2021 Ferrari 812 Gts Spider on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Did Ferrari block Montezemolo from becoming F1 chairman?

The Formula One Group has appointed a series of new directors to its board. But while ousted Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo is among them, the latest reports suggest that he was earmarked to become the group's chairman, but that Sergio Marchionne blocked the appointment. Montezemolo, for those just joining us, served as chairman of Ferrari since 1991, but was ousted just a couple of months ago by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who took his place at the head of the table in Maranello. During his tenure as Ferrari chief, Montezemolo sat as the team's representative on the F1 board (and also as chairman of the Formula One Teams Association), but despite having broken ties with Ferrari, Luca was renominated to the board as an independent member. That seat on the board, however, could have been at the head of the table, according to circulating reports, had Marchionne not expressed certain reservations, if not blocked the nomination outright. Montezemolo's appointment would have meant that both the F1 Group and the FIA would have been headed up by former Ferrari men, although Marchionne was quoted as saying that if it had been his call, he would have prevented Jean Todt from being elected to the presidency of the FIA as well. The chairmanship of the Formula One Group is separate from the role held by Bernie Ecclestone, who will continue to run the sport's day-to-day operations. Ecclestone has also rejoined the board along with Paul Walsh, the former head of distilling giant Diageo who was also tipped as a favorite to chair the F1 board. That role instead will return to Peter Brabeck, the former head of Nestle, who had previously stepped down from the chair of the Formula One Group.

Sebastian Vettel rips Ferrari FXX K around Fiorano

Sebastian Vettel is without a doubt the most successful driver currently on the Formula One grid. He's won four world championships, 39 grands prix and taken pole position 45 times. That makes him the third most successful driver in F1 history, retired or active. And now that he's signed with Ferrari, he's driving for the most successful team in the series as well. That's good news for the tifosi, but it's also good news for Vettel. Because not only will he be driving one of the best cars on the grid, but he'll have access to some of the best wheels off of it, too. Case in point: This latest video released by the Maranello outfit, in which the multiple world champion takes the new FXX K out for a spin around Fiorano. The track-bound evolution of the hybrid LaFerrari hypercar, the FXX K is said to lap the circuit in 1:14, making it the fastest Prancing Horse this side of a purpose-built racer like the SF15-T he'll be piloting in the 2015 world championship. In short, it's a heck of a step up from the special-edition FX crossover Infiniti made for him when he was still at Red Bull. And while you might think it still wouldn't measure up to some of the race-winning single-seaters he's driven over the years, he does seem to enjoy the experience. At least it's got a bit more elbow room than what he's used to. Related Gallery Sebastian Vettel in Ferrari FXX K at Fiorano News Source: Ferrari Ferrari Supercars Videos F1 Sebastian Vettel fiorano ferrari fxx k

LaFerrari gets shakedown from Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso is quite cool behind the wheel, as evidenced by an earlier video where he gave a full interview while actively hooning a Ferrari F12 around the Nürburgring. So when you see the Spaniard somber-faced and sweating while hustling a Ferrari LaFerrari around the Scuderia's Fiorano test track, you know the new hypercar is pretty demanding.
Alonso doesn't give commentary on this one (except to the engineers at the end), but he does wrestle the 949-horsepower hybrid around the track. It does look like a handful. Take a look below for the full video.