The Ferrari F8 Tributo: a celebration of excellence
Posted: 28.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
An homage to the most powerful V8 in Ferrari history
The first photographs revealed ahead of official March 5th unveiling at Geneva Motor Show
Maranello, 28 February 2019 – Ferrari has revealed the first official photographs of the F8 Tributo, the new mid-rear-engined sports car that represents the highest expression of the company’s classic two-seater berlinetta. The name is an homage to both the model’s uncompromising layout and to the engine that powers it – with a massive 720 cv and a record specific power output of 185 cv/l, it is the most powerful V8 in Prancing Horse history for a non-special series car and sets the benchmark not just for turbos, but for engines across the board. The 3902 cc V8 won “Best Engine” in the International Engine of the Year awards three years running in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and, in addition, in 2018, was awarded the title of the best engine of the last two decades.
As these prestigious awards demonstrate, in the automotive world, Ferrari’s V8 engine is seen as the very epitome of sportiness and driving pleasure. This is particularly the case when it is mid-rear-mounted in a two-seater. Ferrari has been honing the scope of abilities of this architecture, which creates an optimal weight balance, to perfection for over four decades. The result is the F8 Tributo, which is one of the fastest, most thrilling and communicative supercars ever.
The new car replaces the 488 GTB, with improvements across the board, providing even better control on the limit along with greater on-board comfort. The F8 Tributo punches out 50 cv more than the car it replaces, is lighter and benefits from a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency along with the latest version of the Side Slip Angle Control, now in 6.1 guise. So while the F8 Tributo offers the highest levels of performance of any car in the current range, that performance is also very usable.
The F8 Tributo delivers its 720 cv without the slightest hint of turbo lag and produces an evocative soundtrack. Instantaneous power is matched by exceptional handling thanks to advanced vehicle dynamics solutions. These include a new version of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE+) which can be activated in the manettino’s RACE position for the first time, a move designed to make performance on the limit easier to reach and control for an even greater number of drivers. The steering wheel rim is also smaller in diameter to enhance the level of tactility and make the car feel even more agile. In addition, weight reduction measures have cut the car’s dry weight by 40 kg compared to the 488 GTB, further enhancing both responsiveness and driving pleasure without impinging on interior comfort.
State-of-the-art aerodynamic solutions incorporated into the car’s body help ensure that the extraordinarily powerful engine can be fully exploited. As with the 488 Pista, the F8 Tributo’s aero package is directly evolved from the track and it adopts several features from the 488 Pista designed to help manage engine heat, including, for instance, the rearward-angled front radiators and the dynamic engine air intakes positioned either side of the spoiler instead of on the rear flanks.
Designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre, the F8 Tributo is essentially a bridge to a new design language that will continue to emphasise Ferrari’s key characteristics of high performance and extreme aerodynamic efficiency.
The front of the car is characterised by the S-Duct, a solution that made its debut on the 488 Pista, but which has been redesigned to suit the extensive modifications made to this area of the car. The result is that the S-Duct alone contributes an impressive 15% to the overall increase in downforce compared to the 488 GTB. The new, more compact, horizontal LED headlights allowed Ferrari’s aerodynamicists to incorporate new brake cooling intakes in combination with those on the outside of the bumper, the aim being to improve air flow throughout the entire wheelarch and thereby avoid having to increase the size of the braking system to cope with the car’s greater speed.
The new Lexan rear screen showcases the engine compartment and also brings a modern twist to the most distinctive design element from Ferrari’s most famous V8, the F40. The louvres help extract hot air from the engine compartment without impacting the efficiency of the blown spoiler which has been further evolved to increase downforce generated at the rear. The spoiler wraps around the tail lights, visually lowering the car’s centre of gravity and allowing a return to the classic twin light cluster and body-coloured tail, another signature of the early 8-cylinder berlinettas like the very first in the legendary series, the 1975 308 GTB.
The cabin retains the classic, driver-oriented cockpit look typical of Ferrari’s mid-rear-engined berlinettas, but every element of the dash, door panels and tunnel, has been completely redesigned. The new generation HMI (Human Machine Interface), complete with round air vents, new steering wheel and controls as well as a new 7” passenger touchscreen display, significantly enhance the on-board environment for driver and passenger.
Ferrari F8 Tributo
Technical specifications
ENGINE
Type 90-degree V8 turbo
Overall displacement 3902 cc
Max. power output* 720 cv at 8,000 rpm
Specific power output 185 cv/l
Max. torque 770 Nm at 3,250 rpm
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Length 4611 mm
Width 1979 mm
Height 1206 mm
Dry weight** 1330 kg
PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h 2.9 s
0-200 km/h 7.8 s
Top speed 340 km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION/CO 2 EMISSIONS
Under homologation
* With 98 octane petrol
**With lightweight options
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test 2 – Day 4
Posted: 01.03.2019
Source: Ferrari
110 laps for the SF90 on final day
Montmelò, 1 March 2019 – The second test prior to the 2019 Formula 1 season came to an end today at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. Sebastian Vettel was at the wheel for Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow, completing 110 laps in the SF90. This means that, over the entire winter test sessions, the car did 996 laps, equivalent to 4,636 kilometers.
With the Chairman. Before the day’s work began, Ferrari Chairman John Elkann arrived in the garage to show his support for the team and wish everyone well prior to their departure for the Australian Grand Prix. On track, the German spent the first part of the morning working on set-up, doing 68 laps, with a best time of 1’16”221. In the afternoon, Sebastian did a series of long runs so that the team and the driver could replicate several of the scenarios they will face in Melbourne in around a fortnight’s time. Two hours before the end of the session, Vettel was asked to stop at Turn 2, because of an electrical problem. The car was brought back to the garage and it was decided to call a halt to testing.
Team Principal with the media. During the lunch break, Team Principal and Managing Director Mattia Binotto met the media to run through how the eight days of testing had gone. “These past days have been very intensive and interesting. We are still focusing on our car to understand its limits in terms of performance and reliability,” he said.
Still a loto to do. “Overall, I am pleased with the work we have carried out,” he continued. “I am pleased with how the car behaves and it was well balanced at this track. However, we cannot be completely satisfied at the moment as we would like to be faster and more reliable. So there’s still a lot to do. Our programme didn’t always run as smoothly as we would have liked, due to reliability issues and Sebastian’s crash when a wheel rim broke. There are still many issues to be addressed and we must push forward on the performance front. The fact that our car is running properly is a good starting point, but we are still not ready for Melbourne and I’d say it’s a case of a work in progress.”
The drivers. “Both drivers set very similar lap times,” concluded Binotto. “We already knew that Charles is a very fast driver, as we have seen throughout his years with the Ferrari Driver Academy and last season in Formula 1. As for Sebastian, his performance shows him to be the multi-world champion we already know.”
Barcelona F1 Test 2 – Day 4 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:16:221 | Red – C5 | 110 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:16:224 | Red – C5 | 61 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:16:561 | Red – C5 | 71 |
| 4 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:16:843 | Red – C5 | 51 |
| 5 | Daniel Kvyat | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:16:898 | Red – C5 | 131 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1:16:913 | Red – C4 | 134 |
| 7 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:17:076 | Red – C5 | 73 |
| 8 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:17:114 | Red – C5 | 52 |
| 9 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:17:239 | Red – C5 | 132 |
| 10 | Kevin Magnussen | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:17:565 | Red – C5 | 94 |
| 11 | Max Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:17:709 | Yellow – C3 | 29 |
| 12 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17:791 | Red – C5 | 104 |
| 13 | Robert Kubica | Williams Racing | 1:18:993 | Red – C5 | 90 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test 2 – Day 3
Posted: 28.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
First GP simulation with Ferrari for Leclerc
Montmelò, 28 February 2019 – For the third day of Test 2 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, Charles Leclerc was at the wheel of the SF90 for Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow. The Monegasque driver completed the planned programme, which consisted mainly of simulating key phases of a race weekend. Charles did a total of 138 laps.
Simulation work. Leclerc got down to work shortly after 9, trying various set-ups, before pitting to prepare for the simulation work. Before lunch, the SF90 was fitted with the soft compound tyres and Charles set his best time of 1’16”231.
Grand Prix. Having done 56 laps in the morning, the team then began a race simulation in the afternoon. Charles took off from the starting place at the end of the pit lane and the full race distance went off without a hitch, with the mechanics getting in some pit stop practice. The car then pitted for routine checks, before getting on with the programme.
Profitable day. Shortly before the chequered flag to end the day, a small issue on one exhaust meant Charles had to park at the side of the track at Turn 9, but overall it had been a profitable day. “It didn’t look as though today would be easy, given that we had to make up for yesterday’s lost time, but we got it done and that was very positive, especially as this was my last day in the car before Australia,” commented Charles. “I am very happy because we worked really well. It’s been an encouraging start to the season and I feel about ready. Now, I can’t wait to take part in my first real Grand Prix with Ferrari.”
Building confidence. Leclerc also talked to the media during the lunch break and gave an overview of the tests. “The SF90 is solid and the balance is good and consistent,” he said. “That’s been the clear impression right from the first day and it hasn’t changed. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but up until now, I can say I’m satisfied. My lap time? Of course it’s nice to top the time sheet, but it doesn’t mean anything. What matters is that, lap after lap, I am getting more and more dialled in to this car”.
