiwara from Japan. However, Tani Hanna, who started eight on the grid, showed his championship winning form when he fought his way up into the lead pack and stayed on to win in his class. Behind Hanna, the battle was between Hagiwara and Wu until they made contact at the last lap which ended their hopes of standing atop the podium steps. Naoryu and fellow compatriot Kazuyuki Yamaguchi, then seized the opportunity to forge their way ahead and took second and third positions respectively. Hagiwara eventually settled for fourth. With the win, Hanna has further solidified his position at the top of the table standings.
Coppa Shell AM. In the Coppa Shell AM classification, Race-1 winner Kent Chen from Chinese Taipei was in first ahead of Atsushi Iritani from Japan and Andrew Moon from South Korea. It was a one-two battle between Chen and Iritani but the latter executed some spectacular overtaking moves which gave him the win and Chen had to settle for second position while Moon took third position. Grant Baker from New Zealand took the Gentlemen Cup. Rookie Ran Zhang from China, who impressively powered her way from 30th position on the grid to 24th took the Ladies’ Cup for the first time.
Race Schedule. The next round of the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific will return to the Singapore street circuit in support of the Formula One Grand Prix from 14th – 16th September.
Challenge APAC – Victory for Max, Hanna and Chen in Suzuka Race-1
Posted: 24.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Suzuka, 24 August 2018 – It was clear blue skies that greeted the Ferrari Challenge drivers for the start of the 2018 Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific Race-1 at the Suzuka Circuit after typhoon Cimaron passed over the Japanese archipelago overnight. With 34 drivers from 13 countries participating in the race, the 5.807 km circuit was an adrenaline-filled affair for the spectators. The circuit is also known to be an extremely challenging one with 18 turns. After a huge accident by Rezza Kamaditya in which he crashed and flipped over several times, the race was red flagged with only 10 laps completed. Fortunately he walked away unhurt, in large part owing to the safety measures built into the car. Race direction took the standings at lap 10 and declared the winners.
Trofeo Pirelli. As the lights turned green, Japanese pole-sitter Go Max got off to a brilliant start to lead the field, while Alex Au from Hong Kong challenged hard throughout the entire race but just couldn’t rein in Max. Renaldi Hutasoit from Indonesia executed some smooth overtaking manoeuvres from the start and moved from seventh position on the grid to third. He managed to keep his pace to take the last step of the podium. Au extend his lead in the championship over Prett, today only fourth.
Coppa Shell. In the battle for Coppa Shell class honours, the win went to table leader Tani Hanna from Lebanon after a dramatic close race with Hidehiko Hagiwara and Yusuke Yamasaki, both from Japan. Hanna put in some solid laps to hold the category lead. Hagiwara eventually took second place while Yamasaki was third.
Coppa Shell AM. In the Coppa Shell AM classification, Kent Chen from Chinese Taipei took his first victory in Ferrari Challenge this year with a dominant drive despite starting behind Andrew Moon of South Korea. After taking the lead from Moon, Chen went to work to keep a gap over his nearest rivals and stayed in position till the chequered flag. However, Grant Baker from New Zealand who started from fourth on the grid soon made it by Moon, eventually finishing second on the podium. Baker also took the Gentlemen Cup. Atsushi Iritani from Japan took the last step on the podium while Moon had to settle for 4th position. Kanthicha Chimsiri from Thailand took the Ladies’ Cup.
Race Schedule. Race 2 will start again tomorrow at 3:40PM local time.
Ferrari Challenge APAC – The battle moves to Suzuka
Posted: 22.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Suzuka, 22 August 2018 – The 2018 Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific round five will take place on the 5.807 km Suzuka circuit in Japan from 23 to 25 August alongside the 2018 Intercontinental GT Challenge Suzuka 10 Hours race. A total of 38 race drivers, including ten from Japan, will take to the track for three rounds of free practice before returning on Friday for the first qualifying session and Race 1, while Qualifying 2 and Race 2 will take place on Saturday.
Trofeo Pirelli. Following the last race held on 1 July at Fuji International Circuit, Alex Au from Hong Kong has overtaken Philippe Prette, moving from second place to lead the table standings in the Trofeo Pirelli class with 113 points. Prette isn’t too far behind with 97 points and in third place is Renaldi Hutasoit from Indonesia with 78 points. Expect to see some fast and furious battles in this class as the fight for supremacy continues.
Coppa Shell. It was two wins in a row for Tani Hanna from Lebanon in the Coppa Shell class at the last round in Fuji, thus solidifying his lead at the top of the table with 133 points. In second place is Tiger Wu of Chinese Taipei with 82 points, followed very closely by Yanbin Xing of China with only 2 points separating them. It will be interesting to see what strategies Xing will deploy this weekend to try to move up the table before heading into the Singapore leg in September.
Coppa Shell Am. Meanwhile, David Dicker from Australia continues his lead in the Coppa Shell AM class with a total of 144 points after once again winning both his races in Fuji, widening his lead to 49 points over Grant Baker from New Zealand who has 95 points. Min Xiao from China is a close third with 90 points.
Race Schedule. Follow all the action by our Challenge drivers who will undertake three rounds of practice sessions tomorrow, with the first race on Friday at 5:20 PM local time and the second race on Saturday at 3:30 PM local time.
Enzo Ferrari, 30 years on
Posted: 14.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
The founder died on 14 August 1988
Enzo Ferrari died 30 years ago, and the Maranello-based company is taking advantage of this occasion to dedicate a few affectionate words to its founder. Ferrari was an unparalleled example of a practical dreamer, a man who created a company from scratch that has become renowned worldwide for its sporting results and its market excellence.
“If you can imagine it, you can do it”, was one of his favourite mottos. And there is no doubt that Ferrari had an extraordinary ability to make real the ideas that his curious mind focused on in a life that was very intense but also marked by habits and a series of routines that rarely saw him leave Modena and Maranello.
Enzo Ferrari never took a holiday. Sometimes when he let himself have a half-day in Viserba, on the Adriatic Sea, he popped into the company on his way home, to write down any ideas he may have had, and to check that everything was going well. It was almost as if he needed to give the company and its staff a little pat on the back before bedtime. A strict father, he had a sincere and honest relationship with his employees, to the point that for his 90th birthday, 1700 people dined together in the factory….
Enzo Ferrari has been physically missing from Ferrari for 30 years, since 14 August 1988, but has never really left, because the people who worked with him transmitted to their colleagues the passion and respect for the work that he saw almost as a vocation. As with the F40 of 1987, the last car personally approved by Enzo, all current Ferraris also capture and show the passion hardwired into their DNA. Ferrari always stands out on the market as well as on the track, because every car that carries the Prancing Horse on its body is still animated by Enzo Ferrari’s dream, a dream that has become reality.
