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Despite early struggles, Ferrari F1 still has Mercedes in its sights

It would be an understatement to say that Ferrari has not had the opening to the 2016 Formula 1 season that it had hoped for. Having come in to the new campaign brazen about wanting a winning start, that Mercedes has taken all the poles and all race victories so far has come as a disappointment. There have been other headaches too – including reliability problems for both Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, and of course the points lost with the China/Russia incidents with Daniil Kvyat. But perhaps of more concern is that the trend of performance has not pointed towards a narrowing of the gap between Mercedes and Ferrari – as the Silver Arrows advantage seemed greater than it had been any point this season in Russia. So with the results against it, and it seemingly having no response in pace terms, the cynics are already suggesting that it is game over for Ferrari's 2016 title ambitions. But that is not how Maranello itself sees the situation: and it still has reason to believe not only that there is plenty to play for this season: but that it can take the fight to Mercedes. Pressure game Ferrari is well aware that it needs to quickly make up lost ground in both championship standings (Mercedes has more than double its point haul) and pace terms. But rather than be downbeat about what has happened, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene still senses opportunities: especially with Mercedes appearing to be on the edge in reliability terms. And it this area that he thinks needs to be exploited to give Ferrari the opening it needs. "If you have before you a team that has won four races out of four, you cannot but take note that they are very strong," he said after the Russian Grand Prix. "But if we look at what happened to [Lewis] Hamilton [with engine problems in qualifying], we see that they also have had reliability problems. "We must put pressure on them. That is our first goal. "All their problems have happened on a single car, while ours have happened on both. But there are still 17 races to go, that is something worth emphasising, so there time to make up the difference." Power battle Ferrari introduced an upgraded engine at the Russian Grand Prix that it hoped would lift it closer to Mercedes in the power stakes. But the weekend appeared to show that wasn't the case, with Mercedes' advantage on the Sochi circuit – the fourth most power-sensitive venue on the calendar – appearing bigger than ever.

One-of-a-kind aluminum Ferrari Daytona barn find to be auctioned

Every gearhead loves a good barn find, and this one will probably go down as one of the best. The car in question is a 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, which is a special-enough car for its gorgeous looks, impressive performance and appearance in Miami Vice. But this one is extra-special because it's a one-of-a-kind; the only aluminum-bodied Daytona built for street use. It's the latter part of that description that makes it unique. Ferrari did build a few other aluminum Daytonas, but those five cars, according to RM Sotheby's, were built specifically for racing. This one was just a normal street-ready Daytona painted in red with a black leather interior. It was sold to the founder of an Italian automotive magazine, and it changed hands within the country a few times. In 1971, it was imported to Japan where it was driven and enjoyed until its last owner parked it in 1980, where it sat until this year. RM Sotheby's will auction the car at a special Ferrari auction in Maranello on Sept. 9, 2017, where it will be sold alongside a new LaFerrari Aperta. The car will be sold in the condition you see above. The odometer reads 36,390 kilometers (about 22,611 miles), and it's believed the number is accurate. A Ferrari specialist also confirmed that the body, chassis and powertrain all match. The pictures show that the car also includes a comprehensive tool kit that includes a lead hammer for removing/attaching the knock-off wheel nuts. RM Sotheby's expects this car to sell for between ˆ1.4 million and ˆ1.7 million, which is about $1.66 million to $2.02 million at current exchange rates. Of course if the buyer wants to fully restore this car as opposed to simply preserving it, the owner could be looking at some hefty costs to bring it back to like-new condition. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta Alloy View 25 Photos Image Credit: RM Sotheby's Ferrari Auctions Coupe Performance Classics RM Sotheby's barn find ferrari 365 gtb4 daytona

Lewis Hamilton wins record sixth British Grand Prix

SILVERSTONE, England — Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton won a record sixth British Grand Prix on Sunday after jumping ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by taking advantage of the safety car being deployed. In front of his home fans, Hamilton made the decisive move to the front in the 20th of the 52 laps by pitting to get new tires. With the safety car still out after Antonio Giovinazzi spun off in his Alfa Romeo, Hamilton rejoined ahead of pole-sitter Bottas. "The safety car came out and it was perfect timing," Hamilton said. Hamilton had initially attacked Bottas on the fourth lap, overtaking but failing to keep position. "It was maybe not my luckiest day," Bottas said after falling 39 points behind Hamilton in the championship standings. "But that's life." After finally moving into the lead, Hamilton avoided pitting again so stayed on hard tires while Bottas was on fresher soft ones but the world champion still set a lap record on the final lap. By beating Bottas by almost 25 seconds, Hamilton extended his championship lead over the Finn to 39 points and moved ahead of Jim Clark and Alain Prost to take the record for British GP victories. "I love you Silverstone," Hamilton said over the team radio in the week when the track's future for the race was secured until at least 2024. It was an 80th career win for Hamilton, of which seven have come in the 10 races this season. "Today was one of the best days I can remember having," Hamilton said. "I have done so many races you would think I would get used to it or the feeling would numb down but it feels as amazing as the first win (at Silverstone in 2008)." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the podium after a crash in the fight for third saw Sebastian Vettel crash into the back of Max Verstappen on lap 38. "It was my mistake," Vettel said. "He passed me and he ran a bit wide which gave me the chance to come back. "I looked for a second he was going for the right and there would be a gap on the left ... but it didn't open and by that time it was already too late." Too late for Vettel to avoid crashing his Ferrari into the back of Verstappen, damaging the floor and diffuser of the Red Bull. "He apologized," Verstappen said. Vettel finished 15th and now trails Hamilton by 100 points in fourth place. Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Racing Vehicles F1 Lewis Hamilton british grand prix