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Vettel says halo would have saved Wilson, Surtees

Sebastian Vettel reckons the aesthetics of the new halo protection system do not matter as long as it helps save lives in Formula 1. The Ferrari driver ran with the device for the first time on Friday, after teammate Kimi Raikkonen tested it on Thursday. The halo, however, was subject to harsh criticism from some drivers like world champion Lewis Hamilton, who said it was the "worst-looking mod in F1 history". Force India Nico Hulkenberg was also against the device and labelled it as "horrible". Four-time champion Vettel, however, is convinced drivers like Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees - who died after being hit in the head by objects during races - would still be alive today had the halo system been used in their cars. "First of all, to go around is okay. You can see what you need to see," Vettel told reporters on Friday. "I think we can improve the system in terms of aesthetics and also in terms of how much it's in your way, but I tested it as well in the simulator and I think we will see evolutions of it very soon. "In principle I agree it doesn't look very nice but equally it helps increase the safety, it helps saving lives. "There would be at least two drivers in the last four years there I remember that would still be around – Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson – if we had this type of system. "I think it can be very ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around." Additional reporting by Roberto Chinchero This article by Pablo Elizalde originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video.Related Video:

Newlyweds crash rented Ferrari into a house

A newly married couple had a rough wedding day when they crashed their rented Ferrari into a house in Burnley, Lancashire. Lancashire Road Police tweeted a photo on April 17 of a white Ferrari 458 Spider that crashed into a row house. The crash folded the hood nearly in half and completely destroyed the car's front fascia but no one was injured, according to the Daily Mail. The car, worth a cool 240,000 pounds, or 342,500 dollars, is owned by a rental company called Platinum Executive Travel. The son of the company's owner, Aleem Iqbal, made a statement on Twitter after the crash, assuring his tens of thousands of followers that he was not at the wheel of the mangled Ferrari when it went into the wall. "Thanks for all the kind messages," Iqbal tweeted from his personal account. "I wasn't at the wheel and nobody was injured that's the main thing, have had a lot worse in business." In a follow up tweet he stated, "At least people in Burnley will have something to talk about for a few weeks." Iqbal's statement about worse things happening in his business is true, and this is not the first of PET's pricey supercars to be destroyed. Within a five-week period in 2014, arsonists destroyed four of PET's cars worth more than 500,000 pounds or 713,000 dollars. In one attack, a Lamborghini Aventador rented for a wedding was torched outside a house in Luton. Iqbal called that attack a "vile act of jealousy" targeting the family of the newlyweds. Weeks later, two Audi R8 Spyders and a Bentley Flying Spur were firebombed at the PET offices in Yardley. The Daily Mail has contacted Platinum Executive Travel for an official statement about the Ferrari crash, but has not received a response. The driver and passenger of the wrecked Ferrari were not identified. Related Video: News Source: The Daily Mail, The Mirror, TwitterImage Credit: Lancashire Road Police Weird Car News Ferrari Driving Performance Supercars rental car

Ferrari FF coupe plans found in European patent application

The FF is quite a departure for Ferrari - it's the company's first hatchback and all-wheel-drive vehicle - so it isn't surprising that it rubs some people the wrong way, even if the car itself is very good. Well, judging from these patent drawings of what looks like a FF coupe filed with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), Ferrari has plans to build one.
We're not sure if Ferrari is planning a production run, however, and it's very possible this is a one-off special being built for a very rich customer, a la Eric Clapton and his 458 Italia. Patent drawings of Clapton's special 458 were filed with OHIM before it was finished, as well.
We think the regular FF is a good-looking car as is, but would welcome a coupe version if it looked like the one in these drawings. It could be a great alternative to the F12 Berlinetta for people who want all-wheel drive and a lower profile.