2002 Ferrari 360 Spider~recent Major Service & Clutch~shields~calipers~like 2003 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lewis Hamilton needs to step up in his 200th F1 race

LONDON — Lewis Hamilton will start the 200th grand prix of his Formula One career in Belgium this weekend, but the triple world champion has smaller but more significant numbers on his mind. Refreshed from an August break in the Caribbean, including a trip to Cuba in his role as UNICEF ambassador, the Mercedes driver is 14 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel as he revs up for the second half of the season. A fifth victory of 2017 for the Briton would put the pressure back on Ferrari's Vettel, and Hamilton can celebrate another milestone by bagging pole position on Saturday at the long and fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit. That would see Hamilton, who sportingly relinquished third place to team mate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary before the summer shutdown, match the record of 68 poles set by Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2006. Mercedes has won the last two Belgian Grands Prix, with now-retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg triumphant from pole last year after Hamilton won in 2015. Nobody will be taking anything for granted, however, after Ferrari's one-two win in Budapest at the end of July. "On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said. "But assumptions are dangerous — we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions." Hamilton has won twice before at Spa, as has Vettel, but the track — a classic blast from the past — has not been particularly kind to him. In 2008, when he won his first title, the Briton was demoted from first to third after the race for cutting a chicane, with then Ferrari rival Felipe Massa savoring victory instead. Spa can often be a lottery, with its capricious weather, and rain could be a boon for Red Bull's Belgian-born Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who can count on plenty of local support in what amounts to a home race. "I just love the track and it'll be nice seeing so many orange (Dutch) fans in the grandstands," he said. "Spa is my favorite track of the year. You have to get everything right but when you get a good lap it's very rewarding." Belgium could also be good for Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who arrives with a new contract for 2018 in his pocket.

Christian Bale quits Enzo Ferrari biopic over weight gain

Christian Bale has an unusual but rational reason for dropping the role of Enzo Ferrari in the upcoming biopic of that same name, Variety reports. The actor, famous for his role in the Dark Knight trilogy and American Psycho, apparently felt that he couldn't gain the weight necessary to start filming this spring quickly enough without putting his health in danger. As we reported last year, Bale was to play Ferrari during a dark year for the company, when 11 people died during an accident involving one of the company's race cars during the 1957 Mille Miglia, a race in Italy held on public roads. The crash led to the cancelation of the Mille Miglia entirely. The script itself is based on a book written by famous automotive journalist Brock Yates, "Enzo Ferrari, The Man, The Cars, The Races." While the director, Michael Mann, now has to scramble to find a new lead actor, Robert de Niro is reportedly developing a movie in which he will play il Commendatore over a wider span of the man's life. Nonetheless, the idea of two Enzo biopics in the offing should make gearhead movie lovers doubly happy. Related Video:

Michael Schumacher documentary is in the works

A documentary chronicling Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is in the works and will be released Dec. 5 in Europe. The film, "Schumacher," is being made to tell the racing driver's story. Schumacher is widely regarded as the greatest Formula One driver of all time with his seven world championships. He raced from 1991 to 2006, and then again from 2010 to 2012. His early years were spent at Benetton before he joined Ferrari for the majority of his career. The last few seasons were spent with Mercedes-Benz. Unfortunately, just a year after walking away from the sport, he suffered a head injury while skiing. The injury left him in an induced coma, from which he is still recovering. Schumacher has not been seen in public and will reportedly not be seen in this film, but it will feature interviews with his family, including his wife, Corinna. Never-before-seen archival footage will also be featured. However, his current health condition will not be addressed. In nearly six years since the accident, Schumacher's recovery has been handled quietly. Neither family nor friends have made public comments concerning his condition. A trailer is set to be shown in Cannes at the Marche du Film event that begins May 14 and goes until May 23. Schumacher turned 50 years old this year, and this will also be the 25th anniversary of his first World Championship victory with Benetton. It's unclear when and where folks in the U.S. will be able to watch the film, but an American release is expected shortly after Europe — early 2020 is the target for now.