Vettel tomorrow. For tomorrow’s final day of testing prior to the Australian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel will be once again at the wheel of the SF90.
Barcelona F1 Test 2 – Day 3 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:16:231 | Red – C5 | 138 |
| 2 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:16:882 | Red – C5 | 118 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:17:084 | Red – C5 | 84 |
| 4 | Pierre Gasly | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:17:091 | Red – C5 | 65 |
| 5 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:17:204 | Red – C5 | 65 |
| 6 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:17:496 | Red – C5 | 73 |
| 7 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17:556 | Red – C5 | 103 |
| 8 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:17:639 | Red – C5 | 71 |
| 9 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:17:854 | Red – C4 | 16 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18:097 | Grey – C2 | 85 |
| 11 | George Russell | Williams Racing | 1:18:130 | Red – C5 | 140 |
| 12 | Kevin Magnussen | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:18:199 | Yellow – C3 | 53 |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18:862 | Yellow – C3 | 97 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test 2 – Day 2
Posted: 27.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Not a very productive day
Montmelò, 27 February 2019 – The second day of test 2 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, in preparation for the start of the Formula 1 season, was not particularly productive for Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow. The plan was for Sebastian Vettel to drive the SF90 in the morning and for Charles Leclerc to take over in the afternoon. However, an off-track caused by a mechanical problem just before midday, meant that no more running was substantially possible today.
Driver unhurt. Sebastian Vettel went out on track shortly after 9am and was trying the car in different configurations. Halfway through the morning, a mechanical problem with the front left corner on the SF90 saw Sebastian go off the track at Turn 3. The driver was unhurt but went to the medical centre for the usual checks. Up to that point, Sebastian had completed 40 laps, with a best time of 1’18”195.
Meticolous check. Once back in the garage, the team set about a meticulous check of the car to establish the cause of the crash. The analysis is still on course. Meanwhile the SF90 was repaired in time for Charles Leclerc to get out in the afternoon for an installation lap.
Still a positive feeling. “Clearly, we have not done as much running as we would have liked”, Sebastian told the press during the lunch break. “But I’d still say I’m getting a positive feeling from the car. Last week was definitely productive as we completed a lot of mileage and also yesterday, we were able to make up for the track time lost in the morning”. “As for the accident,” continued the German, “I was going into Turn 3 and I had a feeling there was an issue with the front left corner of the car and from then on, there was nothing I could do to avoid the impact. The good thing is I am totally fine and, by the end of the day, thanks to a great job from the mechanics, we even managed to get the car back on track.”
Charles in. Testing continues until the end of Friday and the team has decided to have its drivers do a complete day each at the wheel, so that the work can progress in a more linear fashion. Charles will drive tomorrow, before handing over to Sebastian for the final day.
Barcelona F1 Test 2 – Day 2 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1:17:144 | Red – C4 | 130 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17:842 | Red – C5 | 88 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:195 | Yellow – C3 | 40 |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:18:209 | Red – C4 | 113 |
| 5 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:18:330 | Red – C5 | 120 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:18:395 | Yellow – C3 | 128 |
| 7 | Daniel Kvyat | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:18:682 | Red – C4 | 101 |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18:941 | Yellow – C3 | 74 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18:943 | Yellow – C3 | 102 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:19:056 | Yellow – C3 | 58 |
| 11 | Robert Kubica | Williams Racing | 1:19:367 | Red – C5 | 130 |
| 12 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:22:597 | White – C1 | 72 |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | no Time | – | 1 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test 2 – Day 1
Posted: 26.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
110 laps for the SF90
Montmelò, 26 February 2019 – Today was the first day of the final four-day test session at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, prior to the start of the 2019 Formula 1 season. Charles Leclerc was at the wheel of Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow’s SF90 in the morning and Sebastian Vettel drove in the afternoon. Between them, they completed 110 laps.
Checks required. Leclerc spent less time on track than planned, because some checks were required on the SF90’s cooling system. The Monegasque driver did 29 laps, working on set-up and tyre evaluation, before it was time to hand over to his team-mate.
Track conditions different. Charles’ best time was a 1’18”651 and had this to say at the end of his time in the car. “This morning we did fewer laps than planned, but I’m sure we can make up for lost work in the coming days. Track conditions were slightly different today compared to the first test, so it took a moment to adapt to them”.
Seb in. Sebastian Vettel got behind the wheel shortly after 2pm and continued working on the car in different configurations and simulating various race scenarios, including some long runs. The German did a total of 81 laps, with a best time of 1’17”925.
A busy afternoon. “It was a busy afternoon, but it was good to make up for the laps lost in the morning” – commented Sebastian at the end of the day – “We are still trying to understand the car, trying various set-ups. This afternoon, we also had a first go with the supersoft compound, just to get some more information. The next couple of days will be important for us”.
Tomorrow. Testing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit continues until Friday. Sebastian Vettel will be first in the cockpit of the SF90 tomorrow, before Charles Leclerc takes over for the afternoon.
Barcelona F1 Test 2 – Day 1 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:17:709 | Red – C4 | 80 |
| 2 | Pierre Gasly | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:17:715 | Yellow – C3 | 136 |
| 3 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17:824 | Red – C5 | 82 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:17:925 | Yellow – C3 | 81 |
| 5 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:18:589 | Red – C4 | 99 |
| 6 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:18:649 | Red – C4 | 103 |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:651 | Yellow – C3 | 29 |
| 8 | Kevin Magnussen | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:18:769 | Red – C4 | 131 |
| 9 | George Russell | Williams Racing | 1:19:662 | Red – C5 | 119 |
| 10 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:20:107 | Yellow – C3 | 77 |
| 11 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:167 | White – C2 | 7 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:332 | White – C2 | 83 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:20:348 | Yellow – C3 | 80 |
Blancpain GT World Challenge Americas – Ferraris to the Front in Texas
Posted: 04.03.2019
Source: Ferrari
Austin, Texas, 4 March 2019 – Toni Vilander and Miguel Molina once again raced to another victory with the Ferrari 488 GT3 on Sunday. For the second time in as many visits, the Ferrari duo were victorious in Texas following a dominant overall victory in Sunday’s Round 2 of the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas.
PRO. Despite starting fourth, Toni Vilander needed only two laps to take the overall lead in the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3. Once he took the lead, he never looked back before pitting. Co-driver Miguel Molina cycled back to the lead following the round of pit stops, and held a 14-second advantage when a full-course caution waved late in the race. The Ferrari driver was under attack at the restart by Saturday race winner Andy Soucek with less than ten minutes remaining. Soucek went to the inside and took a brief advantage, but Molina fought back and regained the lead in the Esses. From that point, the Ferrari went unchallenged all the way to the checkered flag, winning the 40-lap event by 1.249 seconds.
PRO-AM. Winners on Saturday, Jeff Segal and Wei Lu were well on the road to a second consecutive victory in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Segal started on the overall pole but fell back to fifth on the opening circuit. He fought back to the overall lead before his pit stop near the end of the pit window. Lu returned to the fray second in the Pro-Am class, and needed only six laps to regain the class lead. Lu enjoyed a four-second lead when the late caution closed the gap. However, Lu was hit and knocked off course on the restart, resulting in a ninth-place finish. Matt Plumb and Alfred Caiola led the Ferrari contingent in the category, finishing seventh in the No. 99 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3.
AM. Picking off where they left off with their run to the title in 2018, Ferrari Challenge graduates Martin Fuentes and Caesar Bacarella completed a weekend sweep in defense of their championship following a come-from-behind drive in the No. 7 Squadra Corsa Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3. The opening lap was tough for Fuentes, who lost 11 positions at the green flag. The chaotic start forced him off track and deep in the pack. But he was able to consistently outpace the competition to move to the lead after 15 laps of hard racing. A smooth turn-over to Bacarella saw the duo lead the rest of the race. Ferrari Challenge racers Rich and Trevor Baek continued to make progress in Blancpain GT competition as they bettered their finish from Saturday one position, placing fourth in the No. 8 Vital Speed Motorsports Ferrari 488 GT3. Fifth went to Pierre Mulacek and Anthony Lazzaro in the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3, one position ahead of Christopher Cagnazzi and Brian Kaminskey in the No. 19 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3.
NEXT UP: VIR. The next action for the Blancpain GT America championship will be on April 26-28 at Virginia International Raceway.
Blancpain GT World Challenge America – Ferrari Takes Two Wins in Season Opener
Posted: 03.03.2019
Source: Ferrari
Austin, Texas – 3 March 2019 | Ferrari teams won two of the three classes in the opening event of the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas.
The weekend will continue with Round 2 on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT, with Ferraris on the pole for two of the classes for Sunday’s 90-minute race.
PRO. Miguel Molina and Toni Vilander combined to finish fourth in the overall standings, co-driving the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3.
Molina was involved in a heated battle early in the race. After falling to fourth on the start after qualifying third, he managed to regain the position on lap 12. Molina pitted with the lead on the 17th circuit. Vilander returned to the race in fourth, and fought for a spot on the podium all the way to the finish line but came up less than a second short.