Hungarian Test – F1 is going on holiday
Posted: 01.08.2018
Source: Ferrari
Kimi brings test to an end: almost 1000 Km over 2 days for the SF71H
Mogyorod, 1 August –Kimi Raikkonen got behind the wheel of the SF71H, while Antonio Giovinazzi, who had driven it yesterday, was having another day of testing, this time in the Alfa Sauber. Temperatures stayed around the 35 degree mark, while the track surface got as hot as 54 during the day.
Kimi had a busy programme to tackle, focused on various set-up solutions and tyre testing looking at five compounds; Medium, Soft, Supersoft, Ultrasoft and one set of experimental and therefore unmarked Pirellis.
By the end of the day and despite several red flag interruptions, Kimi had covered 131 laps, the best of which being a 1’15”649, set on used Hypersoft tyres, that Giovinazzi had run yesterday.
“In the end, it’s not that different to a Friday at a Grand Prix,” commented the driver, “when you try out various solutions. And that’s why, being a test, the lap times don’t mean much.”
Over the two days of testing, the SF71H completed 227 laps, equal to 994 kilometres. Now, the engines on track fall silent and at the end of this week, almost all work within the teams comes to a halt, starting up again a few days before the Belgian GP, on the last weekend of August.
Test T4, Giovinazzi Marathon Man
Posted: 31.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
96 laps and programme completed: “Driving the Ferrari is always special”
Mogyorod, 31 July – Antonio Giovinazzi could have done with just a few more laps, partly to round it up to a hundred, or even 99, which is his favourite number and the one he had on the SF71H today, or maybe just because “driving a Ferrari is always special.” His running was cut short by a sudden and heavy downpour just as the team was preparing to send him out for his final run. However, on this first day of testing at the Hungaroring, the programme was successfully completed and Antonio’s second “rookie day,” after the one in which he took part in Barcelona, ended with a best lap of 1’15”648, set on the Hypersoft tyres and his lap total was 96. Antonio also ran with the Medium, Soft and Supersoft compounds. Tomorrow, Kimi Raikkonen gets behind the wheel for the final day.
| Circuit | Hungaroring |
| Date | 29.07.2018 |
| Laps | 70 |
| Distance | 306,630 km / 190,571 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | 2. |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | 3. |
Hungarian Grand Prix – Budapest 29 July
Posted: 29.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “At a track where overtaking in the race is always difficult, we managed to finish higher up the order than we started, thanks to the efforts of the entire team and a great performance from both drivers. Now we still have one week at work before the summer break, which will allow us to reflect calmly on the races yet to come. There is still a long way to go this season and the important thing is for the team to work in a calm and determined fashion, giving its all during the second half of the season.”
Sebastian Vettel: “Today we were fast in the first stint, but at the end I was a little bit disappointed because I had lost 3 or 4 seconds in the traffic. The pit stop we did was not ideal either, as we lost some time there. Then it was very hard, when I was running close to Valtteri and trying to overtake him. However, at the end I knew I could be faster than him thanks to my tires, which were fresher. However, we tried everything we could and I think second position is the best result we could get today. I think there’s a lot of things we did well and some others not that much, but that’s part of the game. It has been a very hard week for all of us, so I think that having both cars on the podium is a very good result. I am happy to see that the car is fast, it has worked well on every track so far, so I think this is the most important thing. Our car has a big potential, so I feel relaxed, going on holiday, for the races to come.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “The start was ok, I got a tow and I was deciding which side I should go; but then Bottas moved the same side, trying to block me, so I braked earlier and lost the position to Sebastian. After that it was all about trying to get some free air and use the speed I had, giving myself a hard time in trying to to put pressure on the others and not being able to save the tires. The race went by pretty quick, we were pushing through the whole race with decent tires all the time because of the two-strategy stops we had. The fact of not having my drink bottle available was obviously not ideal, but not so much of an issue either. Today we had the speed, but we know that this is a tricky circuit for overtaking. The race was decided yesterday in qualifying, but in the end we managed to get back one place each. Second and third is the maximum we could hope for today; it’s quite an ok result, but it’s not what we want. On the second half of the season we’ll try to turn it around and do a bit better. I know it’s still a long way to go, anything can happen and things can change quickly. We keep pushing, trying to improve on the small details and be consistent, and I’m sure we can get higher podium positions.”
Hungarian Grand Prix – Combative and spectacular
Posted: 29.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb and Kimi fight to the flag: 33 points for the Scuderia
Mogyorod, 29 July –From second row on the grid to a double podium finish. With Seb second and Kimi third, Scuderia Ferrari probably got the most they could out of a difficult Sunday. However, there has to be a question mark, or maybe regret, about what might have been, but for a moment’s hesitation at the pit stop. Or for that matter, if it hadn’t rained on Saturday afternoon. But the SF71H continues to show it is strong everywhere and Vettel’s overtake on Bottas was the best move of the race.
FILM OF THE RACE. Kimi started from third on the Ultrasoft tyres and behind him, Seb was the only driver in the top four to opt for Softs, which would offer less performance at the start but would last longer. It was a normal start up to turn 2 when Seb went round the outside of Kimi, from which point on he had to manage his pace.
Raikkonen was the first to pit, coming in on lap 15 for Softs, with Bottas covering the move next time round. After 20 laps, Seb began to step up the pace with the aim of pulling out a big enough lead over Bottas in order to stay ahead after the pit stop. That brought down the gap to Hamilton who pitted on lap 26, fitting the Softs, or the Options if you prefer engineers-speak.
Sebastian continued to gain on Valtteri and therefore stay on track. Kimi was also catching his fellow countryman, having lost a bit of time at the pit stop while tyre debris was cleared out of the brake duct.
After 33 laps, Raikkonen was now in DRS distance of Bottas, but overtaking is not easy here and there are backmarkers to steer clear of and Seb also radioed the pit wall to ask for the blue flags.
On lap 39, the Ferrari mechanics stepped out into the pit lane to fit another set of the yellow banded tyres for Kimi. As planned, Seb went for the Quali tyres, the purple-banded Ultrasofts. But the stop took longer than planned and the SF71H emerged behind Bottas who had significantly upped his pace. The two men duelled on track, while Kimi set a fastest race lap. In fact, now the main concern was not attacking, but not staying too close to the car in front in order to control the brake temperatures.
