1987 Ferrari Testarossa Base Coupe 2-door 4.9l on 2040-cars

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Ferrari reopens wind tunnel after 18-month refurb

Ferrari is not a company used to being behind the curve, but if you've been wondering how the Scuderia has lost so much territory on the Formula One circuit to a relative newcomer like Red Bull, part of the answer could come down to its wind tunnel.
Seriously, the wind tunnel? Yes, the wind tunnel. Aerodynamics play an increasingly vital role in F1 racing, and while Red Bull has one of the best in the business, Ferrari's hasn't been running right for some time now.
A year and a half ago Ferrari shut down the galleria del vento at its headquarters in Maranello, citing problems with "correlation" - that is, a major discrepancy between the results it got in the wind tunnel, in CFD computations and on the racetrack. Having narrowed the problem down, the Scuderia embarked upon a major overhaul. It's been using Toyota's facility in Cologne, Germany, in the meantime, but as team principal Stefano Domenicali put it, not having your own wind tunnel on premises "is like playing basketball with one hand behind your back." Now the renovations reportedly complete, however, and Ferrari will begin using its wind tunnel again next month.

Museo Ferrari launches 'Michael 50' exhibit honoring Schumacher

Michael Schumacher turned 50 years old on Thursday, January 3, 2019. To celebrate the racing legend and to show appreciation for all he has done for the brand, Museo Ferrari opened an exhibition that explores his impact and accomplishments throughout his personal life and racing career. Named " Michael 50," the exhibit is now open in Maranello. This is the third showcase to open in recent months, following the announcement of "Driven by Enzo" and "Passion and Legend," which opened in September 2018 to honor the 120th anniversary of the founder of Ferrari. The Prancing Horse company calls Schumacher "The Most Successful Ferrarista in History," and the exhibition focuses on his many victories. The driver raced his way to seven world titles, 91 first-place finishes, and 155 podiums. Ferrari is displaying many of the cars Schumacher raced in, including the 1996 F310, the 1999 F399, the F1-2000, F2002, F2004, and the 2006 248 F1. In addition to race cars, the display also highlights some of the road cars that Schumacher worked on as a developer after he left Formula One. Using his knowledge and experience, he helped shape the dynamics of the 2007 430 Scuderia and the 2008 California. "Michael 50" was created with the help of the Keep Fighting Foundation, which recently launched an app that has a virtual museum and celebrates Michael and his legacy. According to a recent report, Schumacher is currently "in the very best of hands" and continues to battle back from his injuries. Ferrari did not give a specific time period for the exhibition, but mentioned it will be open for a "few months." Fans can buy tickets here.Related Video:

Ferrari steering wheel may hold key to rocket F1 starts

Ferrari's brilliant getaways at the Australian Grand Prix were key to its early victory challenge – and could well be the result of a unique approach to new start restrictions that Giorgio Piola has uncovered. Although Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid in Melbourne, it was a sensational getaway from Sebastian Vettel that helped the German swoop into the lead by the first corner. As team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: "The start was super. I have to say both of the drivers, they start like two rockets. After that they were able to take an advantage, and that was good for us." Such great starts from Ferrari are nothing new – just look at Hungary last year – but as Piola's exclusive drawing reveals, the team may well have taken things to an all-new level in ensuring it does not miss any detail in this area. In-built advantage As early as pre-season testing, rivals had been alerted about what Ferrari was capable of by monitoring data from Barcelona. Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: "We saw that in pre-season testing their starts have been really strong." Even ahead of the race, there were rumours that Ferrari knew it would excel in this area. Its decision to not do a second run in Melbourne's Q3 was mainly fuelled by its desire to save a set of super soft tyres for the race. But another suggestion also emerged – that the team knew just how good its starts were so securing the second row of the grid was good enough for it to believe it had a shout of the lead on the first lap. A single paddle As Piola's comparison of Ferrari's 2015 and 2016 steering wheel arrangement shows, the team has been the most aggressive in changing its clutch configuration for this year. New rules mean that drivers can only use a single hand on a single clutch paddle for the race start – even if teams choose to keep a double-paddle arrangement for emergencies. Ferrari has opted for something totally different to its main rivals by abandoning a double paddle arrangement (see red arrows on above left image). Instead, it has a single 'rocker' paddle that stretches all the way across the back of the wheel. Investing in such a dramatic design change clearly points to it having unlocked a decent performance advantage. The exact reasons for this configuration are unclear, but it may be that it allows the driver a greater feel for the clutch bite point – and means he is better able to judge how to deliver the perfect getaway.