Bucket Seat: Ferrari F80

The global reveal of Ferrari's latest hypercar, the F80 took place yesterday and while it doesn't pack an Italian bred V12 like its predecessors, the performance figures are just staggering to see what this car does with a 3.0L V6-Hybrid. It's the most powerful road car to leave the gates at Maranello, pushing out 1200bhp and achieving a 0-200km/h time of just 5.75 seconds! This is all thanks to the 120 degree mounted V6 engine and MGU-K Electric Motor. This motor is the first unit developed, tested and manufactured entirely by Ferrari in Maranello. The car features a host of aerodynamic characteristics, most notably the S-Duct which is formed by the carbon fibre front bonnet consisting of a fixed element connecting the two front wings. Inside this feature are two flaps following the main profile to complete the triplane wing configuration with curvatures and blower slots clearly inspired by the 499P LeMans car. This along with the active aero wing takes the F80 to the perfect aerodynamic balance achieving 1050kg of downforce to keep the car firmly rooted to the ground. Base price on the F80 is set to be around $4 million and being in the hypercar category, there probably is an invite only list to buy this one. 

Formula Max?

The tides are definitely turning in the world of Formula 1, what we thought would be a straight forward season for the Silver (or are they black now?) Arrows isn't really straight forward for Toto and Co. Those pesky Red Bull's are back with their leader Christian Horner to upset the apple cart, but they're only upsetting it for Mercedes-Benz and their loyal support base or which many only discovered F1 in the past 4 years because they rest of us are thoroughly enjoying the competitive nature that this season is throwing at us each and every race week. From strategies to tyre compounds, its been eventful to say the least and with "Super Max" extending his lead this past weekend to 32 points over current champion Lewis Hamilton, it ensures that this season is going to be guaranteed excitement all the way through. Lewis has to dig deeper and not just rely on thinking of the late Madiba everyday to get his 8th world championship title. While most would agree that his team need to do more to assist him, his fan base would argue that its the driver not the car, so whatever the case maybe, Mercedes -Benz in general need to find something special for the upcoming British GP at Silverstone to ensure Lewis stays in the race for that record 8th world title. 

One cannot fault the work Red Bull Racing have done, with the inclusion of their new second driver, Checo Perez, he is proving to be a worthy of that seat while not only assist the team but also Max Verstappen in getting where they are now. It's all working beautifully for them and there is no better example than the Austrian GP which saw Max qualify on pole but found himself behind after a few pitstops but having the pace and the tyres to fight back for first spot and claim victory, much to the delight of his supporters in attendance. Also how great is it to see spectators back in the stands? I know we were grateful to have racing last year but a big part of the sport is having the fans present and getting that whole atmosphere on race day, its just such a mood lifter to have them back in the stands creating that vibe for the teams and the driver. 

Another great aspect of this season is seeing the youngsters pull through, the likes of Lando Norris, Charles LeClerc, George Russell and Pierre Gasly all showing their metal and not afraid of giving it their all on the track. George was unlucky to miss out on his first points finish last week but after showing his worth while driving for Mercedes last year in a few races, we all know the potential talent that lies there. Norris has been simply sublime so far, out racing his much more experienced team mate Daniel Ricciardo for most of this season. Getting his Mclaren to 3rd position at the Austrian GP and finishing 5th the weekend before that only shows that there is grit behind that boyish charm. Many are ear marking him to take over the mantle from Lewis as Britains next great F1 driver and you can see why but if Russell finds himself a competitive car, it could be an interesting battle between those two. 

I tweeted on Saturday that the less said about Ferrari, the better and truth be told they didn't have the worst race but as a life long fan, seeing that Red car finishing in 5th and 8th place does not feel great. Credit to Carlos for fighting for that 5th spot in what is a tough race for the Scudeira as the track is pace focused and didn't suit the car at all but the guys in Maranello have some serious head scratching to do. For the other teams like Aston Martin Racing, Alpha Tauri and Williams, they also have their work cut out watching the front runners dominate week in and week out but the mini battles that occur in the midfield do prove to be rather entertaining as well. It's these battles that add character to the overall race as it would just down right boring watching the top two teams win over and over again. The season is set up nicely and we're not even halfway through yet, I cannot wait to see how the rest of this race calendar plays out. 

