Ferrari’s new Marlboro deal is worth almost half a billion dollars to the famous Italian team.
The Maranello based team, officially known as Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, said in a brief statement this week that Philip Morris International had extended its existing contract to the end of 2015.

The original deal was set to run until the end of next year.

The anti tobacco-advertising rules in F1, Europe and most of the rest of the world means that Marlboro’s actual red and white branding cannot be displayed on the Ferrari single seaters.

But Sportspro reports that Philip Morris is still pledging $160 million to Ferrari for the F1 sponsorship each year.

The new deal follows Ferrari’s inauguration of a new F1 logo for this year, with its angular red and white colours and black wording closely resembling Marlboro cigarette packets.

Which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10′s various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

Over 120 extraordinary images and more than 25 parts with multimedia content on the different pages, enriching the texts in the sections turning reading into real pleasure. The protagonists statements are combined with comments from the fans, who followed and supported the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro during the whole season in the Communitys forum as well as on Facebook and via Twitter. As of today the review’s first part is online, followed by the other issues covered in upcoming sections, completing the 2010 Championship review.

Today’s FIA press conference at the Interlagos circuit was an all-Brazilian affair, with the two “new boys,” Lucas di Grassi and Bruno Senna, joined by their senior colleagues, Rubens Barrichello and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Felipe Massa. Indeed, it was an all Paulista affair as the four are from the city of Sao Paolo.

Asked to look back at this season, Felipe singled out his qualifying performance as the worst feature of 2010. “This year’s results have not matched my expectations, especially in qualifying where I struggled to put together a good first lap on fresh tyres,” he said. “It’s true there have also been some races where I failed to finish in the points and then there was Singapore, where a qualifying problem meant I had to start from the back.”

As to this weekend’s home race, Felipe shared his fellow panelists’ enthusiasm for the Interlagos circuit. “I have great memories from here with two wins and poles in 2006, ’07 and ’08, which was the last time I raced here. Then going even further back, at the start of my career, I won here twice in Formula Chevrolet. This track has many interesting challenges and you can be creative with the set-up, while many sections of the track require a very technical approach. It might be a short lap, not like most of the new tracks, but this circuit is very well thought out and there is always overtaking here and some nice fights. But it is really the Brazilian people who make Interlagos special – they are so hot with emotion and they sing all day long in the grandstands, which is great for us Brazilian drivers, giving us some extra power.”

Mathematically, Fernando Alonso has a chance of winning the Drivers’ title on Sunday and Felipe was asked if he felt it might happen. “Well, Fernando is leading right now, so for sure I think he can do it here, but as we have seen this season, everything is possible. My personal aim is to try and win the race and of course I can help Fernando by taking points away from his rivals.”

This week sees the premiere of a film made about the life of Ayrton Senna and all four drivers were asked for their memories of the great Brazilian champion, who died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. “Ayrton was really amazing and I remember so many of his races,” said Felipe. “But what really stands out in my mind was his ability in qualifying, not only taking pole in so many races, but often doing so with a big gap over the rest. For me, that was his strongest point.”

Ferrari on Thursday unveiled a new logo for its formula one team.

The current logo features the infamous ‘barcode’ that was recently removed from the F10 car, following suggestions it subliminally advertised Marlboro cigarettes.

But the new logo, to be used from 2011, remains red and white and is more angular than before, moving some observers to surmise that it reminds them even more of main sponsor Philip Morris’ product.

And team boss Stefano Domenicali told reporters at Silverstone: “I can confirm that next year the team name will be the same — Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.”

Ferrari’s 2010 car no longer features a controversial ‘barcode’ livery on its engine cover.

The Italian team last week angrily rejected reports the signage was subliminal advertising for its tobacco sponsor Philip Morris.

Even Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo slammed the suggestion, insisting the claims were “ridiculous”.

But in the team’s Barcelona pit garage on Thursday, the barcode was gone, replaced by a white rectangle with a red background.