PRO-AM. Wei Lu continued to impress at COTA as the former Ferrari Challenge racer once again delivered a huge performance at the Texas track. After starting from second on the Pro-Am grid, Lu took the class lead on the opening lap and cruised to a dominant victory with Jeff Segal in the no. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Segal will start on the class pole for Sunday’s race.
“I had a really good car to drive, and the team did the best pit stop ever,” Lu said. “My coach (Segal) is trying make me a better driver. This is the best weekend I can ever hope for.”
Lu debuted at Circuit of The Americas last year, finishing third with Segal in the opener before winning the Sunday finale.
“I can’t say enough about these TR3 Racing guys,” Segal said. “Everything came together pretty late, but we knew what we had, and it showed. The car was fantastic, but I have to say that the star of the day was Wei. Last year he raised some eyebrows, but he’s made an amazing transformation over the winter to get even better. Today, we were in the pro race. I can’t ask for a better co-driver.
Matt Plumb and Alfred Caiola finished eighth in the class in the No. 99 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3, with the team expanding from Ferrari Challenge to enter Blancpain GT America with a two-car effort.
AM. Ferraris swept the podium in the Am class with a strong performance from drivers competing for three different Ferrari squads.
2018 Blancpain GT World Challenge champions Caesar Bacarella and Martin Fuentes opened the defense of their title with a dominant victory in the No. 7 Squadra Corsa Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3. The victory for the former Ferrari Challenge racers continued their impressive string of results in their Ferrari 488 GT3 dating back to last season’s championship.
“I love Austin, and we love this track,” Fuentes. “We always come here to test. Caesar drove amazing. He drove aggressive and gave me the car in P1. I just kept it there.”
“We’re super-excited to come back here so strong, because we love this track,” Bacarella said.
Pierre Mulacek and Anthony Lazzaro placed second in the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3, followed by Christopher Cagnazzi and Brian Kaminskey in the No. 19 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3.
The No. 8 Vital Speed Motorsports with the father-son combination of Ferrari Challenge graduates Rich and Trevor Baek finished fifth.
Red flag. The one-hour, 30-minute race was red-flagged for 50 minutes on the fourth lap due to an incident that required barrier repairs. However, race officials stopped the clock so that competitors had another one-hour, 17-minutes remaining when the incident was cleared.
Race 2 on Sunday. The opening weekend of the season concludes with Race 2 on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. Ferraris will return to action at the next round of the Blancpain GT America series at Virginia International Raceway on the 26-28 of April.
Blancpain GT World Challenge America – Ferraris in Contention at COTA
Posted: 02.03.2019
Source: Ferrari
Austin, Texas – 2 March 2019 | Ferrari teams turned competitive laps at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas, putting the brand in promising starting positions for the opening races of the Blancpain GT World Challenge America season.
Qualifying consisted in a pair of 15-minute sessions on the 3.4-mile track, which was drying out following rain earlier in the morning. The opening group set the grid for Saturday’s opening race at 3:40 p.m. (all times Central), with the co-drivers getting behind the wheel next to set the field for Sunday’s race two at 2 p.m.
PRO. Ferrari factory driver, Miguel Molina saved his best for last in the opening session, turning in a time of 2:11.835-seconds on his final lap to secure the third starting position for the opening race. Molina, who led earlier in the session, is driving the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3.
Fellow factory pilot Toni Vilander then took over the car for the second session, and was fourth overall but second in the Pro class with a lap of 2:07.691.
PRO-AM. Wei Lu took the outside front row in qualifying for the opening race, running a lap of 2:18.433 in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Jeff Segal took third in the second session, running a 2:07.754. The duo are no strangers to victory lane at COTA, having won together here in 2018, as they look to repeat the result for this year’s race.
Matt Plumb took the seventh position in qualifying for the Sunday event, running 2:09.009 on the No. 99 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3. Alfred Caiola placed ninth in the opening session, turning a best lap of 2:23.455.
AM. Ferraris swept the top four positions in the second AM qualifying session and thus put the marque in an excellent position to achieve a strong result in Sunday’s race.
Martin Fuentes earned the pole in the second qualifying session with a lap of 2:07.957 in the No. 7 Squadra Corse Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3. Caesar Bacarella qualified second for the first race, with a lap of 2:23.744.
Anthony Lazzaro took the second position for Sunday’s race, running a lap of 2:09.011 in the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3. In the opening session, Pierre Mulacek qualified sixth, running 2:27.375.
Taking third for Sunday’s event was Christopher Cagnazzi with a 2:10.247 in the No. 19 One11 Competition Ferrari 488 GT3. Brian Kaminskey was also third in the opening session, running 2:24.972 on the damp track.
Vital Speed Motorsports has the father-son combination of Rich and Trevor Baek. The younger Baek qualified fourth for Sunday’s race, 2:11.298, while Rich Baek ran fifth in the opener, 2:26.267.
Blancpain GT World Challenge America – Ferrari Teams Well Represented in COTA Opener
Posted: 25.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Englewood Cliffs, 25 February 2019 – Ferrari teams will be well represented in all three Blancpain GT World Challenge America classes in this weekend’s 2019 season-opening round at Circuit of The Americas. The Blancpain GT America event will feature a pair of 90-minute races in an exciting two-driver format.
Pro. R. Ferri Motorsport returns to the GT Pro category with the No. 61 Ferrari of Ontario/Toronto/Alberta Zekelman Industries Ferrari 488 GT3 co-driven by Ferrari factory drivers Miguel Molina and defending series champion Toni Vilander. Miguel and Toni shared this same car in the SprintX portion of the 2018 championship, clinching that title as well.
Pro/Am .Two teams will campaign Ferraris in the GT Pro/Am division. TR3 Racing will return with Wei Lu and Jeff Segal in the the No. 31 Ferrari 488 GT3 for the season-opening races. The pair finished second in the final 2018 Pro-Am standings, missing the championship by only four points. The 2018 campaign was Lu’s first season competing at this level after building his racing resume in the North American leg of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. Lu and Segal won the final two races of the campaign, ending the year with three victories, five runner-up finishes and nine podiums in 10 races.
“I’m really looking forward to being back at TR3 Racing in the Ferrari and racing alongside Wei (Lu) at COTA,” said Segal. “We’ve got really good memories from there last year— it was kind of our coming-out party. We were rookies and Wei did a great job to put it on pole. We had two really strong races including the win in the second race. Now we’ve both got a whole season together under our belts and after winning both races to end the season last year we are going from strength to strength to be opening the season at COTA.”
A new team, One11 Competition will have long time Ferrari Challenge competitor Alfred Caiola joined by Matt Plumb in the No. 99 Ferrari 488 GT3 as part of its two-car entry.
Am. Four teams have entered cars in the GT Am class, including Squadra Corsa Garage Italia with defending champions Caesar Bacarella and Martin Fuentes sharing the No. 07 Ferrari 488 GT3. The pair won nine of 10 races in capturing the 2018 Am title by 66 points.
“It was an incredible season last year and I’m thrilled to be returning to race for Squadra Corsa,” said Bacarella. “Martin (Fuentes) is a great co-driver and the team is very strong. Racing the Ferrari 488 is incredible, and I am looking forward to defending our championship from last year and competing in this new format with the longer races.”
One11 Competition completes its two-car entry with the No. 19 Ferrari 488 GT3 for Christopher Cagnazzi and Brian Kaminskey.
“I met Chris (Cagnazzi) racing in (Ferrari) Challenge, and when we started to talk about this opportunity to race a Ferrari 488 at the GT3 level, I have to admit it was kind of a dream come true for me,” said Kamiskey. “I feel really comfortable with Pete’s (Spinella) guidance and he’s already built a family environment with his team. I wanted to take the next step, and Ferrari has been great to us so it is very exciting to be racing this car.”
Veteran Risi Competizione will have Pierre Mulacek and Anthony Lazzaro co-driving the No. 82 Ferrari 488 GT3.
Vital Speed Motorsports has the father-son combination of Rich and Trevor Baek in the No. 8 Metier Studio/Cinder/Novitec/Sift/Con10gency Ferrari 488 GT3. This will be the second Blancpain GT America appearance for the Baeks, who placed on the podium in both races at Portland in their debut last July.
Defending winners. Ferrari dominated the 2018 season-opening weekend at Circuit of The Americas, finishing on the top step in five of the six classes. Vilander and Molina won both Pro races for R. Ferrari Motorsport, paving the way for their championship run, while Bacarella and Fuentes had a similar two-race sweep in the Am category.
Lu and Segal finished third in the opening race, but bounced back to win the Pro/Am category in the Sunday finale.
Weekend schedule. The event opens with promoter’s testing on the 3.4-mile circuit on Thursday. Friday includes one-hour practice periods at 11:40 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. (all times CT). Qualifying begins at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, followed by Race 1 at 3:40 p.m. The weekend wraps up with Race 2 at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Niki Lauda – 70th Birthday – Happy Birthday Niki
Posted: 22.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 22 February 2019 – Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow wishes a very happy 70th birthday to Niki Lauda, the Austrian who is one of the greatest drivers to ever fly the Maranello flag.