In the last 20 laps, the number 5 car closed up again before a Virtual Safety Car was needed after Vandoorne stopped on track. As the race resumed, Vettel’s Ultrasofts were still in great condition, but after Monaco, the Hungaroring is the worst track for those who enjoy watching overtaking moves. By now, Kimi had closed right up on these two, which on any other track would have been the prelude to some thrilling action.
Lap 65 and Seb made a bold move down the outside, taking the inside line through turn 2 to go ahead of Bottas, who, in trying to defend his position, hit the Ferrari damaging his front wing, which meant Kimi was able to slip by. The race had turned around but too late to aim for the top position. But nevertheless it was a race in which Ferrari could take pride in its combative nature.
Hungarian Grand Prix – “We have to be positively happy”
Posted: 28.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Kimi: not so lucky with traffic. Seb: good car for the race
Mogyoròd, July 28 – The lottery of a wet qualifying session resulted in Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, taking 3rd and 4th place on the grid respectively. Conditions were tricky throughout the session as rain was falling with variable intensity and some sections of the track were flooded, while you could see semi-dry patches in others, so the call for tyres was always difficult in the first two segments, while the third one saw the Extreme Wet compound being the only sensible choice. The SF71Hs could not capitalize on the performance advantage that had been apparent in the dry P3 session, but both drives are determined to do their best in tomorrow’s 70 lap race, for which dry and particularly hot conditions are currently forecast.
“Overall” Kimi commented “this weekend the car has been really good in any conditions. In qualifying it was a bit tricky, but I enjoyed driving it a lot. The speed was there and the car was working well in wet conditions. Today we were more competitive in the rain than we had been in other places; It was nice, I was pleased because this hadn’t been our strongest point lately. In Q3 with used tires we were fastest of all, but with the new set we were a bit unlucky with the traffic; we got stuck a bit behind another car and with all the spray we could not have a clear lap. There was nothing we could do, as we were limited on time. It’s a pity because there was a lot of grip on the new tires: I’m sure we had the speed and everything else to get the first place, but we have to be positively happy that now we can actually challenge for the front in wet conditions”.
“I don’t think it was an awful session overall”, said Seb; “we were just not quick enough. Conditions were tricky and it was hard to squeeze everything out of the car, but I think my laps were generally fine. In wet conditions, we weren’t so confident as we had been in the dry, so we have some work to do. Today it was not a straightforward session, but I think we managed it well until the end. Obviously, we were missing a bit of something, but that’s how it is. We’ll see what tomorrow brings: the start is important, but the race is 70 laps long and I think we’ll be fine. I’ll move off from the second row, so we’ll focus on what we need to do starting from there. However, we have a good car no matter the conditions, and that’s the main thing”.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Scuderia Ferrari on second row
Posted: 28.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Qualifying in the rain
Budapest 28 July – At the end of a qualifying session held in the rain, Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest in a time of 1’36”186. His German team-mate Sebastian Vettel posted a 1’36”210 to secure fourth place on the grid. The Scuderia Ferrari drivers used Intermediate, Ultrasoft and full wet tyres during the session. The red lights go out to start the race at 1510 tomorrow.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Final practice at Hungaroring
Posted: 28.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb 1stKimi 3rd for Ferrari
Budapest, 28 July – At the end of the final free practice session at the Hungaroring circuit, Sebastian Vettel was fastest in 1’16”170. Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was third quickest this morning in1’16”373. Both drivers followed the same tyre programme, running the purple-banded Ultrasofts for the whole session.
Next up is qualifying at 15h00.
Hungarian Grand Prix – “We have to focus on the job”
Posted: 27.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb and Kimi: not an easy Friday, but “technically one of the best”
Mogyorod – The best way for Scuderia Ferrari to honor the late Sergio Marchionne and endure the tragic events of this week is to focus on the job we have to do this weekend. Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are well aware of this and the whole team did their best in the first day of practice at the Hungaroring, an effort resulting in a convincing pace in both the fast laps and the long runs. But it’s only Friday and the real challenge will begin tomorrow on the hot, 4.381 kilometre-long track just a few miles from Budapest.
“I was pretty happy in the afternoon” Seb said “more than in the morning session, as I think the car is performing well also over one lap. We can still improve, but this has been one of the best Fridays so far, technically speaking. Having a great amount of work ahead of us is probably the best thing for keeping our mind busy and getting through the weekend. It’s not easy, but I focused on the job to do. On this track, the qualifying session and the start are very important and can make the difference because overtaking is very difficult. Getting ahead after the first couple of corners is crucial, but there’s a lot of work to do before getting to that point”.
“It was a very normal Friday”, Kimi commented “trying things and learning as much as possible. The conditions were not very easy in many ways, but it’s normal on a Friday. We don’t really pay too much attention to the lap times, they really don’t count in a practice session. For sure we still have some work to do, but it was not too bad and the car worked as we expected. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have the speed we need”.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Scuderia Ferrari 1st and 4th
Posted: 27.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Friday practice comes to an end
Budapest, 27 July – Friday’s F1 track action has come to an end at the Hungaroring and the Scuderia Ferrari drivers ended up first and fourth in the second free practice session. Sebastian Vettel posted a lap in 1’16”834 and Kimi Raikkonen did a 1’17”153. At the start of the session, the Finn ran the Medium tyres, while his German team-mate opted for the Softs. Then, both men were on the same tyre programme, using the purple-banded Ultrasofts, before switching back to the Softs for the long runs.
The final free practice session takes place tomorrow at 12, followed by qualifyin at 15h00.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Free practice begins at Hungaroring
Posted: 27.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Ferrari 2nd and 4th fastest
Budapest, 27 July– This is the final Formula 1 race weekend prior to the summer break. At the end of the first free practice session, Sebastian Vettel was second quickest in a time of 1’17”692 and his Scuderia Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in 1’17”948. The German used only Ultrasoft tyres, while his Finnish team-mate also used the yellow softs in addition to the purple banded compound. The second practice starts at 15h00.
Hungarian Grand Prix – Budapest 20 years ago
Posted: 24.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Recalling a special time when there was no summer break
That particular 16th August is now twenty years ago. There was no summer break back then, but there were only sixteen Grands Prix in the season, the Hungaroring was less than four kilometres in length and had only been on the calendar for thirteen years. It was the first season of grooved tyres and narrow track F1 cars, the fifth year of refuelling which had such a major impact on strategy.
The victory on 16th August was one of Michael Schumacher’s best with Scuderia Ferrari, mainly because the win had seemed impossible. It was a brilliant result built on ability, coordination and concentration, the concentration required to switch from a two to a three stop strategy after 43 laps, while building up enough of an advantage to emerge still in the lead. And all that while dealing with the Hungarian circuit’s notorious traffic.
