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Ferrari considering return to Le Mans racing in 2015

Rumors are swirling that Ferrari may be contemplating a return to Le Mans racing as soon as 2015. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports the Italian automaker may apply the development of a new 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engine for Formula One to an LMP1 car for Le Mans, and have it ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in two years. This follows hints made by Scuderia Ferrari CEO Stefano Domenicali last month that the newly developed F1 engine could be used for "some interesting projects."
Ferrari has a history of success in Le Mans racing, though it hasn't won the big endurance outright since 1965. The image above captures the exact moment when the No. 21 car of Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt crossed the finish line that year to win the race. That win was the last of six consecutive outright victories before the infamous arrival of the Ford GT40 in 1966. Despite never reaching the top of the podium again, Ferrari's nine wins still stand as the third most overall by a manufacturer behind Porsche (16) and Audi (11).
If Ferrari does return to Le Mans in 2015, the LMP1 class will suddenly be teaming with worthy competitors for Audi, which has dominated the race since 2000. After Peugeot's exit from the sport in early 2012, Toyota entered the race in 2012 and has continued to develop its TS030 Hybrid LMP1 car. Porsche, meanwhile, is well into developing a new LMP1 car that will first compete in next year's race.

Ferrari recalling 85 LaFerraris under two separate campaigns [UPDATE]

Of the recalls we see on a regular basis, million-dollar exotic supercars don't often pop up. But that's exactly what we have on our hands today as Ferrari North America and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have issued a pair of recalls for all 85 examples of the flagship LaFerrari hybrid hypercar in the United States. The first of the recall campaigns revolves around the headrests, which "may not absorb the required amount of energy" and therefore fail to comply with the federal safety requirements. The issue involves the larger L32 seat supplied by Lear, fitted as standard for the passenger and optional for the driver's seat. Addressing the issue will require dealers to replace the headrests. The second recall involves the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, which – in the event of a puncture – will display the wrong message. Instead of telling the driver not to proceed on the punctured tire, as apparently required under federal regulations, the system would (as currently programmed) tell the driver to keep driving, but not above 50 miles per hour. Ferrari dealers will need to update the software to fix the problem. These recalls do not represent the first time Ferrari has called in the hybrid hypercar over a potential safety issue. This past March, owners were offered the opportunity to have the fuel tanks replaced. However, unlike these latest campaigns that are being handled in coordination with the NHTSA, Ferrari insisted that the previous fuel tank issue did not constitute a recall. UPDATE: Ferrari North America confirms that no accidents or injuries have been reported to have resulted from either of these issues, which will be addressed in other markets as well - including Canada, where a further 11 units are affected. In order to fix the seat issue, "a small insert will be added to the back of the (large size only) seat headrest." Rectifying both issues "will take approximately an hour of service." Related Video: RECALL Subject : Headrest Impact Energy Absorbtion/FMVSS 202a Report Receipt Date: MAY 22, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V305000 Component(s): SEATS Potential Number of Units Affected: 85 Manufacturer: Ferrari North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Ferrari North America, Inc. (FNA) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 LaFerrari vehicles manufactured May 15, 2014, to March 4, 2015. The affected vehicles have L32 seats as standard equipment for the passenger seat and as optional equipment for the driver seat.

BMW hires Ferrari chief engineer Fedeli

There's going to be a little bit more Prancing Horse in some future BMWs because the Bavarian brand is hiring Ferrari chief engineer Roberto Fedeli to join the company in November. Fedeli's new position is still somewhat of a mystery though, and he reportedly might be lending his talents to the high performance M division or possibly even Rolls-Royce. When asked by Automotive News Europe, BMW said that it "currently can't say what his role will be."
Regardless of his new job, Fedeli was a big get for BMW because of his strong résumé. He has been with Ferrari since 1988 and led the engineering for the famous Italian automaker's vehicles since 2007. Fedeli tendered his resignation in September at around the same time that chairman Luca di Montezemolo announced his decision to leave the company. However, Ferrari told ANE that there was no connection between the two events.