Two titles. Lauda is celebrated in a video showing on the Scuderia’s Twitter and Facebookaccounts. He drove for Ferrari in Formula 1 from 1974 to 1977 and is second only to Michael Schumacher in the list of the Scuderia’s all time winners. He won two World Championships in 1975 and 1977, with 15 wins, 32 podiums, 23 pole positions and 12 fastest race laps.
Niki Lauda – His Ferrari race results
Asian Le Mans Series – 4 Hours of Sepang Victory and title for Calado, Cozzolino and Kimura, and the Ferrari 488 GT3 of Car Guy
Posted: 24.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
– Japanese team dominates in its debut season, securing a place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
– Third place for Pier Guidi, Negri Jr and Piovanetti in Spirit of Race no. 51
Sepang, 24 Feb 2019 – In an extraordinary debut season the Japanese team Car Guy recorded four wins in four races, the drivers’ and teams’ title in the Asian Le Mans Series and a place on the grid at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. All in all, it was a brilliant performance by the Ferrari 488 GT3 crewed by James Calado, Kei Cozzolino and Takeshi Kimura.
Unbeatable. The trio won the 4 Hours of Sepang, the last round of the Asian Le Mans Series, racing with tactical intelligence and an excellent pace. After the previous victories – Shanghai, Fuji and Buriram – car no. 11 just needed to cross the finish line to clinch the title. However, after a cautious start to avoid any contacts that would have jeopardised the final result, the entry of the safety car allowed Cozzolino to take the lead with just over two hours to go. From then on the team from Shizuoka prefecture managed the race, holding onto first position even when the safety car came out again, until celebrating its triumph under the chequered flag.
Another podium finish. It was an excellent performance by the second Ferrari, the 488 GT3 of Spirit of Race, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, Oswaldo Negri Junior and Francesco Piovanetti. Car no. 51 was always among the leaders and only yielded second place towards the end. With the podium, Spirit of Race ensured their second place in the team standings.
With these results, Ferrari 488 GT3 teams and drivers have won 45 championships, with 202 wins out of 409 entries.
Victory in the Asian Le Mans Series gives Car Guy a place in the next 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15 and 16 June
Asian Le Mans Series – James Calado in front row at Sepang
Posted: 23.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sepang, 23 Feb 2019 – The Ferraris of Car Guy and Spirit of Race finished second and third in qualifying for the 4 Hours of Sepang, the final race of the Asian Le Mans Series.
Family fight. James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, crewmates at the wheel of the 488 GTE in the FIA WEC, competed for pole position with extremely fast and close times. James Calado was gunning for the pole that would have clinched the title for Car Guy but had to settle for second place in the GT3 class with a time of 2:03.513. Alessandro Pier Guidi came third for Spirit of Race in a time of 2:03.650. The Italian driver was the fastest in the last free practice session before qualifying.
A must-see. Pole position went to Dries Vanthoor. The four-hour race sets off on Sunday at 12 pm local time and will decide the various class titles, including the GT3 in which the 488 GT3s will be competing. The Ferrari crew of Calado, Cozzolino and Kimura only need to finish the race to take the winner’s laurels.
Asian Le Mans Series – CarGuy chasing down the title in Malaysia
Posted: 21.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sepang, 21 Feb 2019 – It’s all set in Sepang for the last round of the Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) in which two teams and two Ferrari 488 GT3 crews will compete for the title. The CarGuy team and drivers James Calado, Kei Cozzolino and Takeshi Kimura are favourites after dominating the season with three wins in three races.
Ferrari titles. After the victory at Buriram, Thailand, in January, the Japanese team holds a 25-point lead over its closest pursuer, Spirit of Race, whose 488 GT3 is crewed by Alessandro Pier Guidi, Oswaldo Negri Junior and Francesco Piovanetti. With 26 points still up for grabs, if Pier Guidi’s crew fails to win pole, the title goes to CarGuy before the race even starts. Calado and Japanese drivers Cozzolino and Kimura just need to finish the race to be out of reach of any other Ferrari crew for the drivers’ title.
On the hunt for Le Mans. Winning titles is not an end in itself as the Asian Le Mans Series offers places in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 4 Hours of Sepang programme starts on Friday with the first free practice session and continues on Saturday with the second free practice session and qualifying. It will conclude on Sunday with the race at 12 pm local time, dawn in Europe.
FDA – Enzo Fittipaldi with Prema in Formula Regional
Posted: 19.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 19 February 2019 – Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) student, Enzo Fittipaldi, will race in the 2019 European Formula Regional championship. The Brazilian, who is the reigning Italian Formula 4 champion, will tackle this new adventure at the wheel of a car entered by the Prema team.
Third year with the team. This will be Enzo’s third year with the Italian team, with whom he took seven wins in Formula 4 last year, along with nine pole positions and 12 podium finishes.
The Championship. The Formula Regional championship is run using Formula 3 cars and gets underway on 14 April at Le Castellet, France. Fittipaldi says he is ready for this next step in his career as a racing driver: “I am very happy to be continuing with Prema and to be once again part of the Ferrari family through the FDA. This will be a completely new car for me and I will have to learn about it during pre-season testing. I can’t wait to put my helmet on and get in the cockpit.”
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The anniversary of the birth of Enzo Ferrari, the memories of the Company
Posted: 18.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 18 February 2019 – What would Enzo Ferrari think of the cars that bear his name today? On the day of the 121st anniversary of his birth, a special video seeks to answer this question, combining his most famous precepts with images of recent models.
“Living engineering“, “A harmony of sound“, “A child to me“. It is not often that a car manufacturer defines his creations in these terms. These are a few of the soundbites taken from one of the last television interviews given by Enzo Ferrari, which reveal his intimate relationship with the cars he designed. Everything stems from an idea, which is then enriched by the contribution of a host of collaborators, becoming a collective project – all thanks to the ability of the Commendatore to drive his team towards results that were simply unthinkable for such a small company at that time.
“You find something different in our cars”, he said, “because it involves human intellect”.
And today? Ferrari rises to the challenge first laid down by Enzo, defending the brand’s uniqueness and extending it into the future.
The video is available on the company’s social media channels:
https://www.facebook.com/Ferrari/
https://www.instagram.com/ferrari/
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test – Day 4
Posted: 21.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Leclerc brings test to an end with a further 138 laps
Montmelò, 21 February 2019 – Charles Leclerc was at the wheel of the SF90 on what was the last day of this four day Formula 1 pre-season test at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. The Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow driver completed a total of 138 laps; 72 in the morning and 66 in the afternoon. That means the SF90 has covered 598 laps in this first test, (303 for Sebastian Vettel and 295 for Charles Leclerc), equivalent to a total distance of 2783,69 kilometres.
Different configurations. Following the installation lap, the Monegasque driver then got down to a series of runs to evaluate different set-ups, running various tyre compounds. Towards the end of the morning, Charles set what would be his fastest lap of the day in 1’18”046. The afternoon featured further tyre testing with the car running in different configurations.
With the media. During the lunch break, Leclerc spoke to the media about his first days in Ferrari. “For now, I don’t want to say too much, because this is just testing” he said. “But the feeling from the car is very good. We did many laps, the reliability was good and every day we managed to complete our programme.”
At ease in the car. “I feel quite at ease in the car, even if there are still a few things I need to get used to, including how the team operates. But this is quite an easy car to drive. As Seb said, this doesn’t feel like a new car, but more like one that is quite well developed. Driveability is very good, which shows that the team has done an amazing job over the winter to bring a very solid car here.”
Always improve. “As soon as I arrived here in Barcelona, I switched to ‘work’ mode and put any emotion to one side to get on with the job as well as possible,” concluded Charles. “The results? I’m not really focusing on that side of things. I’m focusing on myself, trying to do my best and to improve with every lap.”
Last test now. In between now and the start of the championship, which gets underway in Australia on 17 March, there are a further four days of testing scheduled for all the teams, again at the Barcelona track. The session gets underway on Tuesday 26 February and end on Friday 1 March.
Barcelona F1 Test – Day 4 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:17:393 | Red – C5 | 24 |
| 2 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:17:637 | Red – C5 | 136 |
| 3 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:17:785 | Red – C5 | 34 |
| 4 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:17:857 | Red – C5 | 57 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:17:977 | Red – C4 | 58 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:046 | Yellow – C3 | 138 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:18:431 | Red – C4 | 132 |
| 8 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:18:511 | Yellow – C3 | 154 |
| 9 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:18:563 | Yellow – C3 | 64 |
| 10 | Kevin Magnussen | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:18:720 | Yellow – C3 | 66 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:18:780 | Yellow – C3 | 146 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:19:664 | Grey – C2 | 72 |
| 13 | George Russell | Williams Racing | 1:20:997 | Yellow – C3 | 17 |
| 14 | Robert Kubica | Williams Racing | 1:21:542 | Grey – C2 | 48 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test – Day 3
Posted: 20.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Another 134 laps for Vettel in the SF90
Montmelò, 20 February 2019 – Sebastian Vettel was back behind the wheel of the Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow SF90 for the third and penultimate day of the first Formula 1 pre-season test. The German completed 80 laps in the morning and a further 54 in the afternoon, thus completing the planned distance on the programme ahead of schedule. So far, the SF90 has done 460 laps here at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit.
