Ferrari's 2019 challenger for the Formula One season. Handout
Ferrari's 2019 challenger for the Formula One season. Handout
Ferrari's 2019 challenger for the Formula One season. Handout
Ferrari's 2019 challenger for the Formula One season. Handout

Ferrari aim to 'raise the bar' with 2019 F1 challenger they hope will beat Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes


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Ferrari have become the last of Formula One's major players to unveil the car they hope will end their long championship drought.

The famous Italian team have not won a drivers' title since Kimi Raikkonen triumphed in 2007, while they are without a constructors' championship since 2008.

Ferrari's challenge is set to be spearhead by Sebastian Vettel, although the four-time world champion will have new company in the sister car following highly-rated Charles Leclerc's arrival from Sauber, with veteran Raikkonen moving in the opposite direction.

Vettel will be under pressure to deliver in 2019 after his series of mistakes afforded Lewis Hamilton the chance to sew up last year's title with two rounds to spare.

Ferrari are also under new management for the forthcoming campaign as Maurizio Arrivabene was axed in January and replaced by Mattia Binotto, the team's technical director for the last three years.

Ferrari held the performance edge over Mercedes at a number of races in 2018 but, like their number one driver, were guilty of making errors.

Speaking at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters on Friday, Vettel said: "I am looking forward to this year. The team is on the right path, and hopefully, we can continue improving."

Binotto added: "The car is a development from last year, it's not a revolution.

"We simply tried to push again, raise the bar, raise the level, and have tried to be as extreme as we could."

The new Ferrari, the SF90 to commemorate Ferrari's 90th anniversary, will hit the track at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Monday for the opening winter test following a shakedown at the track on Sunday.

Hamilton, who drove his Mercedes during a shakedown test at Silverstone on Wednesday, begins his quest for a sixth title in Melbourne on March 17.

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Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The past Palme d'Or winners

2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda

2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund

2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach

2015 DheepanJacques Audiard

2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan

2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

2012 Amour, Michael Haneke

2011 The Tree of LifeTerrence Malick

2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul

2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke

2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet

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VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC