2020 Ferrari Portofino on 2040-cars

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Ferrari threatening to fine journalists $69,000 for breaking LaFerrari embargo?

In automotive journalism, we deal with embargoes on a regular basis. For the uninitiated, these are agreements between publications like Autoblog and manufacturers. While news embargoes (where pubs are provided with information and images and agree to hold until a predetermined date) are fairly common, today, we're focusing on drive embargoes. These are what we generally end up signing when we attend a vehicle launch. Generally, these are in the media's best interest. As drive programs are spread out over a week or two with multiple different "waves" of media, drive embargoes put the biggest and smallest publications on level footing when it comes to publishing reviews.
According to a report from Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe, Ferrari has taken its drive embargo for the LaFerrari hypercar a bit too far. See, initial reviews from the few publications that attended the drive event for the hybrid-powered monster can hit the newsstand or internet on April 30. Originally, syndicated stories - those sold by freelancers or publications to other outlets - couldn't be published until May 12. These syndicated reviews are big money for larger magazines and, in the case of freelance journalists, are a primary source of revenue. Inexplicably, though, Ferrari has pushed the syndication embargo back to May 26, which is bad news for everyone involved (aside from Ferrari).
This could have been nothing more than an annoyance. The stories would still get sold (although it might be for a bit less coin, considering the initial reviews will be nearly a month old) and you'll still be bombarded by reviews of the LaFerrari not once, but twice, just as Ferrari planned.

Race Recap: Canadian F1 Grand Prix is one story with a thousand dramas

There were rain and wind and sun, sometimes all at once. There was the Wall of Champions. There was nothing happening in first place and nothing happening back in sixth during the race, but everywhere else - from the time the weekend began - it was surprises, passes, spins, more passing, flying carbon fiber and finally a couple more last-minute surprises. The Canadian Formula One Grand Prix was a proper race for all the right reasons... well, except for the part where the crowd booed the winner.

Toro Rosso switches back to Ferrari F1 power for 2016

Scuderia Toro Rosso will run once again under Ferrari power next season. The "other" Italian squad (and second Red Bull team) announced the switch back to Maranello power for 2016, ending its two-year sojourn with Renault, and returning to the engine supplier it used for seven years prior. And with it, the team has also confirmed its driver lineup for next season as well. The 2016 Formula One World Championship will see both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz return to drive the new Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11, maintaining the same driver lineup as this past season but under new motivation. Both drivers debuted with the team last season in a complete shakeup of its roster after Jean-Eric Vergne was shown the door and Daniil Kvyat (like Daniel Ricciardo before him) was promoted to the Red Bull Racing team. In ten seasons on the grid, the team has only landed on the podium once, and that was with Sebastian Vettel's dramatic rain-soaked race victory at Monza in 2008. The fourth-place finishes that Verstappen impressively took in Hungary and Austin this year match the team's next-best results to date. Sainz managed to finish in the points in seven out of 19 grands prix this season, including a seventh-place finish in Austin. The team finished the season in seventh place – tying its second best results to date – ahead of Sauber and McLaren, but behind Lotus and Force India. The Austrian parent company bought the team formerly known as Minardi back in 2005, hitting the grid the next season under its current name and Cosworth power. The following season it switched to Ferrari engines before joining its big brother under Renault motivation for the past season. Because of the last-minute engine swap, the team will start the season using Ferrari's 2015 power units. Faenza's switch to Ferrari supply will leave Renault powering only two teams next season: the Lotus outfit that it is now bringing back in house, and Red Bull, which will run the French automaker's engines for at least one more season – albeit branded under the TAG Heuer name. Meanwhile the Prancing Horse marque will power a total of four teams next season, including its own, Toro Rosso, Sauber, and newcomer Haas. Mercedes will power three and Honda just the one. Scuderia Toro Rosso to feature a Ferrari power unit Scuderia Toro Rosso's 2016 challenger, the STR11, will feature a Ferrari power unit. It marks a return to the company that supplied engines to the team from 2007 to 2013.