Latest news with #Ferrari
Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Inside Haas efforts to turn 'very special' Oliver Bearman into an F1 superstar
Exclusive: British prospect and Ferrari academy product Oliver Bearman has the talent to become a Formula 1 superstar and it's up to Haas and boss Ayao Komatsu to polish a diamond Oliver Bearman has the potential to become a top Formula 1 star and has been showing it since he was a teenager. The Brit turned heads last year with a sensational showing on debut, called up by Ferrari as an 18-year-old to replace the unwell Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia. On an unfamiliar track, Bearman finished seventh and ahead of British superstars Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Now 20 and in his first full season on the F1 grid, he's learning his trade with midfield outfit Haas whose boss Ayao Komatsu is desperate to help him become a superstar. "I definitely feel the responsibility, in a good way," he told Mirror Sport. "Absolutely, because like I said, when I met him when he was 18 and I was like, 'Wow, this guy is a talent'. He has got such a big potential. I saw that more and more last year when we worked with him on practice sessions. For sure, it's a big responsibility for us as a team to nurture that talent and then make sure that we give him the best possible environment. "But really we're doing it together. He needs to be a fully integrated part of the team. And even though he's a rookie, he's got a lot to offer in terms of being the central part of the development, which he has been doing. So we have to treat him as a rookie. But, at the same time, in some areas, we're not treating him as a rookie because he is very, very good." Bearman was handed a multi-year contract by Haas, giving him at least two full seasons to hone his skills. But he remains affiliated with Ferrari and likely future successor to Hamilton, when the seven-time F1 champion retires. That is big billing, but it has been obvious to Ferrari and to Komatsu for some time that Bearman can go very far. The Japanese said: "Potential? We saw it from day one. That's one of the reasons why we signed him. READ MORE: Silverstone food and drink prices as pints get pricier compared to last year's British Grand Prix READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton red hot at Silverstone as door opened for more British GP magic "We've got to nurture that talent. We've got to establish the methodology, the procedure that really works so that he can reach his full potential and for him to get maximum out of the car, out of the team consistently. We're far from there yet, but that's to be expected as a rookie." Bearman made a strong start to 2025, scoring points in three of the first four races. He hasn't managed a top 10 result since with Haas' development stunted by an early-season design change after a major flaw was discovered in Melbourne. But he heads into his home race for the first time in F1 off the back of consecutive 11th-placed finishes and, while points are obviously crucial, what matters more to Komatsu is his progress. He said: "You cannot say points are not important, but you cannot be too focused on the points either because points are the result, and you cannot be just too focused on the results. Why? Because sometimes the result is not something you can control. You've got competitors. "But what you can focus on is what you can control, which is your process, methodology, how you apply yourself throughout the weekend, how you set yourself up as best as possible for qualifying and the race, and the result will be the result. So yes, we are definitely focused a lot in terms of our process, how to get the best out of him, how he can get the best out of the car and understanding working together as a team."
New Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Driven Leclerc determined to restore Ferrari to the top of F1
SILVERSTONE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc told AFP he is determined to get the most "iconic team" in Formula One back to the summit after a difficult start to the season. The 27-year-old Monegasque, who has eight Grand Prix wins to his name since his debut in 2018, takes heart that he has finished on the podium in three of the last four races. Ferrari lie second in the constructors championship on 210 points, but a massive 217 adrift of McLaren heading into this weekend's British Grand Prix. Leclerc is fifth in the drivers title race on 119 with team-mate seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton sixth on 91. Leclerc has big ambitions given the last time Ferrari won the constructors title was in 2008, and Kimi Raikkonen the last of their drivers to be crowned world champion in 2007. Leclerc concedes the first part of the season was "disappointing", falling well below expectations and they were working hard to iron out their weaknesses so as to be more competitive. The recent upturn in fortunes on the track shows he said they were making progress, if not yet turned the corner. "However, we cannot stop there," he told AFP on the sidelines at Silverstone. "The objective is far bigger when you are Ferrari. "It is imperative we win again and regularly." Leclerc admits the atmosphere in the early part of the season was "complicated" but the accomplished pianist, who has also had shares in racehorses, prefers to look on the bright side. "I like to put things in context," he said. "I am a Formula One driver, what's more at Ferrari, it is something I always dreamed about. "Whilst of course the present situation affects me, as when you are a driver you want to win, I am still an extremely fortunate person to be doing the thing I most love in the world." Leclerc, whose last win came in the United States in 2024, adds people should not interpret that as him being satisfied with the status quo. "I am far from happy with the situation and I am absolutely trying to do everything in order to rectify matters," he said. "Indeed that is where I discover my motivation: that of returning the most iconic 'team' to the highest level and to win the world championship together." Leclerc says being "200 percent honest" achieving that this year "is going to be extremely complicated." "I would never say it is impossible till the moment it is mathematically the case. "However, McLaren have an enormous lead, their drivers too, so it will be tough." In theory Leclerc has until 2029 – when his contract comes to an end – to achieve his aim but he says next year will be pivotal to how the future pans out for them. "Next year will be extremely important for the 'team' because of the new rules," he said. "If one gets off on the right foot, it will be a very good omen for the following years, on the other hand if we get off on the wrong foot it will be much tougher to get back to the top." Leclerc says that Hamilton's arrival after a dozen seasons at Mercedes has helped in the process of addressing issues with the car. "Our collaboration is going really well," said Leclerc. "Lewis arrived at a team and a structure totally different to the one he had worked with for so long," he said. "He came with a completely different vision with alternative solutions for the problems amd made his fair share of observations which helped us a lot. "On my side I have knowledge of the system and of the Ferrari infrastructure." Leclerc says he has not learned anything from Hamilton, though, he added with all the 40-year-old Briton's experience he had kept an eye on him. "The manner in which we work has stayed rather individual," he said. "However, on the other hand clearly the first time he arrived at HQ I analysed and observed all he did.
