2006 Ferrari F-1 F430 Spider In Rosso Scuderia Red 10,000 Miles Shields on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ferrari replaces F1 boss with Marlboro exec

Ferrari just finished its worst Formula One season in decades, and if you're thinking heads are going to roll, you're right. In fact they already have, as team principal Stefano Domenicali was dismissed earlier this year and longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo was axed just two months ago. Now Maranello has announced a new team principal, yet again. Instead of promoting from within, however, this time Ferrari has called in an outside executive – albeit one with whom it is intimately familiar. His name is Maurizio Arrivabene, and he's served as a senior executive at tobacco giant Philip Morris International, managing (among other areas) the Marlboro brand's sponsorship of the Scuderia. In that capacity he's been sitting on the FIA's Formula One Commission as the sponsors' representative since 2010, giving him a familiarity with how the series is run. In his new capacity as Managing Director of the Gestione Sportiva and Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, Arrivabene replaces Marco Mattiacci, who was called up to the post from his previous position as head of the North American office just eight months ago. Back then Mattiacci replaced a similarly under-performing Domenicali. The change may very well have come at the behest (if not insistence) of Philip Morris, which remains the team's main sponsor and is undoubtedly displeased with Ferrari's performance lately. It wouldn't be the first time. After all, Marlboro similarly brokered the deal that put Ron Dennis in charge of McLaren in the early 1980s. Mattiacci's swift replacement comes at the end of a disastrous season for the Scuderia. Following yesterday's season finale in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors' standings behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams. The last time it finished the championship in such poor shape was in 2010 when Felipe Massa was injured and the team scrambled to find a replacement. But even then it managed to win at least one race and land on the podium another five times. Fernando Alonso finished on the podium only twice this season while Kimi Raikkonen struggled further back. This year marked the first time Ferrari failed to win a grand prix since 1993, and even then Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger managed more podiums than the team scored this season.

Race Recap: Brazil ends the 2013 F1 season with whimpers, bangs [spoilers]

When the grid lined up at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Brazil there were just 71 laps, almost 306 kilometers, until the end of the 2013 season. Sometimes the circuit in Interlagos is deciding a Championship winner or showcasing new talent, and sometimes it's merely deciding a winner. This year was the latter.
2013 World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull Racing lined up in front of Nico Rosberg in the first Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Fernando Alonso in the first Ferrari, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and his final Formula One race, Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, Romain Grosjean in the Lotus, Daniel Ricciardo in the first Toro Rosso and his final race for the team before moving to Red Bull, his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne, Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari and Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber.
There were numerous theories about what surprises might occur, with race day being the first dry running of the weekend and rain predicted to fall at some point during the running. The first surprise came when the lights went out and Vettel, the consummate starter, got beat to the first corner.

Full-camo Ferrari F12 M spied testing in Maranello

Going on five years old, the Ferrari F12 is due for a freshening. And so our spy photographers caught the next version of Ferrari's front-engine two-seater running around Maranello in full disguise. According to Autocar, the production version should appear at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Details at this point are scarce. In the photos you can see the large round brake lights behind the body coverings. They appear to be the same as those on the current F12, but don't count on that continuing through. As with the FF's evolution to the GTC4 Lusso, we expect some changes to the front and rear styling when the F12's suffix changes from Berlinetta to M. And with the GTC4 Lusso adopting a turbo V8, it's possible Ferrari will spread that option to the F12 M as well. But calm down, we're not expecting he V12 to go away. In fact, we expect it to get a power bump, similar to what we saw in the limited-edition F12 TdF, which puts out 769 horsepower, 39 more than the F12 Berlinetta. What we probably won't see in the upcoming F12 M is a hybrid powertain, despite the fact that all Ferraris are moving in that direction. That shift will happen with the F12's successor. Which leaves you plenty of time watch this video of the F12 M running around Maranello. Enjoy. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Ferrari F12 M Spy Photos View 19 Photos Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show Ferrari Coupe Performance Supercars ferrari f12 berlinetta