Set-up work. Once again, the morning session began with a first run to check all the car components were functioning properly. Then the team got down to set-up work and evaluating tyres, simulating various phases of a race. Vettel set his fastest time a bit before the lunch break, stopping the clocks in 1’18”350.
Positive impression confirmed. Here is what Sebastian said at the end of the day: “It was good to be back in the car today and put some more mileage under my belt. Again, we had a busy day and managed to complete our programme, which included a few new items, compared to Monday. We tried a few things around also focusing on set-up and I can only confirm the positive impression I had on day one. Having now put 303 laps in the bag I feel comfortable to say we are satisfied with how the car is progressing.”
Charles again. The first pre-season test here in Barcelona ends tomorrow, when Charles Leclerc will again be driving the SF90. Next week, at this same Spanish track, there will be a final four days of testing prior to the start of the season in Australia on 17 March.
Barcelona F1 Test – Day 3 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Daniel Kvyat | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:17:704 | Red – C5 | 115 |
| 2 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:17:762 | Red – C5 | 133 |
| 3 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:18:164 | Red – C4 | 56 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:350 | Yellow – C3 | 134 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:18:787 | Yellow – C3 | 75 |
| 6 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:18:800 | Red – C4 | 63 |
| 7 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:19:189 | Yellow – C3 | 17 |
| 8 | Pietro Fittipaldi | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:19:249 | Yellow – C3 | 48 |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1:19:354 | Yellow – C3 | 82 |
| 10 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:20:102 | Yellow – C3 | 67 |
| 11 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:693 | Yellow – C3 | 88 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:818 | Yellow – C3 | 77 |
| 10 | George Russell | Williams Racing | 1:25:625 | Yellow – C3 | 5 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test – Day 2
Posted: 19.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Charles completes 157 laps on his debut
Montmelò, 19 February 2019 – The second day of the first pre-season test at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit saw Charles Leclerc make his official debut at the wheel of the SF90, following on from the two laps he completed during the filming day on Sunday. The Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow driver completed a total of 157 laps; 73 in the morning, a further 84 in the afternoon. The Monegasque driver got in the car at 9 on the dot but the session was immediately red-flagged and he had to wait almost half an hour before going out on track.
Consistent lap times. Leclerc soon got to grips with the SF90, producing consistent lap times, which was useful for the engineers as they evaluated different parameters on the car in race trim. His best time of 1’18”247 was set just before the lunch break.
Happy Leclerc. “I am very happy with the way today went,” were the Monegasque driver’s first comments as he got out of the car at the end of the day. “Despite some red flag interruptions, we were able to get through all our programme and to do 157 laps, which has produced a lot of useful data. In terms of feeling, I quickly felt comfortable with the SF90 and I have to say I really enjoyed myself. Emotion? There’s always going to be some when you get into a Ferrari, but today I put that to one side because I had a job to do for the team. Let’s hope we keep going like this over the next few days, because it’s important to make the most of the few on-track testing opportunities we have.”
Vettel once again. This first pre-season test continues at the Barcelona circuit until Thursday. Tomorrow, Sebastian Vettel will be once again behind the wheel of the SF90, before handing back to Leclerc for the final day. Next week the Spanish track hosts the final four days of testing before the Formula 1 season gets underway in Australia on 17 March.
Barcelona F1 Test – Day 2 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:247 | Yellow – C3 | 157 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:18:553 | Red – C4 | 104 |
| 3 | Kevin Magnussen | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:19.206 | Yellow – C3 | 59 |
| 4 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:19:301 | Red – C4 | 132 |
| 5 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:19:312 | Red – C4 | 101 |
| 6 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:19:353 | Yellow – C3 | 89 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:19:814 | Yellow – C3 | 92 |
| 8 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:19:837 | Yellow – C3 | 95 |
| 9 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:19:886 | Yellow – C3 | 28 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:19:928 | Yellow – C3 | 74 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:20:433 | Yellow – C3 | 79 |
| 12 | Pietro Fittipaldi | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:21:849 | Yellow – C3 | 13 |
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona F1 test – Day 1
Posted: 18.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sebastian completes 169 laps on the SF90
Montmelò, 18 February 2019 – Today was the first of four days of pre-season Formula 1 testing currently taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. At the wheel of the Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow SF90 was Sebastian Vettel. The German completed a total of 169 laps, 72 in the morning and a further 97 in the afternoon. The first item on the agenda was a check of all the car systems, followed by a series of runs with the car in different configurations.
Programme completed. Sebastian was able to complete the planned programme for the day without any problems. He ran various tyre compounds in order to analyse the car’s behaviour on each of them. His best time of 1’18”161 was set before the lunch break.
Seb satisfied. At the end of his first day of running Sebastian Vettel was quite satisfied. “The first impression from today is very good. I could not have hoped for a better day, as the car worked really well and we had no issues slowing us down. We completed the programme just the way we wanted. Coming here I was pretty open minded and had no expectations and I didn’t need that much time to familiar with the car, as it was making everything quite straightforward for me. I must say I am still a bit rusty, as I haven’t been driving for several months, but I’ll sleep well tonight”. “It is too early to sum it up, as it’s just the first day – Vettel added – but I would like to send my compliments to everyone back at the factory in Maranello for how they tackled all the new rules and what they put on track today and also how the team is handling the car in a well prepared way”.
Charles next. The test session in Barcelona runs until Thursday. Tomorrow, Charles Leclerc will get behind the wheel of the SF90, before Vettel returns on Wednesday, with the Monegasque driver then rounding off the first of the two planned tests on Thursday.
Barcelona F1 Test – Day 1 – Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18:161 | Yellow – C3 | 137 |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1:18:558 | Red – C4 | 89 |
| 3 | Romain Grosjean | Rich Energy Haas F1 Team | 1:19:159 | Yellow – C3 | 39 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:19:426 | Yellow – C3 | 95 |
| 5 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:19:462 | Yellow – C3 | 85 |
| 6 | Daniel Kvyat | Red Bull Torro Rosso Honda | 1:19:464 | Red – C4 | 51 |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point F1 Team | 1:19:944 | Yellow – C3 | 30 |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:127 | Grey – C2 | 69 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:20:135 | Grey – C2 | 49 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Renault F1 Team | 1:20:980 | Grey – C2 | 65 |
| 11 | Daniel Riccardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:20:983 | Grey – C2 | 31 |
What’s new with Pirelli’s 2019 Formula 1 tyres?
Posted: 18.02.2019
Source: Pirelli
Barcelona, February 18, 2019 – This year will be the ninth season of the current Pirelli era, and during each of those years the tyre range has always been different from one season to the next. So, what can we expect that’s new from the latest range of tyres – which make their debut on the 2019 cars in Barcelona this week?
THREE COLOURS, FIVE COMPOUNDS
There will be only three colours at each 2019 race: white for the hardest compound of the weekend, yellow for the medium one, and red for the softest compound. In total, there will be five compounds available for the year: they are numbered from 1 to 5, going from hardest to softest. As all five compounds are on track at the pre-season test in Barcelona, the hardest (C1) and the softest (C5) compounds won’t carry the usual stripes during the test. Compounds C2, C3 and C4 will instead carry the usual branding with stripes: coloured white, yellow and red respectively. This will only happen during tests: for grand prix weekends there will be just three compounds at each race.
PROTOTYPES FOR TESTING
There will also be some tyres that don’t carry any markings at all: these will be prototype tyres that will be seen during tests only to assess potential evolutions for the future. There is a bespoke test schedule currently being finalised for 2020, which will involve all the teams in a series of sessions this year. Details of this schedule will be released shortly.
DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES
A new move for this year is to reduce the maximum temperature of the tyre blankets at the rear to 80 degrees centigrade, while the front tyre blanket temperature will remain at the current 100 degrees centigrade. This will help front tyre warm-up, and also reduce the risk of graining: especially in low ambient temperatures. As a result, the starting pressures of the rear tyres have been reduced accordingly.
THINNER TREADS
There was a thinner tread used at selected races last year, which featured new asphalt. This was designed to prevent overheating, with the objective successfully achieved. As a result, a similar tread reduction has been adopted for all the 2019 tyres. The tyre constructions will therefore be exactly the same at every race this year.
NEW INTERMEDIATE AND WET
There’s a brand new intermediate tyre for this year, which is designed to cover a wider range of conditions than its predecessor. This makes for a much more effective crossover point with both the slick and the full wet tyres, as well as improved performance in the wet. The full wet tyre is also entirely new, with a redesigned profile that offers greater resistance to aquaplaning and better driveability in heavy rain.
NO WET BACK-UPS
Last year, two parallel ranges of wet and intermediate tyres were homologated: one for higher temperatures and one for lower temperatures. This year, the tyres have been made more versatile so there is no need to have two ranges: there’s only one intermediate tyre and one full wet tyre for the whole year.
WIDER WORKING RANGES
The working ranges are a bit higher for this year in order to reduce the potential for overheating. This ensures that overall there is a wider operating window as well.
C1 110-140°C
C2 110-135°C
C3 105-135°C
C4 90-120°C
C5 85-115°C
(C1 the hardest compound, C5 the softest)
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – First run for the SF90
Posted: 17.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Montmelò, 17 February 2019 – The SF90 has now completed its first track outing, following on from last Friday’s launch. It took place at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, when Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow carried out a filming day to gather footage for media purposes for itself and its partners.
Sebastian and Charles. Sebastian Vettel did the bulk of the running, with Charles Leclerc making his debut in the new Ferrari towards the end of the day. As per filming day regulations, the car completed no more than a hundred kilometres, running on demonstration-run tyres.
First test. The SF90 will be back on track tomorrow, when the first of two official pre-season tests begins at the Spanish circuit. Sebastian Vettel will drive the first day, alternating with Charles Leclerc through to Thursday when the test ends. The second session, again in Barcelona, runs from 26 February to 1 March.
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Barcelona test: Seb to start
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Drivers will alternate over four days of testing
Maranello, 16 February 2019 – It will fall to Sebastian Vettel to give the new Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow car its track debut, on Monday 18th February. That’s the opening day of the first test that runs until 21 February at the Barcelona circuit.
Alternating. The German, embarking on his fifth season with the Maranello team, will alternate with Charles Leclerc over the four days. Therefore Tuesday sees the Monegasque driver make his pre-season debut, before returning to the cockpit on Thursday, after Vettel drives again on the Wednesday.
Next step. After the first test, all the teams taking part in the Formula 1 World Championship will return to Barcelona for a final run of four days testing, from 26 February to 1 March. Following that, it will be time to think about the first Grand Prix of the season, in Australia on 17 March at the Albert Park circuit.
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow – Ferrari SF90
Posted: 15.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
The SF90 (design code 670) is the sixty fifth single-seater built by Ferrari to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship. The car has been produced based on the new regulations, which have required various changes compared to the 2018 car. Among the most obvious changes are those to the front and rear wings. The front wing is wider and boasts simpler aerodynamic profiles, while the rear is wider and higher. The bargeboards have been reduced in height, while the front brake duct design has been simplified. The overall weight of the car increases to 743 kilos, including the driver and his kit, which must weigh a minimum of 80 kilos. The fuel allowance for the race increases from 105 to 110 kg. The SF90 is the sixth car built for Formula 1’s current hybrid era, which began in 2014.
Front wing
The front wing is one of the most important components of the car, in that not only does it produce downforce at the front end, it also conditions the quality of airflow over the rear, which is a key factor in delivering effective aerodynamics. The 2019 regulations require a simplification of the front wing. Its width is increased to 2 metres, which is exactly the same as the track of the car, while the number of horizontal elements cannot exceed five. The vertical elements at the extremities of the wing are no longer allowed and the geometry of the endplates has been simplified. The purpose of these changes is to make the cars less sensitive to the outwash effect when following another car.
Front brake ducts
The brake ducts are a very important component on a Formula 1 car. They are designed to cool the carbon brake discs that can reach temperatures of over a thousand degrees Celsius. Over the years, the shape of the front air ducts has become extremely sophisticated and they have evolved to also play an aerodynamic role. In 2019, this is another component that has been simplified in the regulations.
Rear wing
Like the front wing, the rear has also been subjected to rule changes for 2019. It is higher by 70 millimetres, increasing from 800 to 870mm and wider, increasing from the previous 950 to 1050mm. The end plates are 100 mm longer and house the rear lights, which consist of a pair of LEDs at the outer edges of the rear wing, in a solution similar to the one already adopted by the FIA for LMP1 and LMP2 prototype cars. Rule changes also affect the Drag Reduction System (DRS,) which is now more effective.
Bargeboards
The bargeboards are the side-mounted vanes that, on a current Formula 1 car help direct air flow to some specific areas of the car. Rules introduced for the 2019 season have limited the design options in this area, by reducing the area available to the designers. The maximum height for the bargeboards drops from 475 millimetres to 350 above the reference plane.
Weight
The 2019 Formula 1 regulations see the weight of the car increase by 10 kilos from 733 to 743kg. The fuel allowance for the race increases by 5 kg from 105 to 110. In addition, the minimum weight for a driver, including the equipment and seat is set at 80 kilos. For drivers who do not reach this minimum, their cars must take on ballast, which must be fitted in the cockpit area only.
Engine cover
The engine cover of the new Ferrari to be raced in 2019 is considerably narrower in order to improve the car’s aero efficiency. Work on refining engine components and relocation of some of its ancillaries has led to a reduction in the space taken up, thus allowing for a much more compact bodywork design. This has the advantage of cleaning the airflow to the rear wing. The air intake now has a similar shape to that found on the 2016 car, while work on the fluid-dynamics inside the car means it has the same level of cooling efficiency as the SF71H, while taking up less space.
Power Unit
A Formula 1 Power Unit consists of six components. These are, the internal combustion engine – a 1.6 litre turbocharged V6; two motor generators, the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic) and the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit-Heat). The MGU-K is derived directly from the system known as KERS, which recovers kinetic energy under braking and stores that energy, up to a maximum of 4 MJ in the battery pack. As for the MGU-H, it recovers thermal energy from the turbo. Another element is the battery pack, where the recovered energy is stored until it is released. The sixth element is the electronic control unit. For the 2019, Ferrari 064 Power Unit, both the thermal and mechanical efficiency has continued to develop. This was achieved working on engine combustion, energy recovery and fluids. The Power Unit layout has been designed in symbiosis with the overall car design, while Energy Storage system reduced its weight and volume.
Technical Data
Carbon fibre composite chassis, with honeycomb construction, fitted with a halo protection device over the cockpit.
Longitudinally-mounted Ferrari gearbox with 8 speeds plus reverse.
Semi-automatic sequential gear change, electronically controlled with rapid selection.
Hydraulically controlled limited slip differential.
Self-ventilating Brembo carbon disc brakes (front and rear) with electronic control system on rear brakes.
Push-rod front suspension. Pull-rod rear suspension.
Weight with coolant, oil and driver: 743 kg
13” front and rear OZ wheels
Engine
Cubic Capacity 1600cc
Maximum rpm 15000
Supercharging Single Turbo
Fuel flow rate 100 kg/hr max
Fuel allowance per race 110 kg
Configuration V6 90°
Bore 80 mm
Stroke 53 mm
Valves 4 per cylinder
Injection Direct, max 500 bar
ERS System
Battery energy 4 MJ
MGU-K power 120 kW
MGU-K max rpm 50.000
MGU-H max rpm 125.000
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Wins for Prette, Tabacchi, Hanna and Christensen
Posted: 17.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 17 Feb 2019 – Louis Prette, Emanuele Maria Tabacchi, Tani Hanna and Peter Christensen all won in the first round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe held at the Sakhir circuit.
Trofeo Pirelli. The race, held under artificial light, was very hard-fought with lots of overtaking, in part due to the grid handicaps based on the results of Race-1. Louis Prette (Formula Racing) won ahead of Niccolò Schirò (Rossocorsa) who passed Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi – Courage) in the final stages after completing a formidable comeback from fourteenth on the grid. The race was only decided at the last, when Prette performed a spectacular manoeuvre to pass Neubauer and when Alessandro Bonacini (Kessel Racing), in second position a few seconds before the chequered flag, lost his podium place after a heavy contact with a kerb that damaged a suspension arm. After crossing the line in fifth, the Italian driver ended up in fourth due to the five-second penalty levied on Sam Smeeth (Baron Motorsport) for a contact with Manuela Gostner.
Pirelli AM. Emanuele Maria Tabacchi pulled off an encore in the Pirelli AM category, having to recover from the back of the field due to the grid handicaps. The Rossocorsa driver moved into the lead halfway at the halfway point, also taking advantage of the many duels that kept the group bunched up. He then controlled the pace all the way to the chequered flag. Behind him came Jack Brown (Ferrari GB – Graypaul Nottingham), repeating his result in Race 1, and the Swede Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa). Fourth position went to Manuela Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) who played a leading role in the race. After finishing third in Race-1, Christian Overgaard (Forza Racing) was fifth under the flag, ahead of John Dhillon (Ferrari GB – Graypaul Nottingham).
Coppa Shell. In the race held at dusk, Lebanon’s Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) enjoyed an authoritative win ahead of Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport) and Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport). By lap 8, the runner-up in Race 1 had used his faster pace to complete a fightback from seventh place. The race saw the entry of the Safety Car due to some contacts in the middle of the group and offered a thrilling finale with five drivers battling for the podium. At the chequered flag, Kinch reaped the rewards for his steadiness and Kirchmayr for his tenacity, having beaten off the attacks of Ken Abe (Formula Racing) and Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing). After Saturday’s accident, the Dutchman, rose from last position, thanks to a consistently face pace. US driver James Weiland (Rossocorsa), the winner of Race 1, retired.
Shell AM. Only two drivers made it to the line in the Shell AM category. In a real knockout race, Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) won ahead of Laurent De Meeus (Ferrari GB – HR Owen), who after an early collision only made it back on track and to the finish line thanks to his mechanics. Collisions knocked the other drivers out before the chequered flag.
