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Ferrari lawsuit argues Italian sports charity should drop Purosangue name

Ferrari announced plans for its first SUV back in 2018 by trotting out the name Purosangue, which translates loosely to “thoroughbred” or literally to “pure blood.” Only one problem: ThereÂ’s a tiny anti-doping sports charity active in Italy and Africa that already claims that name. No problem, Ferrari says. The Financial Times reports the famous Italian brand has opted to sue the nonprofit Purosangue Foundation, claiming that its registration should be removed because of a lack of use over the past five years. The matter will be heard in a court in Bologna on March 5. A lawyer representing the nonprofit pro-bono told FT “This is David versus Goliath” and said the brand has been in constant use, including a partnership to produce branded sneakers and clothing with Adidas, which is a sponsor of the charity. A Ferrari spokesman said the company does not comment on pending litigation. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Purosangue Foundation describes itself as an “international solidarity running project” that has been active since 2011 to promote clean and social sports. It also operates training camps in Kenya, Mozambique and Italy, and it runs projects to conduct health check-ups for the elderly and send running shoes to Africa. The organization is registered in London with the UK Charities Commission. “I am an athlete, used to getting up at 4:30 a.m. to train, so I have a certain mentality,” Max Monteforte, one of the nonprofitÂ’s founders and running coaches, told FT. “I am not going to be scared off, even knowing that we are up against one of the most important brands in the world.” As for FerrariÂ’s version of the Purosangue, the SUV FUV, short for Ferrari Utility Vehicle, is expected to launch in 2022 or 2023. ItÂ’ll be built on a modular platform shared with other front-engined cars planned as part of CEO Louis CamilleriÂ’s three-year, 15-new-product roadmap. Reports have suggested it will offer a height-adjustable suspension and a plug-in hybrid powertrain using a new, twin-turbo V6, with a pure-combustion V12 likely to serve as the flagship. Ferrari hasnÂ’t said much about its first high-riding ‘ute, and all weÂ’ve seen of it so far was footage of a mule version back in 2018.

2015 Mexican Grand Prix is a lot like old times

The last time Formula One visited Mexico, in 1992, 26 cars powered by eight engine manufacturers (counting Honda and Mugen-Honda separately) lined up on the grid; it would have been nine engine makers but the Brabham-Judd cars failed to qualify. In 1992 Lewis Hamilton was seven years old, Sebastian Vettel was five, Max Verstappen was still five years away from being born. Two of the current Sky Sports F1 commentary team, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert, were drivers. The starting three were Nigel Mansell on pole – 39 years old, this the year he'd win his only World Championship – and Riccardo Patrese both driving Williams-Renault cars, followed by Michael Schumacher in a Benetton-Ford. Only 13 of the 26 starters would finish. The circuit is has been reworked to today's safer standards, the track surface is brand new and slippery, but the atmosphere and packed grandstands haven't changed. Nico Rosberg was another point of consistency, scoring pole position for the fourth race in a row to beat his now-World-Champion teammate Hamilton by almost two-tenths of a second. The last time Rosberg turned pole position into a victory? The Spanish Grand Prix back in May. Vettel locked up third for Ferrari, followed by the Infiniti Red Bull Racing duo of Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. Williams went two-up as well, Valtteri Bottas in sixth ahead of Felipe Massa in seventh. Max Verstappen turned in a great late lap to reserve eighth place, Sergio Perez did all he could in front of his home crowd to get ninth, teammate Nico Hulkenberg the caboose in the top ten. In that 1992 race the first three on the grid finished the race in the same order after Mansell dominated, and it was almost the same in 2015. If Rosberg had driven the whole season like he drove today the Driver's World Championship would still be up for grabs. He got a great start and held his line through the first corner, coming out ahead of Hamilton through the initial kinks, pulling away as soon as he got to the straight. Hamilton was never more than a few seconds behind, but every time the Brit inched closer the German found a few more tenths to keep his distance. The field got bunched up when the Safety Car came out on Lap 53 after Vettel spun and got stuck in the barriers, but Rosberg handled the restart perfectly. Both drivers made small mistakes in the last few laps while driving on the edge, but Rosberg earned a strong victory, crossing the line two seconds ahead of his teammate.

Stellantis reports $15B profit in first year of merger

FRANKFURT, Germany — Automaker Stellantis said Wednesday that it made 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion) in its first year after it was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. The earnings nearly tripled profits compared with its pre-merger existence as two separate companies, as the maker of Jeep, Opel and Peugeot vehicles exploited cost efficiencies from combining the businesses. The result compared to a combined 4.79 billion euros for the separate companies in 2020 before the merger, which took effect on Jan. 17, 2021. Revenue for the combined business rose 14%, to 152 billion euros. CEO Carlos Tavares said the results “prove that Stellantis is well positioned to deliver strong performance" and had overcome “intense headwinds” during the year. Automakers have struggled with shortages of key parts such as semiconductor electronic components and rising costs for raw materials as the global rebound from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic brings more demand. The company said the benefits of the merger were worth some 3.2 billion euros during the year. Mergers can lead to streamlined costs as companies combine functions and spread fixed costs over a larger revenue base. The company accelerated its rollout of battery-powered vehicles, with sales of low-emission vehicles reaching 388,000 — an increase of 160%. Stricter environmental regulations in Europe and China are pushing automakers to roll out more electric vehicles with longer range. Stellantis started production of a hydrogen fuel cell commercial van under its Opel brand in December. Stellantis' other brands include Chrysler, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Maserati, Ram and Vauxhall. Related video: Earnings/Financials Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot Vauxhall