Leap forward twenty years and the F1 cars are nice and wide again, refuelling has gone, the Hungaroring main straight is longer and following the GP and two days of testing on Tuesday 31 July and 1 August, the teams will take a well-deserved break as from the following week. Those who build up the pit garages have not had a day off since Germany, heading from there directly to Budapest. The majority of the race team arrives on Wednesday. It’s been a demanding time for everyone and not just because of the work. As for the race, it’s a well-known fact that the Hungarian track is slow, with Vettel’s 2017 pole lap run at just over 206 km/h and overtaking is not easy. The dry tyres available will again be the Medium, Soft and Ultrasoft, while there are a few question marks over the weather for qualifying and the race.
Ferrari Challenge North America – MacNeil, Chouest, Millstein, Tippl and Burrowes Take the Top Step at Watkins Glen
Posted: 26.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
WATKINS GLEN, NY (26 July) A gorgeous, almost cloud-free day greeted Ferrari Challenge drivers at the historic Watkins Glen International circuit. Using the same 3.5 mile layout used in the 6 Hours at Watkins Glen, Ferrari Challenge drivers tackled the classic layout and largely stayed free of the iconic blue-painted guardrail that is never more than a few feet away from the blacktop. At an average speed of just over 110mph, drivers never dip below 3rd gear on a lap and reach speeds in excess of 170mph before braking for the bus stop chicane.
The day’s racing began at 9:30am with a 30 minute warm up session followed by 15 minutes of qualifying for each of the five classes in attendance. Racing action took place in the afternoon in three separate groups, starting with Trofeo Pirelli, followed by the 458 EVO cars and ending with the Coppa Shell competitors.
TROFEO PIRELLI
Cooper MacNeil (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari Beverly Hills) again took the top step of the podium in a caution interrupted race where many of the battles raged further back in the field. Cooper’s win over Peter Ludwig (Wide World Ferrari) was a critical result for the championship as Cooper has bought himself some breathing room over his nearest rival. Jean-Claude Saada (Boardwalk Ferrari) took third in the final results after finishing behind Naveen Rao (Scuderia CAVA – Ferrari of San Diego) on the road. Naveen however received a time penalty for passing under yellow and thus dropped to 10th in class.
Trofeo Pirelli AM
A caution triggered by car to car contact and subsequent damage to Dave Musial’s (Lake Forest Sportscar) Ferrari 488 Challenge car brought out the loan caution period in the race as his car came to a stop in the blind turn 9. Further up the field, Ross Chouest (Ferrari of Palm Beach) took the win, besting John Boyd (Ferrari of Denver) and Murray Rothlander (Ferrari of Vancouver) to the checkered flag. At the close, the three were only separated by three seconds.
Coppa Shell
A crowded field of 26 Coppa Shell cars took the green flag in the late afternoon as large storm clouds began to loom over the circuit. The threat of rain, however never materialized and the race was able to run its full length without interruption. At the front, it was another dominant performance by Thomas Tippl (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari of Beverly Hills), besting the rest of the field by over seven seconds and continuing his consecutive win streak. Further back, Mark Fuller (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari of Westlake) and Chris Carel (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari of Beverly Hills) rounded out the podium.
Coppa Shell AM
Kevan Millstein (Scuderia CAVA – Ferrari of San Diego) claimed the most dominant victory of the day, winning by over 10 seconds over Tomas Cabrerizio (Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale). Tomas, however was not second on the road. That distinction went to Scuderia Corsa -Ferrari South Bay driver Bradley Smith. Incident responsibility however knocked him down to 4th, behind Roberto Cava (The Collection).
458 EVO
The 458 race also went off without a hitch, and while the battle was never far away, Martin Burrowes (Ferrari Ft Lauderdale) was able to control the field from the front and seal the win over Trevor Baek (Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo) and John Farano (Ferrari of Ontario). Lisa Clark of Scuderia Corsa Ferrari Beverly Hills took the Ladies Cup.
Schedule
Racing will commence with a 9:00am warm up. Qualifying will be just 1 hour later at 10:00am and continuing through 11:35 while racing will begin just 1 hour later, at 12:40pm
Ferrari Challenge North Continues to Watkins Glen
Posted: 23.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Englewood Cliffs, 23 July 2018 – Ferrari Challenge continues its North American series with a stop at the historic Watkins Glen circuit in upstate New York. The 3.4 mile circuit and the town it was named for were critical to the establishment of road course racing in the United States, hosting the United States Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980. Now home to one of three road course rounds for the Nascar series, Watkins Glen continues to challenge drivers with a fast, rewarding layout that has little margin for error. As the series moves to the back half of the schedule, these tight margins for error will take added importance as the championship picture begins to clarify.
Trofeo Pirelli. Cooper MacNeil (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari Beverly Hills) has the top spot over reigning champion Peter Ludwig (Wide World Ferrari) in the Trofeo Pirelli championship standings with a 17 point difference separating the two. Cooper’s strong performances in the opening couple of rounds combined with Peter’s misfortune at the first race at Laguna Seca are all that separates the two. A bit further back, Marc Muzzo (Ferrari of Ontario) holds a 10-point advantage over James Weiland (Boardwalk Ferrari) for the final step on the championship podium.
Trofeo Pirelli AM. Rob Hodes (Scuderia CAVA – Ferrari of Washington) holds a 10-point advantage over Dave Musial (Lake Forest Sportscar), an advantage that was significantly reduced at the most recent round in Montreal. Alfred Caiola (Ferrari of Long Island) trails Dave by only three points, using a strong run of podiums at Laguna Seca and Montreal to close up on those in front of him.
Coppa Shell. Thomas Tippl (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari Beverly Hills) has taken a commanding lead in the Coppa Shell category, leading Mark Fuller (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari Westlake) by over sixty points. The American executive can afford to drive conservatively, but has also won every race dating back to Race-2 at Daytona at the start of the season. Mark holds an 11-point lead over American movie star Michael Fassbender (Ferrari North America) though the series does not expect Michael to return for the remainder of 2018, leaving Chris Carel (Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari Beverly Hills) to take up the charge.
Coppa Shell AM. Dale Katechis has the narrowest championship lead at just a single point over John Megrue (Ferrari of Long Island). Dale was able to capitalize when John missed the most recent round in Montreal but will not be attending the round at Watkins Glen, so will automatically cede his advantage back to John at the end of the weekend. Slightly further back, Kevan Millstein (Scuderia CAVA – Ferrari of San Diego) has a five point lead over Brian Simon (Cauley Ferrari of Detroit) for third in the championship.
