Third day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, once again today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, in Spain. At the wheel of an F2004 M, Marc Gene continued with a Bridgestone tyre programme begun on Tuesday, while Luca Badoer resumed track development work of the new F2005, concentrating on car set-up. During today’s session, Gene completed 64 laps, with a best time of 1’18’’349, while Badoer did 76, the quickest in 1’18’’116. The Scuderia continues testing at this circuit tomorrow, again with the same two test drivers. Test Details: Circuit: Jerez de la Frontera - 4.428 km; Drivers: Luca Badoer and Marc Gené; Cars: F2005 and F2004 M; Weather: air temperature 7/19°C, track temperature 11/25°C; clear skies at first, then cloudy.

Second day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, once again today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, in Spain. At the wheel of an F2004 M, Marc Gene worked on Bridgestone tyre development for the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday 20th March at the Sepang circuit. During today’s session, the Spanish test driver completed 115 laps, with a best time of 1:17.045. Marc Gene continues testing at this track tomorrow, when he will be joined by Luca Badoer at the wheel of an F2005. Test Details: Circuit: Jerez de la Frontera - 4.428 km; Driver: Marc Gené; Car: F2004 M; Weather: air temperature 6/19°C, track temperature 9/30°C; clear skies at first, then cloudy.

The strength of the New Zealand dollar has brought a real benefit to New Zealand car buyers with Fiat wiping $2,000 off the price of its Punto range, making its stylish small car available for less than NZ$20,000 for the first time. "The Punto has always been living proof that style and value for money do not have to be mutually exclusive," says Chris Burger, General Manager for Fiat in New Zealand. "With the strength of the New Zealand dollar Fiat is able to make an ever stronger case for enjoying classic Italian style and driving pleasure without breaking the bank. At NZ$19,990 the Fiat Punto represents remarkable value for money even without allowing for everything this highly capable small car offers. Considering the features, equipment and innate ability offered by the Punto, our new prices represent a remarkable offer." Not to be left out, Fiat has also dropped the prices of the advanced Punto HLX Speedgear, with its CVT six speed automatic gearbox, and the sexy performance variant, the Fiat Punto Sporting which boasts a sprightly 90 kW 1.6 litre engine and performance-orientated equipment package. Both versions now cost NZ$23,990.

Alfa Romeo AutoDelta drivers emerged as the fastest in the two days of testing at Valencia. Fabrizio Giovanardi's 1:42.53 on day one, and Augusto Farfus's 1:42.11 on day two, topped the unofficial time list. "It was a very good test for us," said Matilde Tomagnini, manager of Fiat Group's sporting activities. "Our drivers have done an excellent job, Fabrizio and Augusto put in excellent performances, while James Thompson and Gabriele Tarquini focused on testing new tyres and different set-up solutions."

The Minardi F1 Team today staged its final test prior to the start of the 2005 Formula One season, in Melbourne, in two weeks’ time. The Faenza squad fielded a pair of Minardi Cosworth PS04B chassis, for Christijan Albers and newly signed race driver, Patrick Friesacher. The primary purpose of the test was to allow both men to continue acclimatising to F1 performance and to familiarise themselves with the Imola circuit, which will be the site of the first Grand Prix of the 2005 European season, in April. In addition, the technical programme today involved aerodynamic work and evaluation of the Bridgestone tyres the team will use in Australia. 

Scuderia Ecosse has confirmed that the team is one step closer to achieving its long term ambitions having secured an entry into the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hour race (18-19 June). “I’m the happiest man in Scotland!”, declared team owner Stewart Roden. “Our ambition from day one has been a class win at Le Mans so getting a place in the line-up takes us a step closer to achieving our goals.  Have no doubt that we’re well aware of the formidable task ahead of us but we can’t wait to run one of our Ferraris at Le Mans in June!” Not since the glory days of Ecurie Ecosse, almost 50 years ago, has there been a truly Scottish team at Le Mans. Scuderia Ecosse has entered a Ferrari 360 GTC (GT2 Class) into the prestigious 24-hour race. The driver line-up for Le Mans and indeed the team’s other exciting plans for 2005 will be announced soon. Scuderia Ecosse races Ferrari GT cars in both the national and international arena. In 2004, the team’s first year of GT racing, Scuderia Ecosse dominated the British GT Championship. Its Ferrari 360 GTC was clearly the fastest car in the Championship and seven outstanding victories, seven pole positions and 12 fastest race laps have served to fuel the team’s ambitions. Operating with the full endorsement and support of Ferrari and Michelotto in Italy, the team's ultimate ambition is to win the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours.

Yesterday was the fourth and final day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, working once again at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. Luca Badoer was back on track, at the wheel of the F2004 M driven the previous day by Rubens Barrichello. Michael Schumacher was also working alongside the Scuderia’s official test driver. The day’s technical programme focused on set-up, engine, new components and Bridgestone tyre development. At the end of the day, Michael had completed 127 laps (best time 1:16.650) while Luca did 80 (1:18.763.) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro resumes testing on Monday 14th February in Valencia. Test Details: Circuit: Jerez circuit – 4.428 km; Drivers: Michael Schumacher and Luca Badoer; Cars: F2004 M; Weather: air temperature 8/22°C, track temperature 8/28°C. Sunny.

