The Official Ferrari Magazine Issue 50

Ben Pulman

Two Ferrari Formula 1 drivers, on track with two Ferrari SF90 models, headline a special 50th issue of the magazine

The Scuderia’s driver pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are the cover stars for issue 50 of The Official Ferrari Magazine. Photographed at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, the piloti pairing were taking turns at the wheel of the new SF90 Spider and SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano. It was like a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Formula 1 World Championship, but they took a break from the action on track to interview each other exclusively for The Official Ferrari Magazine.

It’s a special story for a special edition, as The Official Ferrari Magazine marks its fiftieth issue. As such, to celebrate this milestone, we decided to retrace the history of the Prancing Horse, enjoying some ‘encounters’ with fascinating stories and people ­– all linked to the number 50.

Elsewhere, the variable Japanese winter weather – with snow and sun even on the same day – offered perfect conditions to test the new Ferrari Portofino M. We also discover the craftsmanship that goes into every leather-trimmed Ferrari dashboard, and learn how the experts at the Ferrari Classiche department authenticate the pedigree of an historic car – in this case, a 275 GTS once owned by Steve McQueen.

In the world of motorsport, a 488 GTE (reproduced at scale by Lego) is transported into real racetrack scenes, we get fit at a Ferrari training retreat, and delve into detail on the 488 GT Modificata, a car that answers the question: ‘what would a GT racer, freed from technical regulations, be like?’

Finally, we witness the cutting-edge fusion of carbon fibre and aluminium to create the SF90 Stradale’s extraordinary chassis, and look back to a time when full-scale prototypes of new Ferrari models were assembled by artisans using wood, steel panels and lots of patience.