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Marchionne could become Ferrari CEO

Don't think that just because FCA is spinning off Ferrari into a separate company that Sergio Marchionne is giving up any control. Not only is he already chairman of the Prancing Horse, but he might also become its next CEO after Amedeo Felisa steps down, anonymous insiders claim according to Automotive News Europe. The dual roles would put the sportscar brand's future in Marchionne's hands, while he continues to run FCA. Rumors of Felisa stepping down emerged in July, but Ferrari never made an official announcement. The reports suggested that he could leave in September. Execs at the Prancing Horse are now working to decide on a replacement, but there's nothing official in place yet, according to Automotive News Europe. Felisa might maintain an advisory role after retiring, as well. If Marchionne takes charge, the move would come just as Ferrari becomes a newly independent entity. The Prancing Horse's necessary paperwork is already filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and the IPO is expected in October. Marchionne took over as Ferrari's chairman last year after Luca di Montezemolo's resignation. As boss, he intends to increase production to 10,000 units a year from 7,000 annually under Montezemolo. Among the projects in development is a revived Dino. Related Video:

Race Recap: 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix is a fool in the rain

Humidity, hunger and heartbreak were the takeaways from the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix. A proper track with a wider variety of straights and corners than the street circuit in Australia, the second race of the season was expected to be a better test of the performance of the 11 teams on the grid. It was also supposed to be a more accurate test of the Pirelli tires, the bits of rubber at the four corners of the car still at the top of the performance agenda for all the top teams except for McLaren, which even larger issues with its new car to deal with.
Then it rained. Then it rained some more. Then it rained so hard just before the race that numerous drivers slid off the track on the parade lap. Then came the race, and then came the figurative tears and ones of the crocodile variety as well.

Ferrari IPO could come any day now

According to Bloomberg, Fiat Chrysler Automotive Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the Toronto Global Forum that the Ferrari IPO could come any day now. "We are days away from filing the prospectus," said Marchionne, who declined to confirm whether rumors of involvement from UBS Group AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs Group were accurate. In addition to an expected filing in New York, Marchionne hinted that a secondary filing could take place in Milan, Italy. Although the FCA Chief Executive didn't offer any expected sum for Ferrari, he had previously suggested that an IPO for the iconic Italian brand could be worth $1 billion, ringing the registers to the tune of 10 percent of the company's $11 billion valuation. According to Bloomberg, that potential sum is significantly higher than its own internal figures indicate after taking a poll of analysts who we assume must know a heck of a lot more about such things than we do. Considering how close we apparently are to the actual filing, though, we probably won't have to wait long to find out. Another hot topic any time Sergio is the subject of reporter questioning is a potential merger with General Motors or another large, full-line automaker. It seems there aren't any new revelations to reveal on the consolidation front, though Marchionne told reporters there were no plans to mount a hostile takeover of GM or any "other, less optimal" partners. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ferrari Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA