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Ferrari picks up ex-Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez as test pilot

With McLaren's long-awaited confirmation of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, the grid for the 2015 Formula One World Championship is finally complete. (That is, at least, aside from the bankrupt Caterham and Marussia teams, whose fate for next season still remain open.) But with the big game of musical chairs now drawn to a close, not everyone who had a seat this year will have one the next. And that includes one Esteban Gutierrez, who lost his ride with Sauber but has landed a test driver role with Ferrari instead. Gutierrez climbed up through the formula racing ladder, winning the 2008 Formula BMW Europe and 2010 GP3 titles before getting his start as a test driver with the Sauber team – a role which he held for two seasons while simultaneously putting up a good fight and winning races in GP2. Sauber promoted him to the race seat in 2013 (when he placed a career-best seventh place at the Japanese Grand Prix) and kept him on board for another season. But after failing to finish in the points even once this past year, both he and veteran team-mate Adrian Sutil were both replaced for next season. Taking their place will be Marcus Ericsson (who drove for Caterham this year) and newcomer Felipe Nasr (who served this season as test driver at Williams). That's left Gutierrez without a race seat, but Scuderia Ferrari has snapped him up as its official test and reserve driver for next season. In that capacity he'll be offered the chance to drive top-flight machinery and hone his skills with a front-running team, and will be on standby should either Sebastian Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen be unable to drive at one grand prix or another. Most of the other teams have yet to confirm their third drivers, but Williams recently announced it was promoting Susie Wolff to the job and McLaren confirmed Kevin Magnussen was bumped down for next season to make way for Alonso. The move may strike some as odd since Gutierrez is not part of the Ferrari Driver Academy development program, but Sauber has long shared close ties with the Maranello-based team. Ferrari supplies engines to Sauber, which in turn sometimes graduates drivers to the Scuderia. Former Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella both drove for Sauber, and current drivers Vettel and Raikkonen both got their starts there as well. A Mexican driver is back to Maranello Maranello, 15 December 2014 – Ferrari announces that, as from next season, Esteban Gutierrez will become part of the Scuderia workforce.

Ferrari Enzo split in half in crash could sell for millions

The 2004 Ferrari Enzo you see here is quite unlike any other. You see, back in 2006, tech entrepreneur Stefan Eriksson famously sliced this Enzo in half when he hit a pole along the Pacific Coast Highway while allegedly speeding at around 160 miles per hour (as you can see in the image below). And now you can bid to own it. RM Sotheby's will auction the infamous supercar in Paris on February 3. The supercar carries an estimate of between 1.5 million and 2 million euros ($1.6 million to $2.2 million at current rates). Eriksson initially claimed that a buddy was driving when the accident happened but eventually came clean. The authorities charged Eriksson with nine offenses, including grand theft, drunk driving, embezzlement, and illegal gun possession. He was later sentenced to three years in prison. Despite the horrendous damage, Eriksson's Enzo has survived. According to RM Sotheby's auction description, the Ferrari Technical Assistance Service rebuilt the car and added satellite navigation, a Bose stereo, reverse camera, power windows, and a subtle carbon fiber rear spoiler. The team also repainted the exterior in a beautiful shade called Nero Daytona and installed a Rosso interior, which replaced the original combo of Rosso Corsa on the outside and Nero inside. The car has covered 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) and remained in Europe since it was rebuilt from the untimely accident. The car also comes certified by Ferrari Classiche to confirm its authenticity. The Enzo is a special vehicle even without this one's great story, representing as it does a big leap forward for modern supercars. A 6.0-liter V12 with 660 horsepower sits behind the driver, and a six-speed sequential gearbox gets the power down. We can't wait to see what this interesting example brings at auction. PARIS 3 February 2016 Lot 138 2004 Ferrari Enzo Chassis no. ZFFCZ56B000135564 Engine no. 080164 Assembly no. 52696 ˆ1.500.000 - ˆ2.000.000 To be auctioned on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 Documents: French Certificat d'Immatriculation 660 bhp, 5,998 cc DOHC 65-degree V-12 engine with Bosch Motronic engine management and electronic fuel injection, six-speed electro-hydraulic computer-controlled sequential F1 transmission, limited-slip differential and traction control, front and rear pushrod-actuated double wishbones with horizontal external reservoir coil-spring damper units, and four-wheel ventilated carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

Charles Leclerc takes fourth straight pole at Russian Grand Prix

SOCHI, Russia — Charles Leclerc clinched his fourth straight pole position and championship leader Lewis Hamilton was second in qualifying at Formula One's Russian Grand Prix on Saturday. Leclerc finished 0.402 seconds clear of Hamilton, with Leclerc's Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel third fastest at the Sochi Autodrome. Hamilton is bidding for his first win since the summer break and his Mercedes team is often the dominant force in Russia, having won all of the five races staged here. Hamilton is 65 points ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas in his quest for a sixth world title, but looks to have his work cut out against Leclerc. Alex Albon crashed out of qualifying. The London-born Thai spun at the slow-speed Turn 13 before slamming into the barriers. The driver was unhurt. Vettel finished ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen but the Dutch driver will be bumped back five places following a grid penalty for changes to his engine. Ferrari, winless in the opening half of the season, is now the team to beat as it seeks a fourth consecutive victory. While Vettel ended his 13-month losing streak in Singapore last weekend, it is Leclerc who continues to impress in his opening season with the Scuderia. This marked his sixth pole this season and it is also the 10th straight round Leclerc has out-qualified Vettel, the four-time world champion, who was 0.425 slower in qualifying. "It definitely feels great to be back on pole," said Leclerc, who became the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher to claim four straight poles. Leclerc is 96 points behind Hamilton in the championship, with a total of only 156 to play for in the remaining six races. Hamilton has not been on pole since the German Grand Prix in July, a streak of five races, but was delighted to have split the Ferraris with his final effort. "I gave it everything I could in the end and I am so glad it came together," Hamilton said. "I wasn't expecting to be on the front row so I am really happy." Bottas finished fifth in qualifying. The Finn will join Vettel on the second row following Verstappen's penalty. Earlier Saturday, McLaren said the team will be powered by Mercedes from 2021, ending its association with Renault at the end of the 2020 campaign. The long-term agreement will run until at least 2024.