Daily Tribune
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
Norris tops Silverstone practice
Lando Norris thrilled his home fans at Silverstone when he topped the times for McLaren ahead of both Ferraris in second practice yesterday for this weekend's British Grand Prix. In gusty conditions at the former airfield circuit in central England, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 25.816 seconds to outpace Charles Leclerc by 0.222 seconds. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, a record nine-time winner of his home race, was three-tenths adrift in third after topping FP1, his first practice success since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix and his first with Ferrari. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who leads Norris by 15 points, was fourth in the second McLaren ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen, who spent much time grumbling about the balance and performance of his Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli was sixth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, George Russell in the second Mercedes and RB rookies Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. 'That was a good lap from Lando,' said McLaren chief Zak Brown. 'But Ferrari look very strong here and they're fast on both one lap and on race runs.' After a fevered break replete with rumour in the paddock Red Bull boss Christian Horner did little to quell stories claiming Verstappen was bound for Mercedes even when a chance to categorically deny it was presented to him. Max exit clause 'Contracts between the drivers and the team are always going to remain confidential,' he told a news conference. 'And with any driver's contract, there is an element of performance mechanism and that exists within Max's contract. 'Now, absolutely, his intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026. It's inevitable that he's of huge interest to any other team and in the pit lane.' Horner's comments confirmed the existence of an exit clause for Verstappen that, it is widely believed, may permit him to agree to join another team if he is outside the top three in the drivers' championship at the end of July. All of this was only a slight distraction from Hamilton's performance in topping the times in FP1 for Ferrari, his first practice success since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix with Mercedes – and he began FP2 in the same vein by clocking 1:27.280 to set the pace on mediums. After briefly being overhauled by the McLaren duo, he trimmed his time to 1:26.902 while Verstappen was complaining 'Have you seen my front tyres in the high speed? They just don't respond'. He was 10th after 20 minutes when Carlos Sainz, affected by the wind, spun his Williams out of Luffield and almost hit Nico Hulkenberg before Hamilton regained top spot from Leclerc by three-tenths in 1:26.592. The top men bolted on softs with 30 minutes remaining and after Mercedes briefly took control, Leclerc went fastest ahead of Piastri before Norris delighted his fans, in the grandstands named after him, in 1:25.816 to move clear.
Scoop
an hour ago
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Will Soon Have No Real Interisland Rail-ferry Link – Why Are We So Bad At Infrastructure Planning?
Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis. The government has spent NZ$507.3 million on cancelled iReX ferry plans, the country's fleet has an average age of 28 years, and the earliest New Zealanders can hope for promised replacements is 2029. The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce warns unreliable ferries already shake tourist confidence. Several more years of duct-tape solutions won't help. The recent pattern of breakdowns and cancellations has become so routine that New Zealand risks normalising what should be viewed as a national crisis: a serious infrastructure failure. It is also a textbook example of how short-term political cycles, coupled with chronic under-investment, create far more expensive problems than the ones they promise to solve. Cost blowouts While ministers claim to have spared taxpayers a $4 billion blowout on new ferries, Treasury papers show almost 80% of the cost escalation lay in seismic upgrades for wharves, not in the vessels themselves. Those land-side works will be required no matter what ferries the country eventually orders. Justifying the original contract cancellation, Finance Minister Nicola Willis quipped that iReX was a Ferrari when a Toyota Corolla would do. But the cost of finding a suitable Corolla is adding up fast. Annual maintenance costs are projected to nearly double to $65 million, just to keep the existing ageing ferries running. Additionally, $300 million had to be earmarked to cover fees for breaking the original ferry replacement contract. By retiring the Aratere this year – New Zealand's only rail-capable ferry – the government is also severing the interisland rail link for almost five years. KiwiRail will 'road-bridge' rail freight, an expensive workaround that involves loading train cars onto trucks, putting those trucks on ferries, then reversing the process at the other end. This will increase truck traffic, produce more emissions and add more wear to already strained infrastructure. Forcing more than $14 billion worth of annual freight from rail to road could also negatively affect New Zealand's climate change commitments. Freight moved by rail generates only about 25% of the CO per tonne-kilometre of the same load produced when hauled by truck. The cancelled hybrid ferries would have also cut emissions by 40%. Instead, New Zealand is locking in higher emissions for another half decade or longer. Unrealistic timelines The ferry saga reflects New Zealand's infrastructure problem in a nutshell. The country tends to underestimate costs, create unfeasible timelines, then shows dismay when projects blow up or limp home at double the price. Auckland exemplifies the pattern. The city has seen decades of cancelled harbour crossing proposals and a scrapped light rail project, with nothing to show but consultancy fees. When New Zealand does build –Transmission Gully, for example – the final bill bears little resemblance to initial quotes. The 27 kilometre motorway north of Wellington was nearly 50% over budget and took eight years to build – two years longer than promised. The systematic underestimation of costs reflects a flawed approach to infrastructure planning. Politicians need quick wins within three-year electoral cycles, while infrastructure projects take decades to deliver. Projects are approved based on lowball estimates, with the outcome inherited by another administration. This has crossed party lines and created a system that rewards short-term thinking and punishes long-term planning. Just consider the second crossing for Auckland Harbour. For 35 years, the government has commissioned study after study – from the 1988 tunnel plans to the 2010 business cases – each time backing away when the price tag appeared, or the government changed. The iReX cancellation marks the first time the government has actually signed contracts and then walked away. As with the second Auckland Harbour crossing, each delay has only made the inevitable solution more expensive. Other countries have, to a degree, addressed this problem. Infrastructure Australia, for example, provides independent cost assessments and long-term planning that transcends political cycles. New Zealand's Infrastructure Commission, established in 2019, lacks similar teeth and independence. Ultimately this isn't really about ferries. It's about how New Zealand consistently fails to deliver, on time and at cost, the infrastructure that keeps its economy moving.
Man of Many
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Man of Many
2026 Ferrari Amalfi is a Twin-Turbo V8 with Real Buttons!
By Somnath Chatterjee - News Published: 5 Jul 2025 |Last Updated: 4 Jul 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 6 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Italian automobile marque Ferrari has announced the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi , a 2+ coupé with a front-mid-mounted turbo V8 engine. , a 2+ coupé with a front-mid-mounted turbo V8 engine. Capable of high-performance and everyday versatility, the upcoming vehicle is said to be the 'evolution' of the Grand Tourer concept. concept. The 640 cv turbo V8 engine comes complete with track-derived technologies and the classic Ferrari sound. comes complete with track-derived technologies and the classic Ferrari sound. Interior features include a triple-display HMI, advanced onboard comfort, and a premium audio system. Generally speaking, the announcement of a new Ferrari comes laden with new performance modules, power increases and technological advancements, but it appears the boffins at Maranello have had enough of the power wars. The Italian marque has just confirmed its long-awaited Roma replacement, and it's a sleek, sharp little number that gets a similar petite power increase. The 2026 Ferrari Almalfi, for all its good looks, has only copped a mild 20bhp increase, but alas, there is good news. After much deliberation and a furore from fans online, Ferrari has officially reintroduced physical buttons. That's right, while Ferrari's new racy GT V8 coupe maintains a sleek silhouette, the return of tactile physical buttons signals a renewed focus on tactile experience. In many ways, this is a little like Volkswagen reversing back to proper switchgear rather than the fiddly touch-sensitive buttons. Fret not though as there is still plenty more to talk about the Amalfi which is incidentally named after the famous holiday retreat in Italy. 