2009 Ferraro 430 Scuderia 16m Nero Daytona Penske Wynn Ferrari 702-770-2000 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Sebastian Vettel gets to work at Fiorano [w/videos]

He wore a BMW Sauber uniform for his grand prix debut, the colors of Scuderia Toro Rosso for his first win and the Red Bull Racing jumpsuit for his four consecutive world titles. But with the 2014 Formula One season now behind him, Sebastian Vettel is now officially a Ferrari man, and he donned scarlet for the first time this past weekend when he got down to work in Maranello. Aside from meeting with the company's new chairman Sergio Marchionne, the Scuderia's new principal Maurizio Arrivabene and a team of race engineers, Vettel took the F2012 – similar if not the very same one in which his predecessor Fernando Alonso won the Malaysian, European and German grands prix – out onto the company's private test track. He completed a solid 100 laps around Fiorano on Saturday and undertook long sessions driving the virtual F14 T on the sumulator. "It's been a fantastic day to come here," Vettel said of his first day with the team. "The possibility to drive the car and get to know the team was a unique experience.... I'm very much looking forward to the challenge that we took on for the next years." Scope out the photos of Vettel in red in the gallery above and the footage from his first session at Fiorano and first visit to Maranello in the videos below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Sebastian gets down to business in Fiorano Maranello, 2 December – Last Saturday, Sebastian Vettel did his first laps as a Scuderia Ferrari driver, at the wheel of an F2012, at the Fiorano track. The German did around a hundred laps and it wasn't just a case of getting to know the team, the track and the car's systems: after a few cautious runs, he began to push and enjoy himself, even though the damp track meant conditions were tricky with less than optimal grip. In this video, you can see some spectacular highlights from Sebastian's run, from which it's clear that he is a determined character who really can't wait to get down to work alongside Kimi and the team to get the Scuderia back to the top again. ### Vettel: "A special feeling" Maranello, 1 December – This was the first weekend as a Scuderia Ferrari driver for Sebastian Vettel, who has been at Maranello from Saturday until today and has begun his work ahead of the new season.

'Ferrari' is an oft-banned search term in China, but why?

The Internet has been a boon for car enthusiasts; after all, information about any car ever made is available at a few taps of the keyboard, whenever you'd like. Unfortunately, some Chinese motor heads are not quite as lucky because state censors have been intermittently banning searches for Ferrari on the country's micro-blogging sites, according to Time.
The problem has nothing to do with Maranello's supercars; it's what they represent. The Prancing Horse has become the symbol for so-called "princelings," wealthy young Chinese who use their parents' privileges in the Communist elite to afford luxuries.
The first bout of censorship came in 2011 when the son of then-high-ranking politician Bo Xilai was spotted cruising around Beijing in a red Ferrari, a vehicle much more expensive than he should have been able to afford. It started trending on Chinese social media, and censors began blocking searches for Ferrari in the car's red color. The Italian brand was censored again briefly in 2012 when a Chinese investor crashed his Prancing Horse into two other cars in Singapore.

Montezemolo says he has "no good news" on Schumacher

Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said on Thursday that he has "no good news" about Michael Schumacher's condition. Speaking to journalists on stage in Milan at the Quattroruote Day, where he was awarded the Premio Gianni Mazzocchi in memory of the newspaper's founder, di Montezemolo was asked about the seven-time world champion. And more than two years on from the skiing accident that left Schumacher with serious head injuries, di Montezemolo suggested there had been no positive developments. "I have unfortunately not good news," di Montezemolo said on stage. "Michael was a great driver, and we experienced a long time together in both our personal and professional lives. But life is really strange. "He was the most successful driver of Ferrari and in his career he had only one accident, in 1999. But unfortunately a fall in a ski accident has had serious consequences." The Schumacher family has kept details of the German's conditions a closely guarded secret, although has made it clear that he faces a long recovery. Earlier on this year, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm slammed as 'irresponsible' a report that he was able to walk again. "Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important for Michael," she said. "Unfortunately they also give false hopes to many involved people." This article by Jonathan Noble originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video. Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images Celebrities Motorsports Ferrari F1 michael schumacher luca di montezemolo