![Felipe Massa comes home to Maranello, meets the new 458 Italia, laps Fiorano, smiles for fans [w/VIDEO]](http://www.niot.net/blog-images/felipe-massa-comes-home-to-maranello-meets-the-new-458-italia.jpg)
It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but for Felipe Massa, it must feel like it's been an eternity since he's been up to speed. The Brazilian Formula One driver hasn't been at work since July when he suffered a major blow to the head from some flying debris at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
A lot has happened since then: his mentor and former team-mate Michael Schumacher prepared for a comeback and then had to cancel it due to health concerns of his own, the Scuderia promoted test driver Luca Badoer for a couple of races before sending him home, and then Maranello hired Giancarlo Fisichella to fill in and stay on as a reserve driver for the future. Then they picked up Fernando Alonso to be Massa's wingman next year, and somewhere in the middle of it all, Ferrari launched its first all-new mid-engine production car in a decade. (Not to mention the new engine chief they hired, the senior executive they lost or the new designer who is said to be taking over).
Now, after his prolonged absence, Massa has returned home to Maranello for the first time since the crash. He got some practice time in the simulator before hitting the track in a privately-owned, retired F2007 with GP2 tires to reacquaint himself with his craft. And while he was at it, he stopped by the production line to check out the new 458 Italia.
The marketing team in Maranello has been putting in a lot of effort to keep the Internets drooling over Ferrari's newest creation, the 562 hp 458 Italia, with a steady flow of information hitting the web.
The newest piece of 458 propaganda comes in the form of the world's most famous Ferrari employee talking about why the new Italia kicks ass. Hit the jump to listen to Michael Schumacher go over the finer points of the all new 458 Italia. Brakes, suspension, F1-style seven-speed gearbox and driving experience are all covered in a mere 1:32, and we agree with Mr. Schumacher when he calls the 458 Italia "una bella machina."
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With its stunning pontoon-fendered bodywork sculpted by Scaglietti, the Ferrari 250 TR is not only one of the most beautiful cars ever built, it was one of the most competitive as well. Ferrari captured ten victories in nineteen races from 1958 to 1961, including a class win at Le Mans with Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien. It's rare to see one offered for sale, and it is a guarantee that a massive sum of money will exchange hands when one comes on the market. Those high-end car collectors who remain unaffected by economic woes will have the chance to part with such funds this coming May when a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, chassis #0714TR, crosses the block at RM Auctions' Ferrari Leggenda E Passione sale in Maranello. This particular example was campaigned extensively from 1958 to 1963 and is painted in its period-correct black paint with a red nose. RM expects the 250 TR to set a new world record for a car sold at auction, potentially exceeding the rumored $21.7 million it took to buy a 250 GTO $10.89 million dollar sale of a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder last year. More details on the sale in the press release from RM after the break.
We've said it before, but it warrants repeating: it takes a special kind of crazy to take an epic supercar like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and tune it like you would a Mustang or even a Porsche. Fortunately, Novitec and EDO are just such a breed of crazy. We've brought you news of the former's modified Ferrari 430 Scuderias and 599 GTBs and the latter's Lamborghini Superleggera, Maserati MC12 and Audi R8 (to name just a few), but never side by side. For that, you may follow the jump and thank those zany Germans for pitting a Novitec Rosso-modified Ferrari 575M Maranello against an EDO Competition-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo. You'll need four and a half minutes to spare, but not fluency in German... "vroom" is international.
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Back in January we brought you news of the first Ferraris being lined up for auction by RM's second annual event at the Fiorano test track in Maranello. With the event now quickly approaching on May 18, a mouthwatering roster of rare thoroughbreds is materializing.
In addition to the one-off four-door Pinin prototype and pair of 250 GT California Spyders, a rare 1951 212 Inter PF prototype (pictured above) once owned by Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman (after whom Ferrari named the color Grigio Ingrid) will be up on the auction block. Other notable lots include a rare original 1971 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, a 2001 550 Barchetta, and one of the special 612 Scagliettis from the Magic India Discovery tour, along with several Daytonas, Dinos, 250 GTs, 275s and F40s, a pair of Enzos, and numerous modern F1 cars and GT racers. Follow the jump for the entry list at time of publication, but with the list constantly growing, be sure to check out the RM Auctions website for updates.
Michael Schumacher will retire from race driving at the end of the 2006 World Championship. Whatever the final result of this year’s championship, he leaves Formula 1 holding almost all the records. To date, he has taken seven Drivers’ world titles and has contributed to the same number of team wins in the Constructors’ Championship. He has taken part in 247 Formula 1 Grands Prix (178 of them at the wheel of a Ferrari,) won 90 (71,) been on pole 68 (58) times, setting 75 (52) fastest race laps. He has amassed a total of 1354 points, 1051 of them in a Maranello car. No one in the world of motor racing has done better.
Following his decision, the only record that will elude him is the one for the number of race starts. He will be able to reach the 250 mark, just six short of the record held by Riccardo Patrese. Schumacher has been with Scuderia Ferrari for eleven seasons, a demonstration of loyalty without equal in Formula 1, to date securing five of his Drivers’ titles here and contributing to six of the team’s Constructors’ titles. No other driver has ever won as much with the Scuderia.
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