Ferrari

BRITISH teenager Oliver Bearman has joined the Ferrari young driver academy after winning the Italian AND German Formula 4 titles this season.The 16-year-old from Chelmsford joins the prestigious Italian F1 team following in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc, Jules Bianchi, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher over the past decade.
Teenager Oliver Bearman has won junior races across EuropeCredit: Getty
Bearman, who impressed at Ferrari’s scouting world finals at Maranello last month, said: “I am really happy to have been selected to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.
“It is a great way to end what has been a really good racing season for me.
“Just spending a week in Maranello was in itself an amazing experience, especially getting to drive at the Fiorano track.
“Now I can’t wait to start working at the academy and to be part of the Ferrari family and to see what the future holds for me.”
Bearman took the ADAC Formula 4 title in Germany last weekend finishing 26 points clear of second place.
He had earlier sealed the Italian F4 title with 11 wins including a seven-in-a-row sequence across Misano, Vallelunga and Imola.

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The storied ‘Prancing Horse’ team are the most successful in F1 having claimed a record 16 constructors’ championships.
They dominated the early 2000s when the legendary Schumacher claimed five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2005.
But they have struggled to hit those same heady heights with the emergence of rivals such as Mercedes and Red Bull.
Their drivers currently sit sixth and seventh in the championship – Leclerc one spot above his team-mate Carlos Sainz.
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LEWIS HAMILTON has admitted his surprise at never making the move to Ferrari.As the grandest name of Formula One over the decades, the Scuderia have previously employed legends including Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio and Fernando Alonso.
Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his relationship with FerrariCredit: Splash
But British star Hamilton has never stepped into the famous red overalls, and has not even been close to doing so.
Links have emerged, most recently amid his domination of the sport with Mercedes when Ferrari was seen as a career swansong for the 36-year-old.
Yet he is under contract with the German marque until the end of 2023 and has described a switch to the Prancing Horse as ‘never really possible’.
Speaking to Sky Italia, via GPToday, he noted: “For years, whenever I come to Monza and see the fans, I hear them saying, ‘Come to Ferrari!’.
“It warms my heart but it’s pretty amazing that I’ve never driven for Ferrari after so many years. Because it’s a dream for everyone, a goal to be achieved.
“It’s never really been possible and I will never quite know exactly why.

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“I wish them the best and in the near future I will just have to stop them from winning the world championship instead [laughs].
“I have a couple of Ferraris at home that I can drive, but not the F1 Ferrari.”
Hamilton was signed to McLaren from a young age and raced for six years with the British team, winning the 2008 world title.

McLaren’s decline coincided with old team-mate Fernando Alonso joining Ferrari and a renewal of their fiery relationship was not on the cards.
In 2013, he replaced Michael Schumacher at Mercedes with the goal of turning the team into serious world title contenders.
Hamilton achieved that, and then some, swooping to his second crown in his second campaign with the Mercs – leaving Ferrari in his wake to this day.

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FERRARI fans are in a spin after the they launched their challenger for 2021 – which features a splash of green.
The Italian F1 team is synonymous with the colour red.

Fans have slammed Ferrari’s 20201 car as the ‘ugliest on the grid’Credit: AFP

Fans aren’t happy at the introduction of green stripes and a burgundy rear wingCredit: credit: © Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Ferrari fans are unhappy with the move away from the traditional all-red liveryCredit: credit: © Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

But this season contains a green logo on the engine cover belonging to that of sponsors Mission Winnow, which is owned by tobacco giant Philip Morris International.
Philip Morris, who’s major brand, Marlboro cigarettes, used to feature so heavily on the Ferrari and McLaren cars when tobacco advertising was legal.
And fans are not happy with the new colour scheme that goes from red to burgundy at the rear, with green on the top, with some likening it to a red chilli pepper.
One fan Tweeted: “Ferrari have made it! And by it I mean the ugliest car on the grid.

“I don’t know what is worse: the green logo or the burgundy rear.”
Another wrote: “You have got to give it to Ferrari! They really know how to let down the fans.”
Despite their estimated £400million budget last season, Ferrari plunged to sixth in the constructors’ championship in 2020.
It was the worst result in four decades, amid season-long issues with its car while Sebastian Vettel was also given the boot.

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The car has weak aerodynamics and was limp due to an engine rules change following a controversial FIA investigation.
The details of that report were hushed up and kept private between the team and the FIA – much to the frustration of their rivals.
But team boss Mattia Binotto is hopeful that the winter redesign will improve the team’s performance along with a fresh driver pairing of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
He said: “This car was born out of last year’s car due to the new regulations so it was partially frozen, but we tried to improve it in all of its areas, wherever it was possible.
“The aerodynamics was revised, and it has a completely new power unit.
“Its livery has also changed, the posterior is a burgundy colour similar to the very first Ferrari racing car, the 125S.
“It’s the same colour we used last year at Mugello to celebrate our 1000th Grand Prix. This year is going to be full of challenges.”

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It is the team’s youngest driver line-up since 1968 as Sainz 26, and Leclerc 23, get to grips with their new motor at three days of testing in Bahrain starting on Friday.
Racing Director, Laurent Mekies, added: “There’s plenty of positive energy coming from our two drivers.
“Carlos has spent a lot of time in the factory and has integrated with the team very quickly.
“As for Charles, he is already perfectly at home with the team: he knows what he wants and is also very aware of the role he has in the team, both in and out of the car.
“Over the winter, we have witnessed the two guys getting on very well together and this can only be a good thing for the whole team.”
Meanwhile, Aston Martin launched their car for 2021 earlier this month with a little help from James Bond star Daniel Craig and Gemma Arterton.
And Williams were forced to delay their virtual car unveiling after their app was hacked.
Elsewhere, Haas were criticised after showing off their new ‘Russian flag’ livery.

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