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New Ferrari F1 car looks like a big step up, says Sebastian Vettel

SILVERSTONE, England — Ferrari's new SF71H Formula One car already looks a big step up from last year's before it has turned a wheel in anger, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel said at Thursday's unveiling. The sport's oldest and most successful team is hoping the car, with more red and less white in the livery following the departure of sponsor Santander, will take it to a first championship in a decade. Vettel won five races last season but finished runner-up to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who is now also a four-time world champion. "Now is the time when you see the car, it's all ready and you want to get in and go out on the track and have a go," the German told guests at the Italian team's Maranello factory. "To stand here now is very special for all of us. I think they are all waiting for us to say how it feels. So we can't wait to get out on track to see how the car performs, how it behaves. "I think that's the answer that we all want to hear, and we go from there. For sure, the amount of effort that has gone in and the attention to detail in so many areas is impressive." The presentation, online and through social media channels, came on the same day that Mercedes was showing off its new F1 W09 car. In an act of sportsmanship, the British-based team made sure reporters attending their event at Silverstone could watch the Ferrari unveiling on television screens during a break for lunch. Ferrari technical head Mattia Binotto said the car, narrower and with a slightly longer wheelbase as well as more aggressive sidepods, was an evolution of the 2017 car, which performed well on slower speed circuits but lacked reliability. "Every little detail matters, every part can make a difference, and I think this year's car is a big step from last year's," declared Vettel, whose four titles were with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who is now 38 and out of contract at the end of the season, said it looked good despite the addition of the now-mandatory halo head-protection device. "When it looks nice, the speed is also there. But obviously we will see that next week," said the 2007 world champion who will be testing the car with Vettel at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya next week. Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video:

1959 Ferrari 250 GT California sells for nearly $18M, exceeding expectations

RM Sotheby's just wrapped up its auction in New York, where it sold off a pair of gorgeous silver roadsters, with one of them selling for the incredible price of $17.99 million. That car was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California that we covered previously, and Sotheby's was only expecting it to go for between $14 million and $17 million. Apparently someone felt the car's rare aluminum construction and racing history was worth the extra cash. View 11 Photos The other roadster went for considerably less money but was notable because of its previous owner, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The car is a 2000 BMW Z8 that the tech mogul had for around three years. The final sale price only met expectations, though, at $329,500. The original auction estimate was between $300,000 and $400,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione by Scaglietti View 30 Photos Image Credit: Diana Varga courtesy of RM Sotheby's, RM Sotheby's Celebrities BMW Ferrari Auctions Convertible Racing Vehicles Performance Classics bmw z8 ferrari 250 gt california

FIA president and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt named UN special envoy

Jean Todt, the 69-year-old former Scuderia Ferrari boss, Ferrari CEO and current FIA president has been named the United Nation's special envoy for road safety. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment Wednesday in Paris. Citing the 1.3 million people killed and the 50 million people injured each year on the world's roads, the UN is appointing Todt to mobilize "sustained political commitment towards road safety." Beyond that, the Frenchman will work towards raising awareness of the UN's "road safety legal instruments." "The road safety challenge is too often ignored, but road injuries are the number one killer of young people aged 15 to 29. That being the case, it deserves much more attention on the global political agenda," Todt said in the attached statement. "This appointment will bring greater visibility to efforts to tackle this health and development crisis, as well as new leadership and renewed momentum." Meanwhile, the FIA also confirmed Todt and 44 other delegates in Nepal to attend the organization's Asia-Pacific Sport Regional Congress in Kathmandu were safe after the country was struck by a devastating earthquake last week. Scroll on down for the official press release from the FIA. FIA President Jean Todt appointed as UN Special Envoy for Road Safety UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed FIA President Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety at a meeting held today in Paris. In this capacity, he will assist the UN Secretary General in mobilizing sustained political commitment towards road safety. Mr. Todt will also advocate and raise awareness about the United Nations road safety legal instruments, and share established road safety good practices, through his participations in global and regional conferences on road safety. In addition, the Special Envoy for Road Safety will generate funding for advocacy efforts through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. FIA President Jean Todt said: "The road safety challenge is too often ignored, but road injuries are the number one killer of young people aged 15-29. That being the case, it deserves much more attention on the global political agenda." adding "This appointment will bring greater visibility to efforts to tackle this health and development crisis, as well as new leadership and renewed momentum". "In my position as FIA President, with the backing of our members, road safety has become a key priority.