2017 Ferrari 488 on 2040-cars

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Ferrari steering wheel may hold key to rocket F1 starts

Ferrari's brilliant getaways at the Australian Grand Prix were key to its early victory challenge – and could well be the result of a unique approach to new start restrictions that Giorgio Piola has uncovered. Although Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid in Melbourne, it was a sensational getaway from Sebastian Vettel that helped the German swoop into the lead by the first corner. As team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: "The start was super. I have to say both of the drivers, they start like two rockets. After that they were able to take an advantage, and that was good for us." Such great starts from Ferrari are nothing new – just look at Hungary last year – but as Piola's exclusive drawing reveals, the team may well have taken things to an all-new level in ensuring it does not miss any detail in this area. In-built advantage As early as pre-season testing, rivals had been alerted about what Ferrari was capable of by monitoring data from Barcelona. Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: "We saw that in pre-season testing their starts have been really strong." Even ahead of the race, there were rumours that Ferrari knew it would excel in this area. Its decision to not do a second run in Melbourne's Q3 was mainly fuelled by its desire to save a set of super soft tyres for the race. But another suggestion also emerged – that the team knew just how good its starts were so securing the second row of the grid was good enough for it to believe it had a shout of the lead on the first lap. A single paddle As Piola's comparison of Ferrari's 2015 and 2016 steering wheel arrangement shows, the team has been the most aggressive in changing its clutch configuration for this year. New rules mean that drivers can only use a single hand on a single clutch paddle for the race start – even if teams choose to keep a double-paddle arrangement for emergencies. Ferrari has opted for something totally different to its main rivals by abandoning a double paddle arrangement (see red arrows on above left image). Instead, it has a single 'rocker' paddle that stretches all the way across the back of the wheel. Investing in such a dramatic design change clearly points to it having unlocked a decent performance advantage. The exact reasons for this configuration are unclear, but it may be that it allows the driver a greater feel for the clutch bite point – and means he is better able to judge how to deliver the perfect getaway.

LaFerrari 3D model adds depth to Maranello's new supercar

At its recent Geneva Motor Show unveiling, we couldn't help but spend a good long time gawking at the new LaFerrari supercar. It isn't just that it's the newest top-line Ferrari, or even that it picks up where the Enzo left off - it's just that there's so much to look at, from the ductwork in its long nose to the delicate artistry of its sideview mirrors. There's so much aerodynamic wizardry in play on every surface that you just want to pick it up in your hand and look underneath to take a closer look every which way - even underneath.
Sadly that's not possible, but we may just have the next best thing. Autoblog reader Giorgio has come up with this clever interactive 3D model of the LaFerrari, and we think it's neat enough that you might want to take a look - check it out by scrolling below. And don't forget - we love featuring what our car-crazed readers are up to, whether here or on our Facebook page, so keep those tips coming.

Alfa Romeo returns to F1 racing by sponsoring Sauber for 2018

Doesn't it feel good to see the Alfa Romeo emblem proudly displayed on a Formula One car again? It's been 30 years since Alfa Romeo had anything to do with F1 cars, as in the late '80s the manufacturer supplied engines to Ligier and Osella. Alfa Romeo even developed the first modern Formula One V10 engine, but that ended up in a 164 Procar instead of Ligier race cars. After a 30-year hiatus, it was announced in late 2017 that Alfa Romeo's brand would return to F1 racing by sponsoring Sauber. There isn't an Alfa Romeo engine in the 2018 Sauber C37, as it uses a current Ferrari power unit instead and Alfa Romeo's involvement is strictly about FCA's sponsoring the Swiss racing team. The drivers for 2018 are Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson. Jorg Zander, Sauber's technical director, says: "The car philosophy is much different to that of the C36. The aerodynamic concept has changed significantly, and the C37 has several new features in comparison to its predecessor. We are positive that the new concept offers us more opportunities and will help us to make improvements during the course of the season. The 2018 Ferrari engine will also give us a boost in terms of our performance. We hope that we will make progress with the C37 and that we are more competitive compared to 2017." Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Image Credit: Sauber F1 Team Motorsports Alfa Romeo Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 FCA