VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

roberto motta

Ferrari at Daytona, New F1: In English and Italian

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By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Media-Ferrari and Grand-Am Media

Daytona celebrated the 50th anniversary of the legendary International Speedway track in Florida with the Rolex 24 hour race held during the last weekend of January. The Grand Am Series kickoff saw the debut of the new Ferrari 458 Grand Am, the car is designed specifically for the Grand Am GT class. Based on Ferrari’s European GT3 racer, the new car turned its very first laps at the famous Daytona International Speedway in July of this year under the watchful and experienced eyes of both the manufacturer and its pre-eminent North American racing team, Risi Competizione.
[Read more…] about Ferrari at Daytona, New F1: In English and Italian

Ferrari 458 Grand Am Prepares for the Rolex 24 Hours

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Ferrari-458

By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy Ferrari-Media and Grand Am-Media
(Text in Italia below)

Daytona Beach, Florida.

The new Ferrari Grand Am 458 took part in a series of tests prior to the ‘Rolex 24-Hour Race’, the opening event of the American series, which will take place January 26 to 29 in Daytona, Florida.
[Read more…] about Ferrari 458 Grand Am Prepares for the Rolex 24 Hours

Ferrari 458 Italia’s Winning Year In English and Italian

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Ferrari 458

By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Ferrari-Media

For Ferrari’s 458 Italia, 2011 was an exceptional year. In addition to the many awards and accolades from the international press, the Prancing Horse berlinetta won many successes in major national and international GT racing.
[Read more…] about Ferrari 458 Italia’s Winning Year In English and Italian

Bertone Museum Becomes a National Historic Site: In English and Italian

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By Roberto Motta
Photo courtesy of the Archives Bertone

On November 2 the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture announced that the “Bertone Collection” kept at the company headquarters in Caprie, is now part of the national artistic heritage of Italy. Unfortunately, the Collection is missing some jewelry, but the majority of the collection now is safe.
[Read more…] about Bertone Museum Becomes a National Historic Site: In English and Italian

The World’s Most Successful Driver: In English and Italian

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By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication

With the conquest of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship, Sébastien Loeb won his eighth straight title, and became the most successful driver in the history of motorsport.
[Read more…] about The World’s Most Successful Driver: In English and Italian

Lewis Tests with Ferrari: In English and Italian

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Michael-Lewis,-Sergio-Campa

Michael Lewis and Sergio Campana ready to test the F60 at Vallelunga.

Golden season continues for Michael Lewis:
He tests in the Ferrari F60; joins the FIA Institutes young driver excellence academy

By Roberto Motta

Photos: ACI Sport Italia and Ferrari-Media

On November 15, Michael Lewis and Sergio Campana achieved one of their wildest dreams: to drive a Ferrari Formula One.

The test is reserved for winners of the Italian Formula 3 Championship, and was organized by the Ferrari Driver Academy in collaboration with the ACI-CSAI and the Federal School of Vallelunga.

Both drivers had access to the Ferrari F60, Ferrari cars which took part in the World Championship in the 2009 season.
[Read more…] about Lewis Tests with Ferrari: In English and Italian

WRC Rally Spain in English

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Ogier

A great rally, but not for Ogier, who seems to have lost his chance for the driver's championship.

By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication, Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, Ford Motor Co., BMW AG and RallyRACC-Media.

By winning the penultimate round of the the WRC in Catalunya, Spain, Sebastien Loeb gave Citroen the coveted Manufacturer’s Championship. The French driver is now very close to obtaining his eighth consecutive driver’s championship. Mikko Hirvonen, right behind Loeb in the standings, placed second with the help of team mate Jari-Matti Latvala, who obeyed the orders of his team manager Malcolm Wilson.
[Read more…] about WRC Rally Spain in English

Rally Spain in Italiano

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47è Rally RACC Catalunya

Loeb vince e incrementa il suo vantaggio su Hirvonen e regala il Mondiale costruttori alla Citroen. Ogier si ritira e MINI sorprende con Meeke.

By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication, Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, Ford Motor Company, BMW AG and RallyRACC-Media.

Sebastien Loeb ha vinto alla grande il Rally di Catalunya penultimo appuntamento del Mondiale, e ha regalato alla Citroen il titolo costruttori, quando manca ancora l’ultimo evento del campionato in Galles. Il pilota Francese si è impegnato al massimo fin dai primi metri del rally, e si avvicina sempre di più al suo ottavo titolo consecutivo.
Mikko Hirvonen, suo diretto avversario è riuscito a salire sul secondo gradino del podio, grazie all’aiuto del compagno di squadra Jari-Matti Latvala, che ha obbedito agli ordini del suo team manager Malcolm Wilson.
[Read more…] about Rally Spain in Italiano

F3’s Best Newcomer Michael Lewis…In English and Italian

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Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis waves the flag after his F3 victory at Mugello in October.

An Interview with Michael Lewis

By Roberto Motta for VeloceToday.com

photos: Roberto Motta e ACI Sport Italia

Twenty nine years ago Mario Andretti took part in his last race for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. On October 15 and 16, another young American at Monza by the name of Michael Lewis won the title of “Best Newcomer of the Year” in the highly competitive Italian F3 series, winning the chance to test in a Ferrari F1 at Vallelunga on November 15th. The 21 year old has progressed with intelligence and after a short training period has already proven his value to his team.
[Read more…] about F3’s Best Newcomer Michael Lewis…In English and Italian

Rally France: The WRC Gets Hot: English and Italian

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Latvala hustles through a village on his way to fourth place.

After an incredible WRC in France, an increasingly tight battle in the WRC

By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication, Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, Ford Motor Company, BMW Claude Saulnier Press and Agence Presse

September 30-October 1The Rally France was the eleventh round of the WRC and one of the most exciting, with a number of plots and twists. The first surprise was that the John Cooper Works WRC Mini took command of the first day, followed by a Citroen…but that of Petter Solberg, a non factory entry. Sebastien Ogier was third. Not exactly the expected results. [Read more…] about Rally France: The WRC Gets Hot: English and Italian

Alfa 4C Appears at Frankfurt: In English and Italian

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Good retro-styled Alfa grille, front is pugnacious in the extreme. This is a short car and you can't scrunch together most of the design cues of a classic like the 8C into a shorter package and expect it to look good. Marco Tencone of Alfa styling should know better—Wallace Wyss.

By Roberto Motta
Caption critiques by Wallace Wyss

Photos: fiatautopress

At its world premiere last April in Geneva, the Alfa Romeo 4C was voted the “most beautiful concept car of the year” by readers of German magazine Auto Bild. Now, the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show now open from September 15 through 25.
[Read more…] about Alfa 4C Appears at Frankfurt: In English and Italian

Ferrari Introduces the 458 Spider: In English and Italian

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Detail of the new Ferrari 458 Italia Spider....

By Roberto Motta
Photo media-Ferrari

On August 23, Ferrari officially released images of the new 458 Spider. The new car from Maranello, which will be presented at the next Frankfurt Motor Show (15-25 September), will enhance the range of Ferrari 8-cylinder rear-engined cars. Like the 458 Italia, the Spider is powered by a 4499 cc V8 engine that, thanks to direct injection power, is capable of delivering 570 hp. It was with this engine Ferrari won the International Engine of the Year Award of 2011, largely thanks to its drivability, performance and technical design choices.
[Read more…] about Ferrari Introduces the 458 Spider: In English and Italian

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