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Did Ferrari block Montezemolo from becoming F1 chairman?

The Formula One Group has appointed a series of new directors to its board. But while ousted Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo is among them, the latest reports suggest that he was earmarked to become the group's chairman, but that Sergio Marchionne blocked the appointment. Montezemolo, for those just joining us, served as chairman of Ferrari since 1991, but was ousted just a couple of months ago by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who took his place at the head of the table in Maranello. During his tenure as Ferrari chief, Montezemolo sat as the team's representative on the F1 board (and also as chairman of the Formula One Teams Association), but despite having broken ties with Ferrari, Luca was renominated to the board as an independent member. That seat on the board, however, could have been at the head of the table, according to circulating reports, had Marchionne not expressed certain reservations, if not blocked the nomination outright. Montezemolo's appointment would have meant that both the F1 Group and the FIA would have been headed up by former Ferrari men, although Marchionne was quoted as saying that if it had been his call, he would have prevented Jean Todt from being elected to the presidency of the FIA as well. The chairmanship of the Formula One Group is separate from the role held by Bernie Ecclestone, who will continue to run the sport's day-to-day operations. Ecclestone has also rejoined the board along with Paul Walsh, the former head of distilling giant Diageo who was also tipped as a favorite to chair the F1 board. That role instead will return to Peter Brabeck, the former head of Nestle, who had previously stepped down from the chair of the Formula One Group.

Ferrari return to Le Mans looking more likely?

Statements made by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo may indicate that the Italian brand could return to a form of racing it's been absent from for 40 years - prototype racing. That's right, LMP1 could see a factory Ferrari team for the first time since 1973, if a report from ESPN F1 is to be believed.
"We have won with the 458 GTE, but I also quite like the idea of racing at Le Mans in the highest category: who knows, maybe one day we can return and win, say thanks and come home," Montezemolo said. "Maybe we should give it some consideration..."
These seemingly idle, off-hand comments might not hold much water, were rumors about Ferrari's return to prototype racing not swirling as recently as August. There's also the fact that the upcoming, 1.6-liter, turbocharged V6 being used for Formula One complies with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's own LMP1 regulations, according to ESPN. Finally, Ferrari returning to Le Mans might also explain this video of a camouflaged Ferrari LaFerrari testing a new turbocharged engine, which we showed you a few weeks back. There's a fair chance that what we're actually seeing in that video are the early stages of a new Ferrari prototype testing.

Autoblog Minute: New Civic, FCA UAW Agreement, Frankfurt

FCA reaches a tentative agreement with the UAW, Honda reveals the all-new 2016 Civic, and the Frankfurt Motor Show dazzles us again. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on the Weekly Recap edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] FCA reaches a tentative agreement with the UAW, Honda reveals the all-new 2016 Civic, and the Frankfurt Motor Show dazzles us again. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. FCA reached a tentative labor agreement with UAW leadership. The major focus of the new deal reportedly includes: the eventual elimination of the two-tier pay scale [00:00:30] and pooling worker health care. Now that a leadership agreement is in place, the deal will be sent to FCA's rank-and-file. FCA has about 36,000 hourly employees. We got a first look at the interior and exterior of the 10th-generation Civic. Honda expects the new sedan to dominate the C-segment when it hits dealerships later this fall. Civic coupe, five-door hatchback, Si and Type R will all come later. The 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show is in the books and there was a lot of news to get excited about. [00:01:00] Porsche introduced a fully electric concept car in the Mission E. If they make this car, Porsche could give Tesla nightmares. We also saw SUVs from Jaguar and Bentley. There were two beautiful Italian convertibles from Ferrari and Lamborghini. Meanwhile, Mercedes introduced a concept of their own in the IAA - a vehicle that experiments with adaptable aerodynamics. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday. Plus we'll have some added insight on General Motors' deal to [00:01:30] avoid federal prosecution. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. UAW/Unions Frankfurt Motor Show Bentley Chrysler Ferrari Honda Jaguar Lamborghini Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Tesla Convertible SUV Concept Cars Electric Supercars Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video porsche mission e concept