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Ferrari reopens wind tunnel after 18-month refurb

Ferrari is not a company used to being behind the curve, but if you've been wondering how the Scuderia has lost so much territory on the Formula One circuit to a relative newcomer like Red Bull, part of the answer could come down to its wind tunnel.
Seriously, the wind tunnel? Yes, the wind tunnel. Aerodynamics play an increasingly vital role in F1 racing, and while Red Bull has one of the best in the business, Ferrari's hasn't been running right for some time now.
A year and a half ago Ferrari shut down the galleria del vento at its headquarters in Maranello, citing problems with "correlation" - that is, a major discrepancy between the results it got in the wind tunnel, in CFD computations and on the racetrack. Having narrowed the problem down, the Scuderia embarked upon a major overhaul. It's been using Toyota's facility in Cologne, Germany, in the meantime, but as team principal Stefano Domenicali put it, not having your own wind tunnel on premises "is like playing basketball with one hand behind your back." Now the renovations reportedly complete, however, and Ferrari will begin using its wind tunnel again next month.

Montezemolo says he has "no good news" on Schumacher

Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said on Thursday that he has "no good news" about Michael Schumacher's condition. Speaking to journalists on stage in Milan at the Quattroruote Day, where he was awarded the Premio Gianni Mazzocchi in memory of the newspaper's founder, di Montezemolo was asked about the seven-time world champion. And more than two years on from the skiing accident that left Schumacher with serious head injuries, di Montezemolo suggested there had been no positive developments. "I have unfortunately not good news," di Montezemolo said on stage. "Michael was a great driver, and we experienced a long time together in both our personal and professional lives. But life is really strange. "He was the most successful driver of Ferrari and in his career he had only one accident, in 1999. But unfortunately a fall in a ski accident has had serious consequences." The Schumacher family has kept details of the German's conditions a closely guarded secret, although has made it clear that he faces a long recovery. Earlier on this year, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm slammed as 'irresponsible' a report that he was able to walk again. "Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important for Michael," she said. "Unfortunately they also give false hopes to many involved people." This article by Jonathan Noble originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video. Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images Celebrities Motorsports Ferrari F1 michael schumacher luca di montezemolo

Ferrari renews partnership with Marlboro [UPDATE]

Formula One and Big Tobacco may have parted ways years ago, but the alliance between Ferrari and Marlboro continues on, apparently as strong as ever. Though neither party has made any official announcement or revealed any details of the arrangement, reports from the motorsport press indicate that the Scuderia and Philip Morris – the tobacco company which owns the Marlboro brand – have signed an extension of their longstanding partnership. Marlboro first arrived in Maranello way back in 1973, ramping up over the years to become its main sponsor by '93. The Italian outfit changed its name to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro after the tobacco brand parted company with McLaren in '97. After tobacco advertising was ultimately banned in 2006 (at least in Europe), Ferrari was forced to remove the Marlboro branding from its cars, but the name stuck – and so did the logo, in various forms of obscurity and subliminality through 2010. The Marlboro name was dropped from the team's handle in 2011, but that didn't stop the two from renewing their partnership. And now they've reportedly extended again through 2018. Though the deal hardly comes as a surprise (even given the complete lack of discernible public association between the two), we don't doubt that Maurizio Arrivabene – the former Marlboro exec who recently took over the struggling team – had something to do with it. UPDATE: A spokesman for Scuderia Ferrari downplayed the significance of the story, telling Autoblog by correspondence that "the contract is extended through 2018 and details are confidential." UPDATE 2: Philip Morris International responded to our inquiry with the following statement: "Our agreement with Ferrari has been extended beyond 2015, but we are not in a position to provide financial or other details. This partnership provides us with opportunities such as enabling our adult consumers and business partners to experience motor racing through Ferrari factory visits and attending F1 races."