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Race Recap: 2014 Canadian Grand Prix makes its money on the back end

Momentum. That was the word of the weekend at the last race in Monaco - Nico Rosberg retaking it, Williams getting reacquainted with it and Marussia tasting it for the first time, among other examples. That same, weighted term flew to Canada with the money circus known as Formula One, took all weekend to build and then walloped the front end of the field and the season on Sunday afternoon.
Rosberg carried his Monaco triumph into qualifying, putting his Mercedes AMG Petronas on pole ahead of teammate and reconciled friend Lewis Hamilton. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally got the better of Daniel Ricciardo, lining up for Infiniti Red Bull Racing in third ahead of his teammate in sixth, split up by Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa in the Williams. Ferrari, having brought numerous aero updates for this race, didn't get the push it was really looking for, Fernando Alonso happy to get seventh ahead of Kimi Räikkönen, still troubled by his F14T, in tenth. Jean-Eric Vergne secured eighth for Toro Rosso, Jenson Button lining up ninth for a still-struggling McLaren.
When the lights went out, Mercedes, Williams and Marussia would all find out how quickly momentum can short circuit or disappear in a sparkly ball of high-speed contact, spilled fluids and tire barriers.

Marchionne's FCA-GM merger might come after Ferrari spinoff

Sergio Marchionne is continuing to rumble about working out a merger with General Motors, but don't expect anything big to happen before at least early next year. That's because Marchionne would likely wait for the Ferrari spin-off to be complete before beginning his next big deal, according to Automotive News. While the Ferrari IPO on the New York Stock Exchange is expected in the coming weeks, that only concerns 10 percent of the shares. The remaining 80 percent of stock is being distributed among shareholders in 2016. Piero Ferrari holds the final 10 percent with no intention to sell. This strategy allows FCA to claim 80 percent of the Prancing Horse's profits in the automaker's 2015 financial results. According to Automotive News, the tactic has other advantages, as well. FCA would be flush with cash by waiting for the spin-off to be complete, and it would keep Ferrari separate if a GM merger actually happens. Marchionne thinks Ferrari could be valued at over $11 billion in the IPO, and it could make FCA $3.3 billion richer when complete. Marchionne believes a combined FCA/GM could sell 17 million vehicles a year globally and rake in $30 billion in earnings. In the CEO's opinion, the two automakers are wasting money by developing components to do the same things on their vehicles. Although, so far the General's top execs are rebuffing all of his advances.

New Ferrari 488 variant spied at the 'Ring

Most Ferrari models eventually give birth to various special-edition or short-run variants. The Ferrari F12berlinetta gave way to the F12tdf. The Ferrari 458 Italia signed off with the wonderful 458 Speciale. It looks like the Italian automaker's current mid-engine V8 offering, the 488 GTB, is ready to spawn a variant of its own. Exactly what the model might be remains to be seen. There are plenty of rumors surrounding the car. This could be a focused, track-ready version in the vein of the 458 Speciale. If that's the case, look for more power, less weight, and improved aero. The car should pack bigger brakes, a stiffer suspension, revised tuning, and a bare-bones interior. There are also rumors that the car will pack a KERS system similar to the one run on Ferrari's Formula 1 cars. That should provide an extra bit of electrical boost. A car like this is almost a given. The past few mid-engined Ferraris have all had a high-performance variant. Then again, this car could also be the lower-powered, less-expensive Ferrari Dino that's been whispered about for a while. If that's the case, look for a lower horsepower V8 (or even a V6, if Ferrari would be so bold). It would likely stack up against the McLaren 570S and Lamborghini Huracan 580-2. This may come as a shock to some, but Ferrari has made no bones about expanding production. A relatively low-cost model could easily boost sales. The car in these photos gives no real indication as to what it may be. There's thin plastic camouflage covering most of the car. As always, it's difficult to tell what may have changed, but it looks like there have been revisions to the front bumper. The glass over the engine cover has been draped with a thin sheet of plastic, hiding what rests beneath. Ferrari has been mum on the model, but this isn't the first time we've seen the car out. Look for more news this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari 488 spy shots View 14 Photos Image Credit: Car Pix Spy Photos Ferrari Coupe Performance Supercars ferrari dino ferrari 488 ferrari 488 challenge