458 Italia Challenge EVO. Martin Burrowes (Ferrari Ft Lauderdale) has claimed an 18 point lead over Trevor Baek (Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo). Martin will be looking to extend his championship advantage in the more limited schedule offered to 458 Challenge EVO drivers in 2018. The most recent action for this class took place at Laguna Seca in May, hopefully the two month hiatus has allowed drivers to sharpen their skills before returning to the track. James Walker (Ferrari of Houston) is making a strong challenge for second in the championship, sitting only six points behind the young Trevor Baek.
Schedule. On track action will begin on Thursday for unofficial testing while official sessions will be from Friday to Sunday. As has become du rigor for Ferrari Challenge in North America, track time will be split where Trofeo Pirelli, Coppa Shell and 458 Challenge EVO categories will all have their own sessions. Those will begin at 9:00AM on each day while track action will conclude by 6pm.
Sergio Marchionne has to step down as Ferrari chairman
Posted: 21.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Maranello (Italy), July 21, 2018 – The Board of Directors of Ferrari NV (“Ferrari”) (NYSE/MTA: RACE) learned with deep sadness during its meeting today that Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne will be unable to return to work.
The Board’s thoughts are with Sergio Marchionne and his family and it is grateful for the extraordinary contribution he has made in recent years at the helm of Ferrari.
The Board has named John Elkann as Chairman and will propose to Shareholders, at a meeting to be called in the coming days, that Louis C. Camilleri be named as CEO.
The Board has also given Louis C. Camilleri the necessary powers to ensure continuity of the company’s operation.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Nielsen, Froggatt, Kirchmayr and Nussbaumer win at Brno
Posted: 22.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Brno, 22 July 2018 – The second races of the fifth round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe were held at Brno, in an atmosphere marked by the sad news about Sergio Marchionne’s health. Nicklas Nielsen and Chris Froggatt notched up further wins in the Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am, while Ernst Kirchmayr and Saturday’s winner Alexander Nussbaumer emerged victorious in the Coppa Shell.
Trofeo Pirelli. Nicklas Nielsen, in the 488 Challenge of Formula Racing, made a perfect start for the second consecutive day, thus cushioning himself from the attacks of Bjorn Grossmann (Octane 126). However, the race was soon over for rookie Sean Hudspeth (Formula Racing) and Alessandro Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing) who came into contact in one of the very first corners. Jens Liebhauser took advantage, with a second successive podium finish presented to him on a platter.
Pirelli Am. The first lap claimed another two victims, with John Dhillon and local hero Jan Danis coming into contact and putting themselves out of the running. Ahead Chris Froggatt (Ferrari GB – HR Owen) quickly pulled away leaving Robert Pergl (Scuderia Praha) and Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126) to fight for second. It was Pergl who came out on top in the end. Froggatt is now a whisker away from the title. Before the race Olivier Beretta and the Scuderia Ferrari mechanics brought the allure of Formula 1 to fans in the Czech Republic with scorching accelerations, fast pit stops and the famous celebratory “donuts”.
Coppa Shell. The heavens then opened over the Coppa Shell race at 3.30 pm. Race officials had to bring out the Safety Car and some teams worked too long on the cars so a number of drivers suffered a 25-second penalty. Ernst Kirchmayr was the day’s big star in the 488 Challenge of Baron Motorsport. The Austrian caught and overtook championship leader Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) and Ineco-MP Racing’s Manuela Gostner and Erich Prinoth, who both were then penalised. In the end Kirchmayr finished first, ahead of Cheung, who further stretched his lead in the standings, with wet weather specialist Vladimir Hladik taking the third step of the podium
Shell Am. Formula Racing’s Alexander Nussbaumer pulled off another masterful race in the Coppa Shell Am class. The Austrian driver managed the car in the early stages and then launched an attack in the final part catching Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa) for the win. Third place went to local hero Dusan Palcr (Scuderia Praha), while championship contenders Ingvar Mattsson (Scuderia Autoropa) and Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing) were placed fourth and fifth.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Glory in Brno for Nielsen, Froggatt, Hurni and Nussbaumer
Posted: 21.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Brno, 21 July 2018 – Ferrari 488 Challenge drivers Nicklas Nielsen, Chris Froggatt, Christophe Hurni and Alexander Nussbaumer won the first races of the Brno round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe 2018.
Trofeo Pirelli. The day opened with the Trofeo Pirelli, which saw a breakaway at the start by Danish driver Nicklas Nielsen in pole, who took advantage of the duel between rookie Sean Hudpseth (Formula Racing) and Bjorn Grossmann (Octane 126). Towards mid-race the German driver received a penalty for jumping the start and this opened the way to a Formula Racing clean sweep with podium places for Nielsen, Hudspeth and Jens Liebhauser. Grossmann had to settle for fourth ahead of Alessandro Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing).
Pirelli Am. Scuderia Praha’s Jan Danis was one of the drivers penalised for jumping the start. The Czech had done really well to use pole position to pull away from his rivals. However, the drive-through relegated him to the back of the field from where he executed an exciting comeback to secure second place after overtaking Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa) and Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126).Chris Froggatt won the race, it was the fifth of the season for the Ferrari GB – HR Owen driver.
Coppa Shell. The Coppa Shell race was decided at the start when Christophe Hurni, in the 488 Challenge of Team Zenith Sion-Lausanne, overtook polewoman Manuela Gostner (Ineco-MP Racing) at the first curve. On the second row, her sister Corinna jumped the start and incurred a drive-through penalty. Shortly after, Erich Prinoth overtook Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) to take third. Manuela Gostner kept Hurni under pressure throughout but the Swiss made no mistakes and crossed the finish line with a lead of just under one second. This is Hurni’s second win of 2018, while Gostner is celebrating her second runner-up spot. Prinoth is back on the podium after missing out at Silverstone. Cheung, in fourth, still tops the standings.
Shell Am. In the Coppa Shell Am, Alexander Nussbaumer was the author of a perfect race: starting from pole, the Formula Racing driver took an immediate lead over his rivals, leaving second place to Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing). Ingvar Mattsson (Scuderia Autoropa), who entered the weekend leading the championship, made a thrilling late comeback. On the last lap, Dusan Palcr, who had just been overtaken by Mattsson, tried to recover his podium position but hit the Swedish driver’s car and spun out. However, Mattsson resumed immediately to notch up yet another podium in 2018. It’s the same again tomorrow with races at 12.50 pm and 3.35 pm.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – The 488 Challenge debuts in Brno
Posted: 20.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Brno, 20 July 2018 – The Brno weekend of the Ferrari Challenge Europe, the fifth round of the 2018 championship, has come to life with statements from some of the competitors in the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell.