Bucket Seat: Ferrari 812 Competizione and Competizione A

6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, the most powerful ever made by Ferrari, that alone should send shivers down your spine as a motoring purist. It is the heart of the beast behind the new twin flame models launched today by the Maranello based motor manufacturer, dubbed the 812 Competizione and Competizione A which I'm guessing stands for Aperta seeing that its missing a roof. Revving to 9,500rpm, so a high revving engine of note and I can only sit back and wonder how ungodly it must sound, it probably will awaken the underworld with its growl on start up. 

Seeing that this is a spawn of the 812 Superfast, which lived up to its name being Superfast, one can only imagine the raw power that is waiting to be unearth in this machine. Ferrari has redesigned the pistons, fitted titanium con-rods that are 40 percent lighter), layered a diamond like carbon coating on the piston pins and rebalanced the crank which is a whopping three percent lighter than before. There are new cylinder heads, F1-tech for the cams which are also coated in that diamond like carbon and redesigned the intake system across the the manifold and plenim as well as variable geometry inlet tracts. All of this translates to a motor that produces 819bhp, a 0-100km/h time of just 2.85 seconds and a top speed of over 340km/h. 

The car looks phenomenal, with Ferrari going all out on a superb aero kit that not only is functional in maximizing downforce and generating speed but looks the part too. It is almost like a samurai suit that is fitted over the standard 812 guise, my favourite part being the rear engine cover with the gills of sort to allow for engine cooling. The Aperta version is a lot less intimidating, if I could use that analogy but it would probably be the more terrifying and enjoyable one to be in. Bit strange that Ferrari opted to launch both the coupe and drop top model at the same time as they normally do stagger their releases, unless they will run some double special for selected customers. No word on pricing or number of units to be produced but you can bet its going to be ultra limited like most of their special models. 

 

F1 2020 Recap

It's been a strange year of note but many were glad when the FIA decided to go ahead with the 2020 season despite the pandemic and to say they pulled it off is doing them an injustice as the season played out almost 100% with most of those involved hardly being affected by the virus and gave us, the fans a season to remember! Lewis went on to equal Michael Schumacher's record by winning his 7th title this year but apart from Lewis running away with the title, there were some interesting battles in the top 10 places and saw a lot of relatively smaller teams showing their grit and metal when it came to fighting for points places. 

I suppose that is what I enjoyed the most about this season, while we always knew the other drivers, we never really gave them the attention as we were always focused on the bigger teams and their drivers. With the disaster season that Ferrari had, it gave the other teams like Racing Point, Mclaren and Renault the opportunity to close the gap on not so much Mercedes because as per the norm, they were on another level this season, Red Bull had their fair share of disappointments and highlights as well, the best coming in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi which saw Max claim victory at the Yas Marina circuit. 

With the host of drivers playing musical chairs during the season, next years grid will look rather interesting, the biggest shock came last week when Red Bull announced that they've ditched Alex Albon and have offered the second seat to Sergio Perez who will partner Max Verstappen. It's an interesting combination as both drivers are pretty racy and while we all know Red Bull have no rules when it comes to their drivers, so it will be one to keep an eye on. Ferrari have a lot of work to do in the off season with Binotto even claiming that fans should not expect too much from them next year as they will only have a car that will be ready to compete in 2022, not the kinda thing the Tifosi would want to hear but lets just hope that comment was made to throw off the competitors, also with the appointment of the new Ferrari CEO John Alkann this month, he will definitely have something to say about the total embarrassment of a season that they had. 

Vettel's move to Aston Martin Racing will be an interesting one, little to nothing is known about that team or the car but one thing is for sure, if they give Seb something decent he will prove his worth. Many fans would tell you, if Seb had Lewis's car, he would have achieved the same, which many Hamilton supporters rubbished very quickly but if saw what George Russell was able to do with Lewis car at Sakhir, many were left scratching their heads thinking maybe the Seb fans were right? Yes Russell didn't go on to win the race but he was fastest in all practice sessions, second in qualifying and the most bizarre pitstop error from the mechanics cost both their drivers a possible one, two finish. Yes the season was wrapped up by then but seeing something so careless from a team that is faultless was rather odd, sparking the odd rumour mill to suggest that Merc did this on purpose so people wouldn't question Lewis's credibility. 

While that is pretty juicy gossip, we won't really give that too much attention, but rather what next season holds in store and that is plenty of drama. The return of Fernando Alonso will be one, with him and Kimi being the oldest drivers in the pack, and many hope the dual between Vettel and Lewis re-ignites again, while us Ferrari fans sit and pray that Carlos and Charles get something decent to drive. Then there's always fun with the youngsters, thanks to the virtual races in March and April, many got close to the likes of Charles, George and Lando, so here's hoping to see more fun from those lot in 2022. Another big name signing into F1 is the Formula 2 champion given a seat at Haas but he has an all too familiar name with the sport, that is because he is the son of Michael Schumacher. Yes, Mick Schumacher joins F1 and looks to rebuild on his fathers legacy and here's hoping to more success for him. 

Bucket Seat: Ferrari Roma

 

La Nouva Dolce Vita, is the caption used by Ferrari for their latest model, the Roma, the caption is a play on the famous Italian phrase "La Dolce Vita" and translates to "The New Sweet Life", quite appropriate if you ask me. Why? The Roma is an all new V8 model from the Italian manufacturer but unlike the previous models which were designed around performance thanks to their award winning turbo-charged V8 engine, the Roma's design is one that that incorporates fluent lines and show stopping beauty. It's been a long time since we've seen such a design from Maranello, the flair and elegance that flows from the front to the back will leave you in awe at how gorgeous this new model is, Ferrari's Styling Center say the design centers around clean design and absolute symbiosis between its various elements with harmonious proportions and pure, elegant volumes. Minimalism in its grandiose scale if you ask me . With it being a GT, there is a lot of luxury aspects to the Roma, something we've only seen in the California and lately the Portofino with V8 powertrains. While the exterior styling is completely different from the norm, the interior is as well, a it's the first Ferrari to feature a large touchscreen infotainment in the center console which controls everything from the audio, climate as well as many other things in the cabin . The sleek styling combined with the exotic and rich materials used in the cabin provide the perfect balance for a sporty yet very luxurious feel.  Obviously with Ferrari, the options to specify your car is endless, as you can choose what colour and texture trims you want on the dash right down to what colour stitching you want on the steering wheel. 

Lets talk about performance now, the Roma features a new turbo-charge 4 litre V8 which produces 456kW at 5750 - 7500rpm, torque max is 760Nm which equates to a 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 3.4 seconds. Max speed on the Roma is said to be over 320km/h so while it might be a baby GT its still no slouch. Maybe it's just me but I feel the Roma is the type of car that you want to majorly use for cruising around town, letting it bask in its own beauty while others get to admire it too. Yes on the weekend you can take it on the open road to let some fresh air breathe into that monstrous V8 as well as have fun on some twisty roads, whether it be on the coast on in the countryside. Ferrari also offer bespoke luggage made for the Roma so customers can have suitcases to fit for their car. Pricing for the Roma, it starts of at R4,972,000 with a list of options to chose from. 

 

Formula One 2020

It hasn't been an ideal year for anyone in any form of way but with the world coming to grips with this deadly pandemic, it's good to see some sort of normality coming around. With most public gatherings either being banned or limited to a few number of people, we are also seeing sporting events given the green light with strict policies. One which is getting many excited is the go ahead for the new Formula One season, while we all are enjoying the eRaces with the drivers, nothing beats the real thing. FIA have released dates for the opening 8 races of the season, with some taking place at the same track over two race weekends, now I know it's not ideal but with the number of people involved in the teams and moving of equipment, it really is a recipe for disaster if one person gets infected. So at this stage we will just have to take what we can get, and lets be honest, with F1 the crowds are important to revenue but not that important to what we see on our screens. FIA has said that further races will be announced in the coming weeks for now we cannot wait for the 3rd of July when First Practice starts in Austria!

Grazie Vettel

"Grazei Ragazzi" a phrase we heard 14 times by Seb in his career at Scuderia Ferrari since he joined in 2015 as he won 14 races to date with the team. He was the golden boy of that era in Formula One, winning 4 titles with Red Bull Racing under the guidance of Christian Horner, Seb was F1's hottest property. Apart from Lewis, there was no young driver that came close to him. Sebastian being German looked like the ideal package for Ferrari, he had the mindset of a winner and the Italian German combination harked back to the Schumacher reign so it looked like a match made in heaven for the Italians. The Tifosi were of course over the moon with such a talented signing and looked like Ferrari could be back challenging and more importantly winning again. You see the last time Ferrari lifted the constructors title was in 2008, 7 years on and things were getting rather uncomfortable without any silverware. Little did they know at the time, the team would face further turmoil in their endeavor to get back to the top. 

