Welcome to the weekend!

You might remember a few weeks ago that we were quite harsh on the new Ferrari SF90 XX. Well, the results are in - and we were right 😔

For us, the immediate giveaways were that the SF90 XX is the first road legal car in the XX program and the fact that they’ll be manufactured in high volume. It immediately felt like a parts-bin car just chasing revenue and this First Drive by Top Gear supports that feeling.

With barely any increase in power and less aero then a 992 Porsche GT3 RS, the SF90 XX is only ~1 second quicker than the stock SF90 around Fiorano, the private Ferrari test circuit. For perspective, when the LaFerrari XX came out it was five seconds faster than it’s non-XX counterpart.

We hate to hate but after revering these brands for so long we’ve grown to expect more, especially for a Ferrari with XX in it’s name..

Formula 1

Well that was awkward………

Last night we weren’t planning on watching FP1 of the Las Vegas GP but as fate would have it, we couldn’t get to sleep so we logged in to F1.tv..

Within seconds of our eyes adjusting to the lit up computer screen tragedy struck - but it wasn’t a car in the wall, as we had all imagined. No, it was a red Ferrari parked on the straight looking like it was having some issues with the power unit.

Moments later we’d learn that it was a loose manhole cover which caused damage to the car and moments after that we’d hear Esteban Ocon had the same issue and then moments after that - Ferrari announced the chassis, engine and battery were all destroyed (click here to see for yourself).

Later on in a media event Toto Wolf would try to salvage the tone, but Fred Vasseur was clear in his choice of words. To make matters worse, the FIA nor Liberty Media is claiming responsibility for the multimillion dollar bill and have knocked Carlos Sainz to the back of the grid for swapping the power unit.

Abysmal doesn’t begin to define the Las Vegas GP - and this was all in the first 10 minutes 😂

Next race: Sunday, November 19th @ 1am EST (Las Vegas GP)

Paddock Auctions

Coming Soon

We’re back with another Skyline R32! This one comes from P1 Auto Auction and has a great list of mods resulting in this awesome build. Click below to learn more!

Click to view 1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR

This numbers-matching 1964 Corvette is coming up for auction and has under 6,000 miles showing on the original odometer 😱

Tell a friend, tell yourself, tell whoever you know that loves Corvettes - this is their chance to snag a great one!

Click here to view 1964 Chevrolet Corvette

Click To View All Auctions

Quick Bites

🏎️ The many emerging paths to race driver development

⛽️ Gordon Murray on the future of the internal combustion engine.

🔧 Turning your results around on track when things go wrong

News Racers Can Use

The Evolution of Motorsport Marketing

Motorsport marketing has always been a fertile ground for innovative thinking and a perfect example of this is in the recently announced sponsorship of McLaren F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

In a ground-breaking move that’s set to reshape the landscape of motorsports marketing, Anastasia Beverly Hills, a prominent makeup brand known for its high-quality cosmetics, is boldly entering the traditionally male-oriented motorsports world. The brand’s logo was prominently featured on both the car and racing suit of 19-year-old driver Bianca Bustamante as she raced in the Macau Grand Prix last weekend. This partnership represents a significant departure from the norm in motorsports, where the major sponsors have historically been companies with a primary focus on male-targeted audiences. This bold move raises several questions about the motivations behind the sponsorship and the future implications for motorsports marketing.

Authenticity in partnerships, the growing trend of female athletes as influencers and ambassadors and companies willing to embark on these diverse partnerships are an exciting and welcome expansion of the role of marketing in motorsport. Get ready for more examples like this as the trend is only set to gather pace in the coming months and years. The sport will be richer for it both figuratively and literally.

News Racers Can Use is written by Mark Boudreau from Motorsport Prospects