Cheung: “Fascinating to race in the forest”. Eric Cheung, Coppa Shell leader in the Ferrari 488 Challenge of Formula Racing, has won three of the last four races but says there is no special secret to his success: “Of course the coach has helped me, but I think I always followed the same routine. It’s a fact that things are going well, however”. Then talking about the Brno race: “I competed here six years ago and it is always very special. The track is demanding, with many ups and downs and curves. In addition, you are immersed in the green, almost like racing in the forest.
Mattsson: “I have my good luck”. It was then the turn of leader of the Coppa Shell Am leader, the Swede of Scuderia Autoropa, Ingvar Mattsson, who has enjoyed a great season so far, picking up three wins plus podiums in all the other races: “I have to admit that everything is really going as well as possible. I have won three races, I also had a bit of luck and I have always been on the podium”. The battle with his Kessel Racing rival, Murat Cuhadaroglu, is very open with only two points separating the two in the standings. Mattsson, however, is confident: “I believe that I will win, also because of my good luck…”.
Hladik: “Le Mans, unforgettable victory”. Making his debut on the Brno track, local driver Vladimir Hladik, of Baron Service, said he expected a good race: “The track here is beautiful and I think I can do well” He added that lately he hasn’t always agreed with the decisions of the race officials, but he’s ready to do his best. With his three career victories in the Ferrari Challenge, he doesn’t doubt himself on this beautiful track: “I think the win at Le Mans is unforgettable: there is so little time to learn the track that it is really difficult not to make mistakes. In 2016, I competed in the best race of my life on that legendary track”.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Trofeo Pirelli, the stars and local idols talk
Posted: 19.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Brno, 20 July 2018 – The two Pirelli Trofeo championship leaders and two local idols took part in a videoconference at the Brno circuit, where the fifth round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe is set to go.
Nielsen. Ready for a great finale to the season. Trofeo Pirelli leader, Nicklas Nielsen, has certainly not been bored since the Misano race as he has been involved in a series of kart tests at Le Castellet ahead of the European championship. “I don’t know the circuit, but I had the chance to do the tests on Wednesday which, with Friday’s free practice, I think is more than enough”. The fight for the title with Bjorn Grossmann requires total commitment: “He’s one of the fastest drivers, but he’s not the only one as David Fumanelli has also done very well this season”. However, he’s confident that together with the team he can do a great job and try to take the title home.
Froggatt: “Ready to win again”. Chris Froggatt is leading the Trofeo Pirelli Am after a superb start to the season, although in recent races Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126) has given the Ferrari GB – HR Owen driver some trouble: “I have to admit that she did a great job in recent races, but I think I’m ready to return to winning ways”. Recently Chris, spotted in the Ferrari’s pits at the Le Mans 24 Hours, also made his debut at the wheel of an F1 Clienti Ferrari on the Fiorano track: “It was a great thrill. As for my presence at Le Mans, I have to say that I am becoming a real fan of that world and it could be interesting to try out GT3 cars and Endurance racing. All this after I have secured this championship though!”
Danis: “Ready to do well on a friendly track”. Jan Danis, the Scuderia Praha driver who won one of the two races at Mugello, returns to the track after missing a number of outings: “This is effectively my home track, even if I am Slovak, so I will have a chance to race in front of my family and friends”.
Pergl: “On my return, I want to have fun”. Robert Pergl is back in the Ferrari Challenge after three years out, so he is making his debut in the new 488 Challenge: “My aim is to have fun and of course… not to finish last! I made my debut in the Ferrari Challenge 20 years ago and now I am at the wheel of the 488 Challenge. The new car is exceptionally powerful, and perhaps this is why Brno is not the best track to bring out its qualities”. He would like to try it at Monza.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – The 488 Challenge debuts in Brno
Posted: 19.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Brno, 19 July 2018 – The Ferrari Challenge Europe is all set for its fifth round of the season this weekend, returning to the Czech Republic for the first time since 2014. The new 488 Challenge thus makes its debut on one of Europe’s most beautiful and challenging tracks, with its varying gradients, curves and two thrilling accelerations. Three of the four categories are still up for grabs, but this weekend could be key for a number of competitors. For some of them the goal will be to try to wrap things up in Barcelona in September, so they can just focus on winning the world title in the Finali Mondiali at Monza in November.
Trofeo Pirelli. In the Trofeo Pirelli the fight for first place is between the young Nicklas Nielsen, five-time winner this season with the 488 Challenge of Formula Racing, and the experienced Bjorn Grossmann (Octane 126), with two victories in 2018. The German driver previously raced in Brno in 2014 and could make his experience count on such a complex track. Grossman has competed in 141 races and collected 40 wins. The Dane currently leads by 19 points. Third place sees another point-to-point duel, this time between Jens Liebhauser (Formula Racing) on 63 points and Alessandro Vezzoni (Rossocorsa-Pellin Racing) on 60. In the Trofeo Pirelli, Singaporean Sean Hudspeth (Formula Racing) is making his debut at Brno.
Trofeo Pirelli Am. The Am class of the Trofeo Pirelli is the clearest in terms of the standings. Chris Froggatt (Ferrari GB – HR Owen) leads with 144 points against Fabienne Wohlwend (Octane 126) on 87. The British driver can afford to race conservatively, while the woman from Liechtenstein can only attack and indeed has won the last three races. Froggatt’s teammate, John Sawbridge, is just six points behind her. This class also sees the return of Robert Pergl, absent from the series since 2015.
Coppa Shell. The situation is very open in the Coppa Shell where there are three drivers separated by just 16.5 points. Eric Cheung of Formula Racing leads the group, having won three of the last four races. His closest pursuer is Erich Prinoth (Ineco-MP Racing) who, after the one-two in Round 1 at Mugello, has had a few ups and downs with just one podium position, at Silverstone. Swiss driver Christophe Hurni (Team Zenith Sion-Lausanne) is in third, after a win at Silverstone and numerous podiums.