Ferrari hoped with Seb there to help them, he could rebuild the team back to their glory days with Michael at the helm. The problem was, it wasn't just Michael who took Ferrari to the top, he had the help of Ross Brawn and Jean Todt along with a stellar team of experts to take Ferrari to the heights we saw them achieve. In 2015 it was still a case of finding their feet instead of starting to rebuild. There were good days but there were many bad days. Just when you think they had it all figured out, the wheels would come off the very next race. As a fan, watching it was frustrating and sad, imagine being a driver, one that was touted to emulate the great Michael Schumacher. He definitely had the skill set to do so, anyone who says otherwise would be considered bitter in my books. Even the likes of Lewis would admit this, Vettel needed the backing of the team and the bosses the way Lewis had it at Mercedes. People pin point to Vettel's errors in his last two seasons but rewind back to Lewis at Mclaren Merecedes where he was teamed up with Fernando Alonso, a persona that of a spoilt brat, wanting things done his way, he wanted to be the number one driver based on who he was, not that old Spanish bloke. Lewis then got his opportunity with the Silver Arrows, his team, that similar of the golden era of  Ferrari, with Niki Lauda brought in to give advice and priceless vision to the team and look what they managed to achieve. 

Seb needed that support structure, one that he never got at Scuderia Ferrari and one that was ultimately his demise. The last two seasons were not great for Seb, especially with the inclusion of a new kid on the block as his partner, a young hungry driver that wanted to show he has what it takes to compete for the top spot. He was a risk taker and mule for the team but this proved to be a better option to get the most out of the car. Seb was dealt the raw deal again which forced him into driving more recklessly and ultimately cost him in many races. Singapore 2019 was a race to relish though, Seb did things his way and while we can all go on about how LeClerc was hard done by the team, it was Seb strategy that paid off for him. Canada was not kind to Seb either, hard done by the stewards in the end and left a very bitter taste in the mouth of many. Personally I feel for the German, I never liked him at Red Bull because he was a rival at the time but there was no denying him his talent. Was he another driver that suffered the curse of Ferrari from the likes of Prost and Alonso? Perhaps he had another 2 more titles in him during those 5 years, it's a pity he didn't achieve that at Ferrari, with news of the two agreeing to part ways at the end of the year, it is very hard to see him even achieve a title this year, that is if we do get any races at all. I'd like to see him end his F1 career on a high though, so here's to hoping he does. 

Bucket Seat: Ferrari F8 Tributo

Last week South Africa was introduced to Ferrari's latest iteration of its mid engine V8 Berlinetta, the F8 Tributo. After winning Engine of the year, for 3 years in a row, this 3.9 litre bi-turbo V8 crushed its competition by achieving 429 points in the above 650PS category, beating their own V12 engine from the Superfast by 612 points. Ferrari have always prided themselves as master engine builders but having the cars to suit the engines as well, this engine also featured in the 488GTB, 488 Spider and 599 Pista but tuned differently. 

The Tributo pays tribute to this award winning engine and encapsulates everything that is Ferrari in a car. From the design, to the performance, making it the most potent variant to date. It does 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, 0-200km/h in 7.8 seconds and has a top speed of 340km/h.  The car is lighter and faster than the out going 488 GTB, the design which was done by the Ferrari Styling Center emphasizes the companies key characteristics of high performance and extreme aerodynamic efficiency. There is also elements of past Ferrari's in there, like GTB's of old and the engine cover which is similar to that of the F40. The design features a state-of-the-art aerodynamic system which is derived from the companies Formula One team, to minimize drag, maximize down force and make the driver feel one with the car. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	3.9 litre bi-turbo
Gear Box	7 Speed dual clutch
Horse power	710 bhp @ 8000 rpm
0-100km/h	2.9 seconds
Price	R 5,500,000

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with the F8 Tributo at the Durban showroom and was afforded the opportunity to photograph it as well as sit inside and start her up. I was left with goosebumps for the rest of the day. Here are some pictures from the shoot for you to enjoy. 

Pictures by @mvrc1988