On February 10-14, Pininfarina will be on display at the Lingotto Fiere trade fair centre in Turin, as part of the second “Mestieri in Mostra” exhibition, devoted to training, jobs and career choices. The show was created to help young people (as well as their teachers and families) to find their way around the world of work. It allows the undecided to discover where their inclinations lie and the already committed how to pursue their chosen career. A vast array of different jobs will be depicted in a simple, realistic way that gives youngsters contemplating “Life Beyond School” practical help with their choice of a future career. In particular, the Pininfarina stand (Pavilion 2) will offer practical demonstrations of some of the jobs that get done in a company that supplies services to automotive manufacturers: the designer, the product feasibility engineer, the special vehicles engineer. The Pininfarina stand will also display two cars. One is the Nido, a safety-oriented research prototype, previewed at the Paris Motor Show in 2004, when it was honoured with The Most Beautiful Car in the World Award in the prototype class. The other is the Enjoy roadster, a road car that can also be used in racing. The Enjoy was previewed at the 2003 Geneva Show, where it came top in the Most Fun category of the Editor’s Choice Awards presented by the eminent American car magazine, AutoWeek.

Third day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, working once again today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. Michael Schumacher joined Rubens Barrichello in working on the development of the F2004 M, after the second car on track was also updated with the aerodynamic components complying with the 2005 technical regulations. The day’s technical programme focussed on set-up, engine and Bridgestone tyre testing. At the end of the day, the figures were as follows: 76 laps for Barrichello, best time 1:18'.245, and 110 for Schumacher, 1:18'.190. Testing at this circuit continues tomorrow, with Luca Badoer and Michael Schumacher on track. Test Details: Circuit: Jerez circuit – 4.428 km; Drivers: Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello; Cars: F2004 M; Weather: air temperature 8/22 °C, track temperature 8/28 °C. Sunny.

Alfa Romeo Australia is attacking the options list for the Alfa Romeo 147 five door, saving buyers of the award-winning hatch up to $6,000 if they tick every box when ordering their new Alfa Romeo. "The Alfa Romeo 147 may be one of the best equipped cars in its class, but there are a few choice items on the options list and we've decided to make them as easy to own as the Alfa 147 as a whole," says Kevin Wall, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia. "All too often car makers will make a special offer on the car, but forget about the options list, which means a customer can start with a good deal, but by the time they've got the car they want, the price at the bottom of the invoice is not what they expected. That's why we have taken the sharp pencil to the 147 five door's options list." If the option of the Formula One-derived Selespeed gearbox is chosen, the saving is $2,000, while the choice of a full handcrafted Momo leather interior is now available for just $500 instead of the normal $2,500. The factory fitted electric sun roof now costs just $250 and the style of metallic paint now costs just $50.

Alcatel today announced that it will deliver to Atlanet, the FIAT Group's telecommunication subsidiary, a user-centric IP communication solution that will deliver new value-added communications services, including advanced IP telephony and unified communication applications. The solution is planned for deployment by mid-2005 at more than 30 sites, serving 20,000 users in Italy. In a second deployment phase, the solution will be implemented at other locations in Italy, and will be extended to FIAT Group companies worldwide over the long term.

Quattroroute magazine has judged the Ferrari F430 and 360 Spider winners in their respective categories of the prestigious prize of the “Novità dell’anno” (Newcomer of the Year). The award is traditionally assigned by readers of the monthly magazine to the most representative car of the year just past. Over 207,000 votes were cast by readers of the Editoriale Domus publication. The F430 took the prize in the “sports” category courtesy of its winning 26.1% of the vote. The other Prancing Horse car, the 360 Spider, took the “cabrio” category with 9.8% readers voting for it. These important awards are testimony to the extraordinary appreciation of Maranello cars by the general public. For the twelfth successive year (since the “Novità dell’anno” prize was instituted) Ferrari has won the top award.

Difficult weather and track conditions at the Autodromo Santamonica forced Minardi F1 Team personnel to reduce this week’s planned two-day test at the Adriatic circuit to just a single day.  Ice and snow in the run-off areas had largely dispersed by this morning, allowing the team to run a shortened, but still productive, technical programme with a pair of Minardi Cosworth PS04B chassis for drivers Christijan Albers, Chanoch Nissany and Nicolas Kiesa. The three men were on differing programmes, Kiesa’s task being to carry out set-up work on Chassis 03 and assess revised control software, while Nissany, having his first session with the team since being announced as official Minardi test driver for 2005, was scheduled to continue his Formula One acclimatisation programme. By comparison, Albers spent much of the day carrying out extended runs in Chassis 04, focusing on set-up and carrying out race simulation work. The team hopes to conduct at least one further test before leaving for Australia and the first Formula One race of 2005.       

