Formula 1

It’s probably safe to say that I lost a bit of my hearing this weekend. But I’m not the least bit concerned or sad about it. After all, I was closer to an F1 Ferrari than I think I’ll ever be – watching it scream down Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s front straight at close to 200 mph.

For many, the highlight of this weekend’s Ferrari Racing Days was the F1 Clienti Programme. Part of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti department, F1 Clienti, which was created in 2003, allows a select few to acquire and drive a retired Formula 1 car from Ferrari. As part of the program, Ferrari will prepare and maintain your car, and ship it to each event you choose to attend. Not a bad deal if you have a few spare million to spend on the ultimate track-day car.

Though the 2010 Formula 1 season ended not that long ago, it's already ancient history. That means it's time for us to start making predictions for the 2011 season. Too early? Never... The first big thing for 2011 is a race calendar that includes a record 20 races. This schedule includes a race at a new facility in India, which Formula 1 says is contingent upon the track meeting their homologation requirements. Still, a 20-race schedule will make things that much more brutal on teams, drivers and their machines.

Formula 1 will switch to Pirelli as the series' tire supplier for 2011. Pirelli have been doing marathon testing since August, in between selecting models for their latest calendar, of course. The final tests were run in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday at the Yas Marina circuit. During testing, Pirelli ran the first-ever tire trial at night in the wet. The tires were tested by Pedro DeLaRosa, who, naturally, declared them ready for F1 after Tuesday's session.