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Former Ferrari boss takes over FIA Single-Seater Commission

After "stepping down" from his position as team principal at Scuderia Ferrari earlier this year, we knew that Stefano Domenicali would find ways to keep himself busy. We just didn't know with what, but now we have a bit of a clearer picture as the FIA named the longtime racing strategist the head of its Single-Seater Commission at its annual General Assembly, held this past week in Qatar. The FIA Single-Seater Commission, for those unfamiliar, is responsible for organizing and fostering the ladder of formula racing – right up to (but not including) Formula One. The presidency of the commission was previously held by Gerhard Berger, former F1 driver and Toro Rosso team principal, who was largely credited with the rebirth of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and the founding of the FIA Formula 4 category. Before Berger the position was held by racing consultant Barry Bland, and serving alongside Domenicali as vice-president of the commission will be John Ryan of the UK's Motor Sports Association (MSA). In taking over the commission, Domenicali will be charged with further defining a clear progression for aspiring racers to graduate to increasingly more challenging forms of open-wheel racing. He recently served as well on the special Accident Panel that looked into the Jules Bianchi incident. In that regard he seems to be following a similar trajectory to his predecessor Jean Todt, who was elected president of the FIA shortly after leaving his long career at Ferrari. The FIA appointment, however, isn't the only thing Domenicali has been working on lately. He was also recently hired by Audi in an undisclosed capacity that is said to include evaluating prospects for the German automaker's potential future F1 program. FIA Annual General Assembly FRI 05.12.14 The FIA Annual General Assembly, held in Doha, Qatar, today (5 December 2014), marked the end of the annual meeting week attended by Sport and Mobility FIA Member Clubs from around the world and which culminates with the FIA Prize-Giving ceremony this evening. The FIA President, Jean Todt, along with Senate President Nick Craw and Deputy Presidents Brian Gibbons and Graham Stoker, welcomed the delegates to the meeting and, on behalf of the General Assembly, thanked hosts Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah and the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) for their warm hospitality and assistance.

Michael Schumacher's son Mick to test with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo in F1

LONDON — Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, will test with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo in Bahrain next week, the Formula One teams announced on Tuesday. The German, who makes his Formula Two debut in Bahrain this weekend with the Prema team, will test Ferrari's F90 car at the Sakhir circuit on April 2 after the grand prix there. The 19-year-old, who won the European F3 title last year and is a member of Ferrari's young driver academy, will also test Alfa Romeo's new car on the Wednesday. "I am really looking forward to what I'm sure will be a great experience," he said. "But for the moment, I am consciously putting all thoughts of the test to one side, because I am also very much looking forward to competing in my first F2 race and would like to focus 100 percent on the weekend to come." Britain's Callum Ilott, who is also in Formula Two this season and is another Ferrari academy member, will make his F1 test debut with Ferrari-powered Alfa in Barcelona in May after the Spanish Grand Prix. Schumacher's father, who has not been seen in public since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013, won five of his record seven Formula One titles with the Italian team between 2000-04 and holds the record of 91 wins. Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto said the team's current driver Charles Leclerc was proof of the worth of the academy as a high level training program for talented youngsters. "Mick, who joined the FDA in January, and Callum, who has been with us since 2017, are definitely drivers on their way up," he said. "I believe that driving the SF90 in an official setting such as the tests in Bahrain and Barcelona can be very useful at this stage in their career." Motorsports Alfa Romeo Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 michael schumacher

Weekly Recap: Ferrari plans to gradually increase production by 2019

Ferrari has long been known for the exclusivity of its performance machines. It's on a different level than Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes. But as it transitions to a new era of independence from Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari is going to get a little less exclusive. It's by design, and it means a subtle, slow ramp-up of production – a move Ferrari believes will ensure its future by meeting growing demand in new markets. The strategy was detailed in SEC documents filed this month as part of the company's pending stock offering. The files reveal Ferrari will gradually increase shipments to about 9,000 units per year by 2019. This is a reversal of Ferrari's 2013 plans to cap production at 7,000 cars annually, which it hit on the nose that year. Ferrari shipments inched up to 7,255 in 2014, though that's down from 2012's record tally of 7,405. Ferrari is a vastly different operation than it was in 2013. Longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo stepped down last fall, and FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne has been overseeing the company since then. Its IPO has attracted high levels of attention from enthusiasts and investors. As expected, demand has reportedly outstripped the availability of the stock, which has an estimated offering price of $48 to $52 a share. Speaking of more Ferraris, the company revealed a limited-edition model this week called the F12tdf (shown above). Based on the F12 Berlinetta, the car is a salute to the Tour de France endurance auto race that Ferrari dominated in the 1950s and '60s. The V12 engine's output increases to 769 horsepower, while weight is cut by 243 pounds – allowing for a sprint to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Dramatic carbon-fiber elements and a radical redesign of the body panels give the F12 a more dramatic look. It will be limited to 799 units over the life of the car. If this is how Ferrari is increasing production, we're more than okay with the company's new strategy. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Tesla software unlocks Autopilot features Tesla released the latest version of its software for the Model S this week, which allows the all-electric sedan to drive in a semi-autonomous state called Autopilot. Tesla Version 7.0 enables the Model S to maintain lane position, change lanes by touching the turn signal, and manage the car's speed using an advanced, traffic-sensing cruise control. It also has a parallel parking feature, which searches for open spots and then parks your Tesla.