Coppa Shell Am. Just two points separate the two stars of the Coppa Shell Am, Ingvar Mattsson (Scuderia Autoropa) and Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing) on 111 and 109 respectively. The Swede has three wins and three podiums under his belt, while the Turk has matched him aside from the zero points in Race 2 at Silverstone. As usual, the races will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 12.50 pm (Trofeo Pirelli) and 3.35 pm (Coppa Shell).
| Circuit | Hockenheimring |
| Date | 22.07.2018 |
| Laps | 67 |
| Distance | 306,458 km / 190,465 miles |
| No | Driver | Ferrari | S/N | Team | Result |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | retired / accident |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | SF71H | – | Scuderia Ferrari | 3. |
German Grand Prix – Hockenheim 22 July
Posted: 22.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Maurizio Arrivabene: “In what was a particularly fraught weekend for the team, it would have been important for us to bring home the win and our car had shown it was up to the job. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Kimi drove a great race to make it to the podium. We now head off immediately for Hungary, determined to give it our best shot, just prior to the summer break.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “It was pretty difficult out there today. Surprisingly, in some corners there was decent grip and in some others there was none at all; we could feel the rain especially in Turns 2 and 6. It was hard to tell when to slow down and where the grip was. Obviously, you had to make your decision before the braking zone, knowing that if it happens to be wetter than you expected, there’s not much you can do. It was not easy but we tried to make the best calls and I think we got it right. The most tricky moments were before the safety car came in; it felt like it was raining a lot, somehow we had some decent grip and suddenly quite bad grip. At one point I had a moment with some back-markers and unfortunately I lost second place. In many ways it could have been better today, but this is what we got. I think that we made the most of it, considering the situation.”
Sebastian Vettel: “There’s not much to say: I made a small mistake which had a huge impact on the result. I braked just a tiny bit too late for the corner, locked the front tires and then the rear ones, so that I couldn’t turn the car anymore. I think I had managed everything right before that. We had the pace and we had been in control of the race up to that point. It was my mistake, so I am disappointed, but I don’t think we still have to show what we can do. We’ve shown everywhere that we are competitive, so I am looking forward to Hungary next weekend.”
German Grand Prix – A cold shower
Posted: 22.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Kimi 3rd but Seb goes off in the wet in an incredible race
Hockenheim, 22 July –A possible win became an open wound. Come the end of a mad race, Scuderia Ferrari brought home a third place courtesy of Kimi Raikkinen. Seb Vettel started from pole and, having been the only driver to score points in every race so far this season, suffered his first retirement of the season, when he made a mistake in the rain at turn 13. It’s been a particularly difficult weekend, following the news about President Marchionne and the final result was a long way off what had been expected. But that’s racing and now we just have to fight back immediately from this black Sunday.
STORY OF THE RACE: Seb got away well from pole, as did Kimi from third. The number 5 Ferrari had the slenderest of leads, while the 7 car fought with Verstappen. Already, there were a few tiny drops of rain appearing on visors. The ideal strategy involved the lead car having an advantage of around 4 seconds or so, but everyone was having to keep an eye on the degradation on the Ultrasofts.
At the end of lap 14, Kimi pitted as scheduled. The Softs were ready for him and a small change was made to his front wing angle. He managed to rejoin ahead of Hamilton, who was working his way up from 14th on the grid.
Raikkonen immediately set the race fastest lap and was ready for a remote battle with Bottas who was yet to pit. Seb had a lead of 5” over Bottas and around 22 on Hamilton, the aim of getting out ahead of the Mercedes. With the Softs fitted, he managed it.
Bottas opted for the same compound, while Ricciardo stopped out on track. Ahead of the Ferrari duo, Verstappen pitted. 30 laps went by and Kimi set the fastest lap. But another factor came into play, as rain was predicted shortly after 4.
On lap 36, Seb was within DRS distance of his team-mate who had blistering on his rear tyres. As they were running different strategies there was no point in an inter-family duel and on lap 39, Seb got ahead of KImi at the hairpin.
With 24 laps remaining, Hamilton switched to the Ultrasofts, clearly gambling on dry conditions. A few drops began to fall at turn 2 and a light shower hit turn 6. Seb confirmed on the radio that he could still stay out, but a piece came off his front wing. At the time, the data did not show any accompanying loss of downforce.
It looked as though for those opting for rain tyres, the gamble had not paid off, but the rain went and came so that the pit lane was also wet. Some cars spun, others tiptoed around. Backmarker Magnussen pushed Kimi off track and Bottas made the most of it.
And then Seb planted it in the barriers at the entry to the Motodrom. But we still had one car on track and there was no let up. The Safety Car came out and Kimi took the opportunity to pit for Ultrasofts. He was now third on fresher rubber, prior to the restart on lap 58.
Kimi had a ringside seat for the duel between the two Mercedes. There were 7 laps to go and the threat of rain returned. As for Seb, he had returned to the paddock, went to see the guys, hugged Maurizio and spoke with Riccardo, his race engineer, being a team player, even when things do not go as planned.
German Grand Prix – P1 and P3 at Hockenheimring
Posted: 21.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb’s and Kimi’s comments on today’s qualifying session
Hockenheim, July 21 – Scuderia Ferrari qualified in pole position for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix, courtesy of Sebastian Vettel. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen will start the race from P3.
Seb: “You always try to do your best every day. Today has been one of those days, the car was fantastic. I could feel it in Q1 already and then in Q3 I knew I could get a good lap. Racing here in Germany means a lot to me and hopefully we can get first place tomorrow. We built a strong car and we know there’s still potential. Also, we know we can still improve race by race, because there’s still some weaknesses, but overall we are competitive and strong. So, it’s up to us to make good use of this potential everywhere we go”.
Kimi: “Today the car was working well and in qualifying I knew there was a lot of lap time in it. On my first try in Q3 I had a good feeling and the lap was looking good, but then I made a mistake and got sideways. We had the speed to do better, but I did not want to make any crazy mistake and risk throwing everything away, so on my last try I took it a little bit easier. Third position is obviously not ideal, but in the end it is a pretty good position to start from. It’s difficult to say what will be the key to the race. So far our car has been good and I expect it to be the same tomorrow, but the conditions might change. As for every race we’ll try to do our maximum and see what it brings in the end. We need to do the best we can.
German Grand Prix – Pole position for Scuderia Ferrari
Posted: 21.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Sebastian fastest, Kimi third
Hockenheim, 21 July –Sebastian Vettel was fastest in qualifyting today at the Hockenheimring. A lap in 1’11”212 was good enough to secure his 55thpole position, the fifth this year. Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen will start tomorrow’s race from third on the grid having set a best time of 1’11”547. Both Scuderia Ferrari drivers ran the Ultrasoft tyres throughout the session. Tomorrow’s race gets underway at 15h10.