However, the clothing worn by team members including drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in Spain still features the barcode.

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro said the decision to remove the signage from the livery of the F10 was made “together with Philip Morris International”.

“This decision was taken in order to remove all speculation concerning the so-called ‘barcode’ which was never intended to be a reference to a tobacco brand,” added the team.

May 2 (GMM) Giancarlo Fisichella on Saturday tested a refined version of Ferrari’s own F-duct solution.

The Italian team’s test and reserve driver was at Vairano, where what Ferrari described as the “management system for the blown rear wing” was run along with the entire Barcelona-spec package.

Ferrari said that “depending on how things go in the two free practice sessions next Friday, a decision will be taken as to whether or not to use all the updates for qualifying and the race”.

The updated F10 also features inboard rear mirrors, in accordance with the ban that kicks off in Spain next weekend.

Fernando Alonso told Corriere della Sera newspaper that he thinks Ferrari can catch F1’s pacesetter.

“Red Bull is stronger in qualifying and they are very fast, but we can catch up in the race. (And) McLaren knows how to develop its cars very fast, but we’re not joking either,” he said.

Ferrari confirmed the test in a press release:

Today, Italy and many other countries around the world have been celebrating May Day, but for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro there has been no respite in its efforts to prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2010 World Championship. After a very busy week of testing on the bench and in the wind tunnel, this morning saw the on-track baptism of the management system for the blown rear wing. It was tested at Vairano by Giancarlo Fisichella as part of the four days of aerodynamic testing allowed in the testing agreement, as defined by the twelve teams.

This was not the only new element evaluated by the Scuderia’s third driver. The F10 was also fitted with the aero configuration that it is planned will be used at the Catalunya Circuit during next Friday’s free practice for the Barcelona race, including a new position for the rear view mirrors which must now be located on the chassis. The chassis itself is also new, going by the code number 284: as from the Spanish Grand Prix, it will be used by Felipe Massa. Track data acquired today will be analysed by the team over the next few days and then, also depending on how things go in the two free practice sessions next Friday, a decision will be taken as to whether or not to use all the updates for qualifying and the race.

Wrapped up in a winter jacket that usually only gets used at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian GP, Felipe Massa made a quick dash through the cold paddock to meet the media in the Ferrari hospitality area as usual on a Thursday.

The Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro man might be leading the championship, but he is certainly not complacent about the job in hand. “We need to work as hard as possible, which in fact we have been doing since planning started for the F10 last year, because there are many strong teams with good drivers around us, the two main rivals at the moment being Red Bull and McLaren,” he said. “We have to push hard every day, not just to improve, but to improve more than the others, if we are to fight for the championship race by race. Leading after three races is better than not leading, but it does not mean much at the moment.”

The Brazilian was then asked if the title was already a three-way race or if the former Brawn team, could join the fight. “Everybody says that Mercedes might have almost half the car that is new for the next round in Barcelona and we must take this team seriously, because although it had a different name then, it won the championships last year,” commented the Brazilian. “So they could still be in the fight for the title and they have to be considered along with the other two teams I mentioned.”

Drivers are often expected to see the future, but Felipe was unwilling to pick a China race winner so early in the weekend. “It’s impossible to say on Thursday,” he insisted. “We will have a better idea after tomorrow’s practice, but the clearest picture only comes after qualifying. We saw a strong McLaren and Red Bull in Malaysia, but if you analyse the details of that race, you can see we had a great car. Let’s see how it goes on this track, but there is no reason why we cannot do a good job this weekend.”

Incredibly, after only three races, there is already talk of driver line-ups for 2011. “There is no rush for the moment on this front, from my point of view,” said Felipe. “I’m very happy with the way we are working together as a team. Even before my accident last year, we had preliminary talks about renewing my contract and I can say that those talks are starting again. But at the moment, my main priority is concentrating on this championship and doing the best I can. The contract is not at the front of my mind right now.”