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Vettel says halo would have saved Wilson, Surtees

Sebastian Vettel reckons the aesthetics of the new halo protection system do not matter as long as it helps save lives in Formula 1. The Ferrari driver ran with the device for the first time on Friday, after teammate Kimi Raikkonen tested it on Thursday. The halo, however, was subject to harsh criticism from some drivers like world champion Lewis Hamilton, who said it was the "worst-looking mod in F1 history". Force India Nico Hulkenberg was also against the device and labelled it as "horrible". Four-time champion Vettel, however, is convinced drivers like Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees - who died after being hit in the head by objects during races - would still be alive today had the halo system been used in their cars. "First of all, to go around is okay. You can see what you need to see," Vettel told reporters on Friday. "I think we can improve the system in terms of aesthetics and also in terms of how much it's in your way, but I tested it as well in the simulator and I think we will see evolutions of it very soon. "In principle I agree it doesn't look very nice but equally it helps increase the safety, it helps saving lives. "There would be at least two drivers in the last four years there I remember that would still be around – Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson – if we had this type of system. "I think it can be very ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around." Additional reporting by Roberto Chinchero This article by Pablo Elizalde originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video.Related Video:

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel crashes in F1 preseason testing

MONTMELO, Spain — Sebastian Vettel crashed into a tire barrier in Formula One preseason testing on Wednesday, damaging his Ferrari but not sustaining any injuries. Vettel lost control on Turn 3 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, going through the gravel and hitting the wall. Ferrari said Vettel was "off due to a mechanical problem." It said the car was sent back to the garage "for all the needed checks." The Italian team did not specify what problem led to Vettel's crash in the morning session of the second of four days of testing. The crash prompted a red flag, and Vettel's Ferrari had to be towed back to the garage. McLaren driver Carlos Sainz was leading Wednesday's session with a time of 1 minute, 17.144 seconds, the fastest so far after six days of testing. Vettel had the second fastest time of the day, followed by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes rival Valtteri Bottas. Also Wednesday, McLaren said two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be the team's ambassador and continue to advise its drivers and engineers, as well as "drive at selected tests to support the development" of the team's cars for 2020. Alonso, who was at the Barcelona track on Tuesday, will drive for McLaren in this year's Indy 500. Renault said Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin, who raced for Williams last season, will be the team's reserve driver in 2019. Testing will continue through Friday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, home to the Spanish Grand Prix. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix is on March 17. More AP racing Motorsports Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari 458 with $1M wheels still hasn't found a buyer [w/video]

Rule number one of modifying a car: When it comes time to sell, people want to pay for the car, and could care less how much you spent in the aftermarket. This is a lesson that the guys at Latitude Wheels in Miami are currently learning.
The wheel company's "flagship show car," a 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia was put up for sale on eBay weeks ago, as reported by Jalopnik. The price? Just a shade under $1.3 million. For a 458 Italia. That normally starts around $230,000. Yeah.
Latitude justifies the car's price based on a very expensive set of wheels. To be exact, the 21-inch fronts and 22-inch rears are forged Vossen Precision Series wheels. Mounted on Pirelli rubber, Latitude claims the package is worth over $1 million. Add onto that the $20,000 in Novitec Rosso carbon fiber pieces - none of the fun, performance stuff Novitec is known for - and you come to an eBay starting price of $1,290,000.