German Grand Prix – P3, all about the rain
Posted: 21.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari only runs in final minutes
Hockenheim, 21 July – As forecast, the rain began to fall at the Hockenheimring this morning. During the final hour of free practice, visibility and grip were so poor that Scuderia Ferrari, like the majority of teams, only sent its cars out on track in the final minutes of the session, using Full Wet tyres. Sebastian Vettel was fourth fastest in 1’35”573 and Kimi Raikkonen was eighth in 1’37”755. Qualifying is due to start at 15h00 and, at the moment, the weather conditions are not expected to change much.
German Grand Prix – “The car is working well”
Posted: 20.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb and Kimi comment on a ‘normal hot Friday’
Hockenheim, July 20th – This region of Germany is not new to heatwaves, and today temperatures ranged just below and above the 30-degrees mark. In these hot conditions, Scuderia Ferrari drivers managed to progress through the respective run plans, which included using only the Soft tyre in the morning, before switching to different programmes for P2. Both ran on the Ultrasofts before Seb (4th fastest) tried a race simulation on the Mediums, while Kimi (5th) fitted the Softs. The SF71H car responded well through both sessions and now the night will be spent looking for improvements in view of tomorrow’s P3 and qualifying, which may be affected by a different kind of weather.
“The car has been working well today and it’s been a normal Friday”, was Seb’s comment after P2.” Today, we tried a little bit of everything. I think we got along quite well with the tyre selection that we used today. Now we have to find out how we’ve been working compared to the others, but I think that even if we can still improve our lap time, the car is fine. I think the high temperatures we had today could probably have an impact somehow, but we don’t know exactly what the weather will be like. Tomorrow it should rain, but on Sunday we expect it to be dry again. It was very nice to see a lot of Ferrari flags here today and it’s great to see a lot of people supporting us!”
“Friday is the only day that we can use as a test”, Kimi said “trying a lot of things and different solutions. It was a very normal day and later this evening we‘ll analyze what we have learned today and put things together for qualifying. Tomorrow the conditions might be a bit different from today and a bit more tricky. On Sunday if the weather stays warm like it was today, for sure it will be challenging for the tires; it’s going to be more similar to Austria, with a limit on the tyres, and whoever makes the best job in managing them is going to have some advantage. So far we have been reasonably strong in most places, we’ll see how it goes here; it looks pretty close”.
German Grand Prix – Friday practice ends
Posted: 20.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb and Kimi ran different programmes
Hockenheim, 20 July –Sebastian Vettel was fourth fastest in the second free practice session on the German track that’s hosting the eleventh round of this year’s World Championship. He posted a best time of 1’13”310 while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fifth in 1’13’427. Vettel used Medium and Ultrasoft tyres and Raikkonen opted for Soft and Ultrasoft. The final free practice session takes place tomorrow at 12h00, with qualifying following on at 15h00.
German Grand Prix – First practice at Hockenheim
Posted: 20.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Seb 4thand Kimi 6th
Hockenheim, 20 July– Formula 1 is back at the Hockenheimring after a one year break. It’s very hot (28°) and the track surface is still pretty dirty. At the end of the first free practice session, the Scuderia Ferrari drivers were fourth and sixth fastest, with Sebastian Vettel posting a 1’13”796 and Kimi Raikkonen’s best being a 1’14”267. Both drivers used Soft tyres for the whole session, thus saving their stock of Medium and Ultrasoft.
The second session gets underway at 15h00.
German Grand Prix – “it’s nice to be back here”
Posted: 19.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Homeland for Seb, “interesting” for Kimi: here’s what they think of Hockenheim
Hockenheim, July 19 – Formula 1 is back at the Hockenheimring, after a one year absence. It’s nearly home turf for Heppenheim-born Sebastian Vettel and the other Scuderia Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen, is also looking forward to a good racing weekend.
“Hockenheim” Seb says “is about half an hour’s drive from where I was born. So it’s not exactly like racing in my backyard- I don’t have a backyard that big – but it’s probably the closest you can get! Obviously, we are keen to do well here. The last race in Silverstone was important for us, because we had not been very strong on that track before; but it’s a thing of the past now and we must focus on this one. This is not the easiest track to get everything right, there are many types of corner and long straights, and I think with this generation of cars we’ll be very fast here. Turn 6 looks like a good place to overtake, with the new DRS areas, and since there is another straight after the corner and another braking point at the end of it, it could become a place for exciting moves. It’s nice to see so many red shirts here, the passion for Ferrari was born in Italy but it spread all over the world and it got to Germany for sure. We should be in fairly good shape here, but let’s see what happens”.
And here’s Kimi’s point of view on the track on which he still holds the race lap record: “We haven’t been to this circuit for a while, and things are a bit different, with the new rules and tires since the last time we came here. It’s hard to know how the Ultrasoft tyre will behave, but if the conditions stay hot like they are today, I expect big challenges with the tires. It’s nice to be back here, for racing it will probably be a good circuit, where overtaking can be easier than in many other places. It will be an interesting weekend, I think.”
German Grand Prix – Quirky and traditional
Posted: 17.07.2018
Source: Ferrari
Back to historic Hockenheim, a track with many tales to tell
The weekend break is over and, during the next couple of days, the SF71H and part of the equipment is leaving Maranello and heading for Hockenheim. It’s the start of another back-to-back, as one week on from this weekend’s German GP, comes the race in Hungary. Part of the team will stay out until the end of the second of these two races.
Hockenheim is an historic track that has many tales to tell. Some of them are great, such as Berger’s win in ’94 and Irvine’s five years later, and the unbelievable 2000 race when Barrichello won after Schumacher crashed out. Others were tinged with sadness, such as the deaths of Clark and Depailler and Pironi’s career-ending crash. But that was all on the old, uncompromising circuit, of which very little remains. Speed down the straights was everything and, in the pits, even in the Nineties, inventiveness reigned supreme. Teams improvised solutions such as cutting down the pillars of the front laps, so that they ran lower to the ground, or even fitting (in free practice) four front tyres to reduce aerodynamic drag! Then it fell to the driver’s talent to make up for the lack of downforce in the Motodrom , the twistiest and most evocative section of track.
The track first used in 2002 has little of that left: the straights that tore through the forest have gone and today the circuit comes in at under five kilometres in length, but still offers a combination of slow, medium and high speed corners. The last sector is the one that can give the tyres a hard time, while the three DRS zones could make for some interesting data in terms of top speeds. There’s hope of a large crowd for this race, back on the calendar after skipping 2017 and maybe we might even see a return to the large queues of fans, who would wait at the circuit exit late into the night, hoping for a glimpse of the drivers. Legend has it that, back then, some drivers would hide in the boot of the car or wear fake wigs and beards to avoid being mobbed.