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Ferrari extends Kimi Raikkonen's contract for 2016

Veteran Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen's second stint with Ferrari will continue in 2016, and the team announced Wednesday it's extending the Finn's contract for another season. Financial terms were not disclosed. The 35-year-old is fifth in the driver's standings this year with 76 points heading into this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. Nicknamed the "Ice Man," Raikkonen won the 2007 World Championship with Ferrari. He left the Scuderia in 2009 and dabbled in World Rally Championship and NASCAR competition, before returning to F1 in 2012 with Lotus. He's been back with Ferrari since the 2014 season. "We believe that extending Kimi's contract into the next season will provide further stability to the team," team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said in statement. "This has been our guideline, also considering the very good relationship between Kimi and Seb [Sebastian Vettel]. On our side, this shows our great confidence in him, and I expect this confidence to be well-rewarded." Raikkonen has teamed with Vettel (who's third in driver's points) to key the Scuderia's bounce-back season. Ferrari, the sport's oldest and most successful team, is second in the constructor's standings this year with 236 points, trailing Mercedes (383). "For me, to be able to stay another year at Ferrari means that the dream goes on," Raikkonen said in a statement. "The Scuderia is my family, as I always said, it's here I want to end my career. I am more committed than ever and I want to say thank you to the people who gave me this chance." The announcement comes as Ferrari prepares for its historic 900th grand prix. It's won 16 races in Belgium, including 12 victories as Spa-Francorchamps. The team's most recent win there was in 2009 – by Raikkonen. Related Video:

Ferrari 488 Special Series teased in video

Transcript: Ferrari teases 488 Special Series. A hopped up version of the 488 GTB has been teased on Ferrari's Facebook page. The Ferrari 488 Special Series is hard to make out in the video. A blurry frame shows changes to the front bumper. The Special Series will get reduced weight, boosting power, and re-tuning of the suspension and aero. Under the hood will be a twin-turbo V8 making 700 horsepower. The true name is unclear but Ferrari called it the “New V8 Sport Special Series.” We expect to see the Ferrari Special Series at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Ferrari teases 488 Special Series ahead of debut. This is just a teaser, so all the video shows is a few very brief cuts and angles of the new car. We've taken a screenshot of the front end, and it's pretty obvious that it's the car we've been following in spy shots for months now. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2EmW6du

Race Recap: Brazil ends the 2013 F1 season with whimpers, bangs [spoilers]

When the grid lined up at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Brazil there were just 71 laps, almost 306 kilometers, until the end of the 2013 season. Sometimes the circuit in Interlagos is deciding a Championship winner or showcasing new talent, and sometimes it's merely deciding a winner. This year was the latter.
2013 World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull Racing lined up in front of Nico Rosberg in the first Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Fernando Alonso in the first Ferrari, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and his final Formula One race, Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, Romain Grosjean in the Lotus, Daniel Ricciardo in the first Toro Rosso and his final race for the team before moving to Red Bull, his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne, Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari and Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber.
There were numerous theories about what surprises might occur, with race day being the first dry running of the weekend and rain predicted to fall at some point during the running. The first surprise came when the lights went out and Vettel, the consummate starter, got beat to the first corner.