Rankings and upcoming events. In the Trofeo Pirelli. Niccolò Schirò (37), Louis Prette (35), Sam Smeeth (27); in the : Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (44), Jack Brown (32), Christian Overgaard (21); in the Coppa Shell: Tani Hanna (38), Christian Kinch (28), James Weiland (23); Coppa Shell AM: Laurent De Meeus (32), Agata Smolka (23), Peter Christensen (21); Coppa Team: Rossocorsa (123), Formula Racing (110), Baron Motorsport (44).
The next round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe takes place on 29-31 March in Valencia, Spain.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Hanna and Christensen triumph at Sakhir
Posted: 17.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 17 Feb 2019 – Tani Hanna and Peter Christensen won their respective classes in Race-2 of the Coppa Shell, which took place at sunset. Hanna (Formula Racing), who pulled off a very spectacular comeback, enjoyed the perfect end to the weekend after his second place in Race-1. For Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) the victory came at the end of a race marred by lots of accidents.
Close-up contacts. The grid handicap scrambled the positions won by the drivers in the afternoon qualifying session. At the start, Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) slipped past Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) who suffered a contact from Thomas Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) on exiting the first hairpin bend and ended up in a spin. Having lost touch with the group, the Canadian returned to the fray but was now out of the running. The action didn’t end there. A few turns further on ‘Boris Gideon’ (Formula Racing) came into contact with Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa) putting them both out of the race. The winner of Race-1, James Weiland (Rossocorsa), also suffered the same fate.
These accidents brought out the Safety Car, which only returned to the pit lane 20 minutes after the chequered flag. After the restart, Kirchmayr pulled away from his pursuers. Among these, Tani Hanna started to clock a series of fast laps, overtaking Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport) at practically the same time as the track display announced Thomas Gostner’s drive-through penalty following his contact with Cheung. Peter Christensen suffered the same penalty a few laps down the line.
Hanna on the attack. The Shell AM class saw Per Nielsen (Forza Racing) and Herve Mouly (Modena Motors – Sebastian Loeb Racing) in a struggle for first, while Hanna set off in pursuit of Kirchmayr. The Lebanese, determined to seal the win he just missed out on in Race-1, attacked the Austrian and passed him with a clean and effective manoeuvre. The Baron Motorsport driver locked onto Hanna’s tail, trying to lose as little time as possible and use the pace set by the Formula Racing driver to keep Christian Kinch at bay. The plan seemed to work well, but a tiny mistake allowed Kinch to pass and take second position. From the rear, in the meantime, Cheung successfully attacked Corinna Gostner, moving into sixth thanks to a beautiful pass on the outside of the Italian driver.
The finale saw an exciting fight for second between Kinch, Kirchmayr and the Japanese Ken Abe who joined the contest due to a loss of pace for the two drivers battling it out in front of him. The chequered flag prevented the Formula Racing driver from attacking the duo. He had to settle for fourth place while Christian Kinch and Ernst Kirchmayr celebrated on the podium with Tani Hanna.
In the Shell AM class, at the end of what was effectively a knockout race, the Danish Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) and the Belgian Laurent De Meeus finished on the podium.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Prette and Tabacchi head the field in Qualifying 2
Posted: 17.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 17 February 2019 – Louis Prette and Emanuele Maria Tabacchi set the fastest lap times for their respective classes in the second Trofeo Pirelli qualifying session. After his comeback in Race-1 the Italian Formula Racing driver said he was aiming for a better position in qualifying, which he pulled off in style in the 30-minute session.
Four hundredths. Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi – Courage) followed him, qualifying four-tenths of a second behind the poleman, and also winning the Motegi Golden Wheel. The very competitive duo of Sam Smeeth (Baron Motorsport) and Alessandro Bonacini (Kessel Racing) will start from the second row. The gap between Neubauer and Bonacini is just four-hundredths of a second. Fifth place went to the winner of Race-1, Niccolò Schirò (Rossocorsa), who lagged only 575 thousandths of a second behind Prette.
Tabacchi again. Emanuele Maria Tabacchi was the fastest driver in the AM category with a time of 2:03.977, ahead of rivals such as Jack Brown (Graypaul Nottingham), second in Race-1, and Manuela Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing), who was determined to make up for her disappointment in the night race. The Italian got the better of Swedish Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa) by just two-thousandths of a second and finished three-hundredths of a second ahead of Christian Overgaard (Forza Racing), who yesterday completed the podium in the AM category.
The second race will start at 7 pm local time.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Weiland and Nielsen fastest in second qualifying session
Posted: 17.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 17 Feb 2019 – James Weiland took pole position for Race-2 of the Coppa Shell, repeating his performance in the first qualifying session on Saturday.
The US driver, supported by Rossocorsa, stopped the clock at 2:04.652, beating Lebanese Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) by 107 thousandths of a second and Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport) by 407 thousandths. It was another very hard-fought session behind the top three, with six drivers – from fourth to tenth – placed within one second of each other.
Nielsen in AM. Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) clocked 2:05.748, just 54 thousandths of a second quicker than Eric Cheung while the fastest of the AM category drivers, Per Nielsen (Forza Racing), was a mere 1.545 seconds off the overall pole. Thomas Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) is in the fourth virtual row in front of another AM driver, Herve Mouly (Modena Motors – Sebàstien Loeb Racing) who enjoyed a podium finish on Saturday. The Frenchman preceded Ken Abe (Formula Racing) and the third fastest of the AM drivers, ‘Boris Gideon’ (Formula Racing), who recorded a time of 2:06.571 and tenth place overall.
Changes to the grid. After yesterday’s disappointment due to the early end of the race, Corinna Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) was eleventh fastest, a few hundredths of a second ahead of Peter Christensen (Formula Racing), with whom she had come into contact on Saturday. Behind these two, Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa), winner of Race-1, will need to mount a comeback. The starting grid at Sakhir won’t entirely reflect the qualifying times, due to the penalties imposed to boost the thrills and excitement. The winner of Race-1 will lose six positions, the runner-up four and the third-placed driver two. The race sets off at 5:20 pm local time
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Weiland and Smolka mount the top step
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
The Coppa Shell race, held under the floodlights, started with James Weiland (Rossocorsa) in pole position and Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) at his side. Next came Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa) and Corinna Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing), who overtook Eric Cheung (Formula Racing) author of a cautious start.
First safety car. The Canadian regained fourth with an excellent pass, although many drivers behind him tried to take advantage of the scrap to grab a podium position. This confused situation led to the contact between Corinna Gostner and Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) that put an end to their races and forced the race officials to bring on the safety car because of the debris scattered along the track. The race restarted on lap 5, but an accident at the first turn between Kessel Racing teammates Fons Scheltema and Murat Cuhadaroglu brought the safety car out again.
Red flag. The position of the two cars and the impossibility of removing them in time to complete the race under the green flag led the race officials to wave the red flag. With three-quarters of the race run, the decision awarded victory to the US driver James Weiland (Rossocorsa), with Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) second and Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport) third. In the AM category, after many podium finishes, Agata Smolka clinched a well-deserved first victory in the Ferrari Challenge, becoming the third woman to win in the series after Fabienne Wohlwend and Manuela Gostner. Laurent De Meeus (HR Owen) and Herve Mouly (Modena Motors – Sebàstien Loeb Racing) finished behind the Polish driver.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Victories for Schirò, Tabacchi, Weiland and Smolka
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 16 Feb 2019 – Niccolò Schirò, Emanuele Maria Tabacchi, James Weiland and Agata Smolka all triumphed on the first day of the Ferrari Challenge Europe in Sakhir. It was a clean sweep for Rossocorsa whose drivers celebrated from the top of the podium in all categories.
Trofeo Pirelli. The opening race of the 2019 season of the Prancing Horse one-make competition began at sunset and starred Niccolò Schirò in his series debut. After taking the lead, the Rossocorsa driver easily held off his rivals for a well-deserved win ahead of Sam Smeeth (Baron Motorsport) and Louis Prette (Formula Racing). After setting off from pole, the Briton had a tricky start from which he made an excellent recovery. Meanwhile, Prette fought back convincingly to win a spot on the podium after a qualifying session that had ended in fifth place. The Formula Racing driver first duelled with Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (Rossocorsa), then with Alessandro Bonacini (Kessel Racing) and finally with another rookie, Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi – Courage). The podium battle was very heated with lots of thrills and excitement, even if the positions stayed the same with Schirò winning ahead of Smeeth and Prette.
Pirelli AM. Emanuele Maria Tabacchi won the Pirelli AM category at the end of a race marked by thrilling duels with Prette and Bonacini. Fifth place overall confirmed the competitiveness of the Rossocorsa driver, one of the fastest even during free practice sessions. Behind the Italian came Jack Brown (Ferrari GB – Graypaul Nottingham) ahead of Christian Overgaard (Forza Racing), who fought a steady race, decided in the end by the British driver with a pass executed on the tenth lap. At the foot of the podium the trio of John Dhillon (Ferrari GB – Graypaul Nottingham), Kent Chen (Formula Racing) and Ali Kamyab (Ferrari GB – HR Owen, debuting in the series) were involved in a close fought battle, with never more than a second between them.