Today saw the third and final day of testing this week for Scuderia Ferrari, working again at the “Ricardo Tormo” circuit, Valencia. The technical programme for today was more or less the same as on the two previous days, with Bridgestone tyre development for Michael Schumacher and set-up and electronics work for Rubens Barrichello. The statistics for the day are as follows: 100 laps for Rubens (best time 1:10.687) 123 laps for Michael (1:10’.207). Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro will resume testing on Tuesday 8th February, at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, when Luca Badoer and Rubens Barrichello will be on track. Test Details: Circuit: “Ricardo Tormo”, 4.005 km – short course: 3.110 km; Drivers: Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello; Cars: F2004 M and F2004; Weather: air temperature 8/14°C, track temperature 8/17°C. Sunny.

The transaction announced on December 21 2004 between Pininfarina S.p.A. and Webasto A.G., regarding the sale to the last one of the Pininfarina share in the 50-50 joint venture Open Air Systems GmbH, has been closed. The transaction value is equal to 45 million euros with a gain in the 2005 income statement of Pininfarina S.p.A. of about 22 million euros. The direction of the discussions is for Webasto to focus its convertible roofing business within OASys, while Pininfarina will continue to engineer and manufacture vehicles, many of which contain innovative roofing solutions. In the short term, OASys will continue to be an exclusive supplier to Pininfarina of engineering services for roof solutions, while Pininfarina will continue to supply manufactured roofs to OASys.

The season’s first test session for aspiring Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa 2005 drivers took place at Fiorano. On the Ferrari Maserati Group test circuit, on a bright, cold day and with low track temperatures, ten drivers got their first taste of the new Trofeo GranSport, the car that will be appearing in the 2005 season. Today’s test is only the first of a series of three fee-paying sessions organised at Fiorano ahead of the next championship. The second session will be held on 4 February and the last on 11 February. Those interested in taking part should contact their nearest Maserati dealership. The cost of each session is €1,500, though €1,000 will be reimbursed when entry to all the championship races is confirmed.

Alfa Romeo Australia is launching its ALFA-ACESS preferential lease programmes with special deals on the special edition Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso and the best selling version of the award-winning Alfa Romeo 156, the JTS, with monthly lease rates starting from as low as $599 a month. Based on the stylish yet practical five door version of the Alfa Romeo 147, the Lusso adds the pure luxury of a full Momo hand stitched Italian leather interior and the added style and performance endowed by 17 inch alloy wheels fitted with low profile tyres to the already comprehensively well equipped Alfa 147. The 147 Lusso is available with either a five speed manual gearbox or the Formula One-derived Selespeed sequential manual gearbox and lease prices start from $599. The Alfa Romeo 156 JTS, with its direct injection lean burn engine, offers the ideal blend of performance, economy and low emissions, so it is no wonder that this is the top selling version of the acclaimed Alfa 156 range. Comprehensively well equipped, the Alfa Romeo 156 JTS is available for lease under the new ALFA-ACCESS programme from $669 per month. "The aim of ALFA-ACCESS is exactly as the name suggests, imparting a new level of easy access to the driving excitement that all Alfa Romeos provide," explains Chris Burger, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in New Zealand. "Obviously conditions apply to these offers, but one thing is certain: ALFA-ACCESS clear demonstrates how easy it to enjoy the style and prestige of an Alfa Romeo, where it is an Alfa 147 Lusso or an Alfa Romeo 156 JTS."

The trip to Christchurch for the third round of the New Zealand Production Car Racing Series provided the Iveco Racing Team with some useful development time for with its Alfa Romeo 147 GTA which team plan to translate into top five results in the coming events. "We qualified successfully for the first race but we could not translate that into a good result," says Bob Barry, Iveco Racing Team Director. "But although our technical problems kept us from the front of the grid, we did finish every race, which is more than some of our rivals. In race two we proved that we can take the battle to the more powerful Subarus, which proves we have the potential to finish much higher in the field." Despite the Alfa's overall finish positions in Christchurch, Chris Barry takes the Alfa into the next round at Teretonga Park, Invercargill on 13 March leading his class. "What we are looking for now is a dry track, a little more reliability," says Chris Barry, "and I know we can finish further up the field!"

Ferrari Maserati UK Ltd has today launched a modern apprenticeship programme to develop Britain's finest technicians who will work on the world's most prestigious sports cars. The Ferrari and Maserati Modern Apprenticeship Programme has been created to produce fully qualified technicians with specialist product knowledge for the franchised dealer network, and the first six apprentices have now started their training.

Following the announcement made on 19th January, concerning the renewal of the Concorde Agreement between Ferrari, FOM and FIA, Ferrari wishes to make the following statement: Back in the end of July 2004, Ferrari had informed in writing the other members of the GPWC that, as from 1st August of that same year, it would not be bound exclusively to the GPWC, while nevertheless remaining part of it. It intended examining the possibility of an agreement with the FIA and FOM regarding the long term future of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. As a result of what was established in the agreement announced on the 19th of this month, the new version of the Concorde Agreement will come into effect from 2005 on the revenues owed to the signatories thereof.

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