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Ferrari CEO could retire Friday letting Marchionne step in

Rumors once again suggest that current Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa plans to retire from the role. Anonymous insiders tell Bloomberg that the announcement could come as soon as April 15, with an announcement at the company's upcoming investors meeting. Sergio Marchionne is the favorite to become the new CEO, the unnamed sources claim. Felisa would step down as CEO after Ferrari nominates its new board of directors, according to Bloomberg. He would likely retain a seat on the board and could still do some work at the company. Felisa joined the sports car maker in 1990 as director of product development. He replaced Jean Todt as CEO in 2008. Marchionne is already Ferrari's chairman, and taking on the CEO role in addition would give him greater control over the brand's future. Bloomberg's insiders note that Marchionne's takeover isn't final yet, and someone else could conceivably get the role. The sweater-wearing exec has a clear view for Ferrari's future, though. He plans to increase volume to around 10,000 vehicles a year, but he's staunchly against building an SUV or an EV. If he takes control, expect him to work out a plan to increase the Prancing Horse's share price. At its October IPO, the stock started at $52 a share; today it opened at $41.24. Rumors about this shift have been swirling for months. For example, reports from Italian media in June 2015 suggested Felisa would retire as CEO. Subsequent rumors claimed Marchionne was the frontrunner to take over the position. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ferrari spills more details on the new Roma

The Ferrari Roma saw its grand release just over a month ago in Italy. At the time, Ferrari was rather stingy with details. We were given a few key facts and figures, but there was even more that we were left wondering about. That’s now changed, as Ferrari has provided much more info about its newest two-door GT car. We knew the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 made more power than the Portofino — 611 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque — but now we know what Ferrari did to get there. The Roma features new cam profiles and a new speed sensor, which allowed Ferrari engineers to increase the maximum rpm. To make it emissions-compliant in Europe, Ferrari also had to add a gasoline particulate filter. Ferrari says it worked hard to optimize it, so that the filter doesnÂ’t negatively affect driving enjoyment, and with the amount of power the car makes, it appears to have done a bang-up job. Paired to the engine is a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. ItÂ’s derived from the unit in the SF90 Stradale, but Ferrari made a few modifications to it for Roma use. New for the front-mid-engine coupe is the addition of a reverse gear and longer gear ratios. The SF90 didnÂ’t need a reverse gear, because it uses the electric motor to travel backwards. Ferrari also designed a new clutch module for this transmission and a more powerful ECU thatÂ’s said to make shifts quicker, smoother and more consistent. Ferrari designed a totally new exhaust system for the Roma to give it a unique soundtrack. The geometry is different from the Portofino, and the two real silencers were eliminated. Ferrari says this drastically reduces back-pressure. The bypass valves were also redesigned in an oval shape. A strange detail to share, but Ferrari says this move improves the sound quality, and thatÂ’s of utmost importance for a car with the prancing horse on the front of it. Perhaps you were thinking that this car was just a Portofino with a hardtop. Ferrari says, not so fast. Within the chassis and bodyshell, Ferrari says 70 percent of the components are completely new. ItÂ’s all been redesigned in an effort to reduce weight and use the latest production technologies. Handling should be superb and fun, as Ferrari incorporated its next-gen Side Slip Control 6.0 tech in the Roma. It also has the five-position manettino mode switcher on the steering wheel and the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (can adjust brake pressure on one or more wheels depending on the situation).

Lewis Hamilton beats Sebastian Vettel in Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton mastered Shanghai's changing conditions and stayed clear of squabbling rivals to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. The Briton eased his Mercedes across the line 6.2 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen, who started 16th, finished a surprise third to hand his Red Bull team their 100th podium. It was Hamilton's 54th career win and a record fifth in Shanghai. But it was the triple champion's first this season and returned Mercedes to the top of the podium after Vettel won last month's season-opening race for a resurgent Ferrari. "I'm so happy with my first win of the year and I can't believe it if I'm honest," said Hamilton after the race, which also handed him his 106th podium, putting him joint second with Alain Prost on the list of drivers with most rostrum results. "What I said to Sebastian as I left the last race ... I said I'm coming back in the next one. When I got on the podium it was like 'I told you'." MOTOR-F1-CHINA/ View 12 Photos Hamilton, who finished second to Vettel in Melbourne, heads into the next race in Bahrain in a week's time tied on points with the German. Mercedes, meanwhile, lead the constructors' standings by one point over Ferrari. Hamilton started from pole position, but the conditions were a bit of a lottery for all the drivers with the track damp in patches but drying quickly. He kept the lead off the line ahead of Vettel, who came under investigation for lining up out of position on his grid slot. The German, though, stayed second, fending off Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes, who had started third. Lance Stroll, the 18-year-old rookie, spun off the track on the first lap after making contact with Force India's Sergio Perez. The Canadian beached his Williams in the gravel, bringing out the virtual safety car. Vettel took the opportunity to dive into the pits to change to dry weather tires. His gamble backfired when Antonio Giovinazzi — standing in for Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber — crashed, bringing out the actual safety car two laps later. The four-times world champion found himself bottled up behind Ricciardo and his slower team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, costing him valuable time. As the trio squabbled for position, Hamilton pulled clear at the front. By the time Vettel managed to get past, with a series of spectacular overtaking moves that included banging wheels with his former team-mate, Hamilton was too far ahead.