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Jock Clear, Lewis Hamilton's race engineer at Mercedes, moves to Ferrari

The HR office at the Ferrari Formula One team has been exceptionally busy this year, and the churn hasn't ceased. Just this month under new team principal Mauricio Arrivabene – the third team principal in 2014 – lead designer Nikolas Tombazis and engineering director Pat Fry were let go, and tire performance expert Hirohide Hamashima will leave the team at the end of the year. Now there's another batch of HR paperwork to be completed, but this is a new hire to join Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Gutierrez: Jock Clear, Lewis Hamilton's performance engineer this season at Mercedes AMG Petronas. Clear will take over Pat Fry's vacant role as head of engineering, and brings a Driver's World Championship pedigree with him, having helped Hamilton to his second title and Jacques Villeneuve to his sole title in 1997 with Williams. He hasn't joined the Scuderia yet, though; Ferrari is still negotiating with Mercedes to "secure his services as soon as possible." Clear will work in a totally revamped engineering department and report to technical director and ex-Lotus F1 man James Allison. The last time Ferrari went an entire season without a win was 1993. The team has attempted to hedge expectations for 2015, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne saying, "I think hopefully within the next 12 months we will remove all the baggage of uncertainty that is going to plague at least the initial phase of 2015." Hope springs yet, though: when Arrivabene was asked what he'd be happy with next year, he said, "two or three wins." News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports Ferrari F1

Lewis Hamilton has Vettel in crosshairs at Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL - The Canadian Grand Prix has been a happy hunting ground for Lewis Hamilton, and he will look to bag a sixth career win on the island circuit on Sunday to refuel his hopes of another Formula One drivers title. With 14 races remaining on the calendar, it is far from do-or-die for Hamilton, but the pressure is mounting on the Briton and Mercedes with arch rival Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari threatening to widen the gap at the top of the championship standings. Only Michael Schumacher has won the Canadian Grand Prix more times (seven), and Hamilton intends to close the gap further in Montreal as the race marks its 50th anniversary. Hamilton needs to do so, at the scene of his first ever Formula One victory a decade ago, to reel in Vettel after the German led a Ferrari one-two in Monaco and powered 25 points clear. "Montreal has been a great hunting ground for me in the past, and I plan for it to continue," the triple world champion told reporters. With five wins and five poles from previous visits to Quebec, Hamilton would normally be the favorite, but champions Mercedes are no longer the dominant team. "The Ferrari seems to work everywhere. The next 14 races are going to be very, very difficult," he said after struggling to seventh place in Monaco. "They have had arguably the strongest car all year. They look like our car which just worked everywhere last year." The race will also mark the return of twice world champion Fernando Alonso to the Formula One grid after the Spaniard skipped the Monaco Grand Prix last month to chase IndyCar glory at Indianapolis 500. Alonso turned in an impressive performance at the famed Brickyard, qualifying fifth fastest and running at the front but late in the race suffered a familiar fate with his Honda engine giving up. Little has changed at struggling McLaren during Alonso's brief sabbatical with the team still hampered by an uncompetitive Honda engine. There is plenty of reason to party around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this week with the city celebrating its 375th anniversary, Canada its 150th birthday and the Canadian Grand Prix its 50th. Williams driver Lance Stroll will be hoping to contribute to the party atmosphere. For the first time since the days of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian Grand Prix will have some true home interest with teenager Stroll on the starting grid for Williams.

Ferrari revealed the LaFerrari Aperta, and yeah, it's already sold out

We saw this one coming as far away as the mid-engine Corvette: The LaFerrari is getting a convertible version. Publically revealed Thursday at the Paris Motor Show, the LaFerrari Aperta promises the same performance as the regular LaFerrari – with an open-air design. We had seen it already, actually, but today brought confirmation that it will be called Aperta, not Spider. It's already sold out (duh) and will be limited to 209 copies. Two hundred of those go to regular people, or Ferrari customers anyway, and nine will be held back by the company to show off at events in 2017 as the automaker celebrates its 70th anniversary. Ferrari says the LaFerrari Aperta maintains the torsional rigidity and aerodynamics of the hardtop. The powertrain is the same: a V12 paired with an electric motor and KERS technology to generate 949 total horsepower. Meanwhile, Ferrari revealed details on five liveries to celebrate its 70th anniversary based on its current product line with a total of 350 units set to be produced. They are: The Steve McQueen, which takes inspiration from SMQ's iconic 1960s 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. The Green Jewel, a green scheme based on the 365 P2 from Le Mans competition. The Stirling, which evokes a 250 GT Berlinetta SWB from 1961 driven to victory by Stirling Moss. The Schumacher, a red color scheme based on Ferrari's 2003 Formula One car piloted to seven victories by Michael Schumacher. The White Spider, a tribute to the 375 MM Pinin Farina Spider. The company also showed the rear-wheel-drive, turbo V8-powered GTC4 Lusso T for the first time at an auto show. As you can tell, the Paris show is a busy one for Ferrari. That's fine with us. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta: Paris 2016 View 21 Photos Related Gallery Ferrari LaFerrari Spider Related Gallery Ferrari 488 Spider 70th Anniversary Edition: Paris 2016 View 10 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style Paris Motor Show Ferrari Convertible Performance ferrari laferrari 2016 paris motor show ferrari laferrari spider ferrari laferrari aperta