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Design & Styling According to Ferrari, the new Amalfi represents a new interpretation of the archetype of the 2+ coupé berlinetta. The front-mid-mounted V8 is a stellar throwback to the heyday of the combustion engine, and the visual approach follows suit. At first glance, it's clear that Flavio Manzoni, chief design officer for the Ferrari Styling Centre and his team, have taken immense inspiration from the Roma, albeit with a few new features. Compared to the curvy lines of the earlier model, the Amalfi introduces some added sharpness to the design, most notably on the front-end. The bonnet is seamless and the haunches are less pronounced now but the basic simplicity of the Roma has been preserved here too. Ferrari describes the exterior as a 'sleek, monolithic speedform that gives the car a strong and dynamic identity'. The front, devoid of a traditional grille, is distinguished by a 'floating body-coloured wing' above a dark recessed band, discreetly integrating sensors and headlights. Of course, you can't go past the launch colour, Verde Costiera, which is a stunning teal green hue inspired by the reflections of the sea along the Amalfi coast. How very Ferrari of them. 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Performance Top speed 320 km/h 0–100 km/h 3.3 s 0–200 km/h 9.0 s 100–0 km/h 30.8 m 200–0 km/h 119.5 m Scroll horizontally to view full table Underneath the tighter lines, the Amalfi retains a true V8, sans any kind of electrification, with the 3.9-litre twin-turbo engine developing 631bhp. Hence, the 0-100 km/h time of 3.3 seconds is just 0.1 second quicker than the Roma, but to focus solely on that figure would be to entirely miss the point. The Amalfi is not so much a track car built to decimate lap times, despite its ample power, but rather a true evolution of the Grand Tourer concept. A high-performance framework, built on the architecture of a versatile everyday driver, the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi is every bit the ultimate Ferrari indulgence. It even retains some staple elements that many would have thought long gone. Of course, the twin-turbo V8 architecture remains paramount, but the Italian marquee has also opted to stay true to the 8-speed dual-clutch. Instead, the vast majority of changes were concentrated on making the engine more responsive, providing quicker acceleration through the gears. Look a little closer and you might even notice the new aero elements that help to feed more air to the turbochargers. It's an inherently positive move, particularly when you consider the Amalfi's positioning within the Ferrari portfolio. While official pricing has yet to be confirmed, it's likely that this new vehicle will slot in at the very end of the buying catalogue, serving as a unique entry point for many first-time Ferrari buyers. As a result, Ferrari has done an admirable job of broadening its horizons, creating a car that rests at the intersection of luxury performance and everyday usability. 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Interior | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Interior | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Interior | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Interior Inside, the cabin is less fussy, and the aforementioned return of the red starter button marks a welcome familiarity. Once in the driver's seat, the new 10-25-inch touchscreen dominates the view and is flanked by a new centre console milled from a single block of aluminium. There is still a three-screen affair, including one for the passenger, but the cabin now has far more drama, despite still being practical. Ferrari also explained that you can even spec 'comfort seats' with various adjustments, including a massage setting that will no doubt settle the nerves as you devour the winding, unkempt roads of the South of France (we assume). Buyers will also most likely tick the option for the front-axle lift feature, which is essential for a GT like this. 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari Launch Information At present, Ferrari has not confirmed when the 2026 Amalfi will be making its way Down Under; however, you can expect to see the first models arrive sometime in Q3-4 next year. As is tradition, the first examples will trickle through the European market slightly earlier, whihc will give an indication of how much we can expect the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi price to be. While Ferrari continues to make high-performance hypercars and supercars, the Amalfi and the 12 Cilindri continue to form the backbone of its GT product range. 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi – Technical Specifications Powertrain Type Twin-turbo V8 – wet sump Total displacement 3855 cc Bore and stroke 86.5 x 82 mm Maximum power 640 cv at 7,500 rpm* Maximum torque 760 Nm at 3,000–5,750 rpm Maximum revs 7600 rpm Compression ratio 9.4:1 Specific power output 166 cv/l Transmission and Gearbox 8-speed dual clutch F1 DCT Scroll horizontally to view full table Weights and Distribution Length 4660 mm Width 1974 mm Height 1301 mm Wheelbase 2670 mm Front track 1652 mm Rear track 1679 mm Dry weight 1470 kg Dry weight/power ratio 2.29 kg/cv Weight distribution 50% front / 50% rear Fuel tank capacity 80 litres Boot size 273 litres Scroll horizontally to view full table Tyres and Wheels Front 245/35 R20 J8.0 Rear 285/35 R20 J10.0 Scroll horizontally to view full table Brakes Front 390 x 223 x 34 mm Rear 360 x 233 x 32 mm Scroll horizontally to view full table 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari 2026 Ferrari Amalfi | Image: Ferrari
