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Formula 1 seeking independent engine supplier

Formula 1 could get a new engine supplier in the near future, if Bernie Ecclestone and the independent teams gets their way. According to Autosport, the FIA is soon to open the contract up for bids, and there are already several manufacturers that have expressed interest. Currently Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda supply engines – both to their own premier teams (Red Bull and McLaren for the latter two) but also to other teams like Williams, Sauber, and Toro Rosso. Because the new turbocharged V6 hybrid power units cost those four suppliers so much to develop, they're charging their customer teams big bucks – around $20-30 million per season – to provide the engines. These costs are much higher than the $10 million or so it used to cost to purchase a V8 engine under the previous regulations. Ecclestone figures it's time to bring in another supplier who will not run their own team and not play favorites, but will supply engines to private teams at a lower cost. There are already a number of potential suppliers under consideration. One of them is said to be Cosworth, which has a long history in the series stretching back to 1963. The British firm stepped back between 2007 and 2009, returned in 2010, and dropped out again after 2013. The development could be of particular benefit to Red Bull, which has been unable to find an engine supplier and could be forced out of the series as a result. The team has long been powered by Renault, but that relationship has grown sour. And the other three engine manufacturers have not been forthcoming in offering an alternative arrangement for the team. Related Video: News Source: AutosportImage Credit: Cosworth Motorsports Ferrari Honda Infiniti McLaren Mercedes-Benz Renault F1 engine contract

Lewis Hamilton owns 15 cars, uses tow trucks to keep the mileage low

No matter how you feel about Lewis Hamilton off the track, it's impossible not to respect his talent behind the wheel. Currently, Hamilton is the second most successful Formula One driver of all time. His 67 wins and four championships place him only behind Michael Schumacher's 91 wins and seven championships. With all those winnings, Hamilton has racked up a decent personal fortune, much of which he uses to buy cars. Except he doesn't drive them quite as much as you might think. According to The Sunday Times, Hamilton's net worth of just over $207 million makes him one of the richest sports figures in the UK, just behind David Beckham. In a recent interview with the British newspaper, Hamilton gave some details on his personal car collection. His first car was a used Mini Cooper, soon followed by a Mercedes-Benz C200. Both have long since been replaced by a pair of original Shelby Cobras, a 1967 Shelby GT500, a Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, two LaFerraris (a red coupe and a white Aperta), a McLaren P1 and a Pagani Zonda 760 equipped with a manual transmission. All in, Hamilton has about 15 cars split between homes in Monaco and Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, he has a Mercedes-AMG Project One ( a car that shares more than a little with his F1 W09 EQ Power+ race car) on the way. Hamilton has some hot takes on his personal collection. "The Zonda is terrible to drive," he said. "It's the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it's the worst. I got it in manual because I didn't like the tiptronic version. The tiptronic Pagani offered was worse than the Smart Roadster I had." He also says his Shelby Mustang is a "beautiful car, but a heap of junk." In order to keep the miles down (and valuations up), Hamilton apparently has a tow truck on retainer in Los Angeles. When he's finished driving one of his Ferraris, he'll have the car towed back to his place. Classic cars are becoming a solid and serious investment, and Hamilton doesn't want to squander his wealth like some other athletes. That said, there are a couple more cars Hamilton would love to own, including a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (the one with the gullwing doors) and a Ferrari 250GT California Spyder (the one from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Related Video:

Jay Leno gets five of Ferrari's greatest hits together for an epic track day

America's favorite car guy, Jay Leno, isn't a huge fan of Ferrari. But even he can't stop from gushing over five of Ferrari's greatest cars. Thanks to David Lee, a Ferrari collector and watch dealer, Leno got to drive a Ferrari LaFerrari around a track with the Enzo, F50, F40, and 288 GTO close behind. The short five-minute clip has Leno driving conservatively behind the wheel of the LaFerrari and cautiously enjoying the supercar's 950-horsepower hybrid powertrain. Lee brings up the rear of the Ferrari train in his 288 GTO, while his brothers took the other three Italian supercars onto the track for a leisurely drive. Lee, who is an avid Ferrari collector that brought Leno his 1967 275 GTB4 to drive earlier this year, drives these Ferraris regularly and is extremely passionate about the brand. Despite not being one of Ferrari's biggest fans, Leno has nothing but good things to say about the LaFerrari. The five Ferraris are some of the most sought-after vehicles of all time, and for good reason. The supercars represent the best that Ferrari could do at each of those moments in time. Though it looks like Leno and Lee are going painstakingly slow, they're surrounded by an estimated value of $12 million worth of Italian metal. With a new season of Jay Leno's Garage set to premiere tomorrow at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on CNBC, we're expecting more more footage from this Ferrari fest. Related Video: News Source: Jay Leno's GarageImage Credit: Jay Leno's Garage / YouTube Celebrities Ferrari Coupe Hybrid Lightweight Vehicles Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics Videos Jay Lenos Garage ferrari laferrari ferrari f40