Felipe Massa says Ferrari has been working hard at Maranello to ensure the new F2012 runs more reliably at this week’s test at Barcelona than was the case at the opening pre-season sessions in Jerez. The Italian team completed fewer laps with its new car than any team that was in action for three or more days in southern Spain two weeks ago, racking up just 270 laps in comparison to Lotus’s benchmark total of 404. The F2012 suffered from hydraulics trouble at various points of the week, while Fernando Alonso explained that the fact the new machine features so More…

Ferrari has posted the strongest sales figures in its history, despite the economic squeeze and the worsening euro crisis. The luxury sports car maker broke through €2 billion in sales for the first time in 2011, reporting a net profit of €209 million. This was on sales of 7,195 cars, the most that Maranello has produced and sold in a year and almost 10% up on the 2010 sales figures. Interestingly, although the USA remains the leading market, sales in China increased 62% and the country has moved straight into second position. And despite the anxiety in Europe, sales in More…

Fernando Alonso says he has already seen positive signs from the new F2012 that it is able to generate heat into its tyres more quickly than was the case with its predecessor – a key aim for the team this year. Ferrari has struggled with tyre warm-up – particularly on the hardest compounds, where general performance issues have also been a perennial problem – over recent years and over the winter hired Bridgestone’s former F1 chief Hirohide Hamashima to focus on improving the interaction between car and Pirelli tyres. Alonso certainly thinks progress has been made judging by what he More…