Autoblog

Upsets, upsets and more upsets. The Formula One racing world thought it had put the politics between Ferrari and McLaren to rest, but the controversy between the two front-running teams reared its ugly head once more at this past weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Follow the jump to read how the weekend's events unfolded, and how the race results were turned on its head once again.

Changes are coming to the family as the Fiat automotive empire alters its structure to give several of its divisions more autonomy. While the Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat auto and Fiat light commercial vehicles have all been divisions within the same corporate hierarchy (not unlike the structure at its one-time potential partners at General Motors), each of those brands is now being spun off and individually incorporated.

The result is the creation of four new companies: Lancia Automobiles SpA, Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA, Fiat Automobiles SpA and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles SpA. This also means that the executives who were simply brand managers before are getting promoted to chief executive officer of their new corporations. All four will still be fully owned by the parent company, which is changing its name from Fiat Auto to Fiat Group Automobiles SpA. For those Tifosi left wondering, Fiat's precious baby Ferrari remains unaffected by the restructuring since it was already separately incorporated and is partially owned by Fiat with some shares owned by other interests.

What practical implication does this have? None to the American market where, until Alfa Romeo returns to the US, none of these brands are sold. Meanwhile, Fiat insists the restructuring will actually enable each unit to cooperate with the others more effectively. We'd bet this gives each of the brands the freedom to make independent strategic decisions, including the Fiat brand itself. The move comes shortly after Fiat Group head Sergio Marchionne stepped down as chief of the Fiat brand to concentrate on managing the group. With sales up and its financial health looking better than ever, the Fiat empire -- or whatever you want to call it -- looks poised to continue its climb upward.

[Source: Fiat via Italiaspeed]

When we say that racing drivers are "speed addicts", we're referring to the intoxicating exhilaration of velocity, not the chemical narcotic. Cocaine is another story, as Luca Moro is finding out...the hard way. The 33-year-old Italian GT driver tested positive for cocaine in a routine drug test at the Spa 24 Hours race in Belgium this past year. The driver has the recourse to appeal the revocation, but he's already tested positive twice.

As an international sports governing body, the FIA adheres to the policies and rules of the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), and cocaine falls squarely in the category of their prohibited substances. The question we'd like to ask is, if cocaine isn't a performance-enhancing drug (like steroids, for example), and motor-racing isn't an athletic sport, what effect does Moro's cocaine use have on his competition?

Do you think the use of drugs should be prohibited in motorsports, or are the two completely unrelated? Leave your opinion in our comments section.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Standing in stark contrast to its rivals in Maranello, Lamborghini does not breed its supercars in motorsports. The Raging Bull does sometime wander onto the track, albeit without direct involvement from the factory in Sant' Agata Bolognese. Reiter Engineering is the German specialty firm that preps Lamborghinis for competition and races them, including the monstrous Murcielago R-GT, which, as we reported recently, is set to take on Le Mans next year, following its regular participation in FIA GT and Japanese Super GT events.

As dramatic as the pictures look, all angular, pumping with testosterone and foaming at the mouth, they don't do it justice. We can imagine seeing one in action up close must be a tremendously visceral experience, but this video, recorded in-car and trackside while lapping the Spa-Francorchamps, goes a long way in communicating the Raging Bull's unbridled potency and sheer speed.

Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: German Car Blog]