Coppa Shell. The night race was affected by the safety car, which came out twice before the red flag brought proceedings to an end. The winner was James Weiland (Rossocorsa), ahead of Tani Hanna (Formula Racing) and Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport). At the start, Weiland defended his pole position from the Lebanese driver’s attacks while Agata Smolka took third place overall, later ceded to Eric Cheung (Formula Racing). A violent contact between Corinna Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) and Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) brought the safety car out for the first time to allow the debris to be cleared from the track. At the restart on lap 5, an accident between Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) and Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing) brought the safety car back out, before the red flag called a halt to the race with two minutes left on the clock. Weiland triumphed ahead of Hanna and Kinch. Cheung, Thomas Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) and Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) completed the top six.
Shell AM. Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa) won the Shell AM category and finished seventh overall. With this result, the Pole became the third woman to win a Ferrari Challenge race, something that had only previously been achieved by Fabienne Wohlwend and Manuela Gostner. Agata Smolka crossed the line in front of Belgium’s Laurent De Meeus (Ferrari GB – HR Owen) and France’s Herve Mouly (Modena Motors – Sebàstien Loeb Racing). The Danish Per Nielsen (Forza Racing) and ‘Gideon’ (Formula Racing) finished behind them. The second round takes place on Sunday (at 5.20 pm and 7 pm local time, 3.20 pm and 5 pm CET).
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Winning debut for Schirò
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 16 Feb 2019 – Niccolò Schirò won the first race of the 2019 Ferrari Challenge Europe, which counts towards the Trofeo Pirelli. On his series debut, the Rossocorsa driver enjoyed a perfect race, handling each stage with skill.
The first start of the season went off without a hitch with Schirò immediately taking the lead ahead of Neubauer (Charles Pozzi – Courage) and poleman Smeeth (Baron Motorsport). However, in the middle of the group, Manuela Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) suffered a contact that broke the front left suspension, forcing her to retire. Behind Schirò, who pushed the pace of the race hard, Smeeth passed Neubauer and set off after the Italian. In his wake Bonacini (Kessel Racing) and Louis Prette (Formula Racing) fought for fourth position, followed at a short distance by Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (Rossocorsa) first in the Pirelli AM category.
Prette unstoppable. The duel between Prette and Bonacini was lively and exciting with continual passes and counter-passes. The former eventually prevailed when the Kessel Racing driver went slightly long at the last corner on Lap 6. However, not content with fourth place, Prette set off on the heels of Neubauer. In the Pirelli AM category, Tabacchi held a comfortable lead over his nearest pursuers, Christian Overgaard (Forza Racing) and Jack Brown (Graypaul Nottingham) who enjoyed a private battle. An exciting duel also took place behind them, with Kent Chen (Formula Racing), Ali Kamyab (HR Owen), Martin Nelson (Scuderia Autoropa) and the 17-year-old Frederik Espersen (Forza Racing), bunched within a few tenths of a second of each other.
At the halfway point, Prette was in Neubauer’s wake and began to threaten, forcing the Frenchman into defensive trajectories that slowed down the pace of both drivers. This favoured Tabacchi who, in the meantime, had overtaken Bonacini. After 10 laps Schirò was in first, Smeeth 5 seconds behind him, Neubauer 11.7 seconds further back in third, Prette fourth, 12.3 seconds off first place, and Tabacchi fifth overall, 15.6 seconds behind the leader and first among the Pirelli AM drivers.
Top ten fight. Prette successfully concluded his climb to third place a lap later when he overtook Neubauer after a spectacular duel. However, the French rookie wasn’t entirely out of the woods, as Tabacchi seemed intent on imitating the manoeuvre performed by the Italian of Formula Racing. The positions behind the leaders also saw plenty of tussling for position. Brown took second place in the Pirelli AM after overtaking Overgaard who enjoyed a reassuring advantage over Dhillon. The British driver, on the other hand, was exposed to the attacks of a large group of drivers behind him, with Chen and Kamyab the most aggressive.
The closing stages saw several interesting manoeuvres that didn’t yield any changes of position, so Niccolò Schirò crossed the chequered flag to celebrate his first win in the series ahead of Sam Smeeth and Louis Prette. Thomas Neubauer, Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (first in the Pirelli AM category) and Alessandro Bonacini finished next after an exciting race. Then came Jack Brown and Christian Overgaard, respectively second and third in Pirelli AM, followed by Dhillon, Chen and Kamyab.
The second Trofeo Pirelli race starts on Sunday at 7 pm local time (5 pm CET).
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Weiland fastest in Coppa Shell
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 16 Feb 2019 – US driver James Weiland was the fastest in qualifying for Race-1 with a time of 2:04.707. The Rossocorsa driver beat Tani Hanna in a hard-fought session.
Smolka first in AM. The Lebanese, one of Formula Racing’s standard bearers in the Coppa Shell, closed the session 133 thousandths of a second off pole. Eric Cheung (Formula Racing), who clocked 2:05.321, will start from the second row alongside Agata Smolka (Rossocorsa), first in the AM category with a time of 2:05.594. The Polish woman finished ahead of a group of drivers bunched within a few thousandths of a second of each other.
Tight group. The first, Christian Kinch (Gohm Motorsport) recorded 2:05.915, a tenth of a second ahead of Murat Cuhadaroglu (Kessel Racing), who in turn was 60 thousandths of a second in front of Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport). Thomas Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) finished eighth, followed by teammate Corinna Gostner who will be joined on the fifth row by Peter Christensen (Formula Racing). With seventeen drivers all within 2.7 seconds of each other, the first Coppa Shell race promises to be lively.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Smeeth takes first pole of 2019 in Trofeo Pirelli
Posted: 16.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 16 Feb 2019 – Sam Smeeth was the fastest of the Trofeo Pirelli drivers in the first qualifying session of the 2019 Ferrari Challenge. The Baron Motorsport driver received the Motegi Golden Wheel, traditionally awarded to polemen.
By a whisker. At the end of the thirty-minute session, the British driver stopped the clock at 2:02.893, just 53 thousandths of a second in front of rookie Thomas Neubauer (Charles Pozzi – Courage) and 126 thousandths of a second ahead of Niccolò Schirò (Rossocorsa), also making his debut in the 488 Challenge.
Surprise in the Pirelli Am. The rookie Emanuele Maria Tabacchi (Rossocorsa) was fastest in the Pirelli Am category, finishing an excellent qualifying session in fourth place overall, just 386 thousandths of a second behind the poleman. The third row will see Louis Prette (Formula Racing) who finished four-tenths of a second behind Smeeth, and Alessandro Bonacini (Kessel Racing). Behind them were two Pirelli Am category drivers, Jack Brown (Graypaul Nottingham) with the seventh fastest time and Manuela Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing), the quickest of the Ladies. David Gostner (Ineco – MP Racing) and Kent Chen (Formula Racing) complete the top ten.
Ferrari Challenge, all the thrills live and streamed online
Posted: 14.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 14 Feb 2019 – Once again this year, the exciting races of the Ferrari Challenge will be live-streamed, free of charge, on the Corse Clienti website.
First race of the year. The Bahrain weekend will see the opening race of the 2019 Prancing Horse continental series, now in its 27th edition. The first Trofeo Pirelli qualifying session is on Saturday from 2 pm to 2.30 pm (12 pm in Italy), followed at 3.30 pm by the Coppa Shell. The first Trofeo Pirelli race of the year gets the green light at 5.20 pm for Race-1, which last 30 minutes, while the Coppa Shell night race sets off at 7.30 pm.
Another night race. On Sunday, live coverage will start at 1.30 pm (11.30 am in Italy) with the second Coppa Shell qualifying session, while the Trofeo Pirelli time trial begins at 3 pm. The clock for the 30-minute Coppa Shell race will start at 5.20 pm while the Trofeo Pirelli night race sets off at 7 pm.
Ferrari Challenge Europe – Sakhir, a jewel in the dunes
Posted: 14.02.2019
Source: Ferrari
Sakhir, 14 Feb 2019 – The Ferrari Challenge will be paying its first visit to the Bahrain International Circuit, which has also hosted a Formula 1 World Championship race since 2004. Designed by architect Hermann Tilke, the 5.412 km track is on the outskirts of the capital Manama. A special resin is periodically used to treat the areas around the circuit, built among the desert dunes, to prevent sand from blowing onto the asphalt surface and compromising its grip.
Abrasive asphalt. The track’s layout makes it interesting to drive, both due to the variety of turns and to the height differences that work the chassis and tyres. The latter are also put to the test by the somewhat abrasive asphalt that, combined with the ambient temperature, only partly mitigated by the evening start, makes tyre management challenging.
495 light poles. The first part of the track sees long straights and lots of overtaking points, which test the brakes. In the second part, the most challenging, a sequence of differently sized turns gives a chance for the most technically gifted drivers to make a difference. The third and final part, offers a mix of the previous ones, with straights and technical turns that can provide or create opportunities for overtaking. Since its inauguration, the Bahrain International Circuit has stood out for its high quality modern facilities. The lighting system, for example, uses 4500 lamps on 495 light poles connected to over 500 kilometres of wiring.
Anonymous turns. Unusually, this track’s curves don’t have official names, except for Turn 1, the hairpin at the end of the main straight, dedicated to Michael Schumacher since 2014.