Auto News 5

Four teams look to be in the hunt for the 2010 world championship, Michael Schumacher predicted after last week's Jerez test. When the four-day session at the often damp Spanish circuit ended, the German had set just the eighth quickest lap time of all -- albeit ahead of his Mercedes GP teammate Nico Rosberg. Full story...

Ralf Schumacher fell heavily whilst skiing in Austria last month, according to the Cologne publication Express. It is reported that the 34-year-old German, who is vying to return to formula one this year, had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder in the wake of the January 18 crash in the state of Vorarlberg. Full story...

Ford Focus RS WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen got his quest for the 2010 World Rally Championship drivers' title off to the best possible start today by winning the opening round of the series, Rally Sweden. Full story...

The FIA has made obsolete the position of a formula one veteran while Jean Todt says he has no intention of trying to emulate Max Mosley in retaining the FIA presidency for many years. Full story...

Fernando Alonso pleaded ignorance on Thursday when asked about an erupting controversy between Felipe Massa and the Spanish press. Full story...

No matter the driving you're doing, visibility is a huge factor towards maximum safety. One of the key factors in good visibility, especially in winter, is having an effective wiper blade and washer-fluid combination. Full story...

I've been working as an automotive journalist for over ten years now. I've been putting cars through their paces for nearly a decade, writing articles and doing research for TV shows. Full story...

Want a used sports coupe? Got a few kids or like camping? Need a vehicle that multi-tasks performance and utility? If so, you're probably readying to enter the hot-hatch market. Full story...

The re-born Mini was re-born again for 2007. This second-generation model heads into 2010 with minimal changes to specifications, and a few positive (read downward) price adjustments. Full story...

The Extend-A-Haul is an aluminum truck bed extender that doubles as a ramp for all terrain vehicles, UTV's, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and golf carts. It also allows truck owners to carry building materials too long to carry in the bed of a truck by extending the length of the bed. Full story...

More driving pleasure, reduced emissions: this principle of the development strategy BMW EfficientDynamics applies equally at the very highest level of performance. As of spring 2010, the high-performance model BMW M3 consistently combines its outstanding driving performance figures with further reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels. Full story...

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) today announced it was amending the voluntary safety improvement campaign initiated last year to provide certain vehicle-based improvements to help address the potential risk of floor mat entrapment due to an incompatible or unsecured driver's side floor mat. The safety improvement campaign will now also include certain MY Corolla, MY Matrix and MY Highlander vehicles. Toyota is also announcing a voluntary safety recall in respect of certain 2010 4-wheel drive Tacoma vehicles. Full story...

The F1 Commission last week confirmed that extending the gap between first and second places in 2010 to 7 points is to "further encourage the race to win". But Sauber driver and Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman de la Rosa said according to Spain's El Pais newspaper: "Changing the scoring system will not change anything, because the drivers always want to win." Full story...

Lotus has put on hold plans to relocate in the near future to Malaysia. When the new team's official entry was confirmed last September, the FIA said Lotus' plan was to be based at the Sepang circuit. Full story...

Lewis Hamilton could be at the wheel of an Australian V8 Supercar for a race next year. Team Vodafone boss Roland Dane said this week that the McLaren driver and 2008 world champion would have raced in 2009 if the newly launched Gold Coast SuperCarnivale did not clash with the Korean grand prix. Full story...

On the last of four days of testing at Jerez on Saturday, the new Virgin team finally began putting some representative laps on the board. It has been a torrid first ever test for the new British team, having grappled with a front wing failure and faced criticism that choosing to pen the VR-01 without a wind tunnel was not a wise idea. Full story...

David Coulthard has this week been gearing up for his debut test at the wheel of a DTM car. The Scot, who is contemplating returning to the race cockpit with the German touring car series, has been at Spain's Circuito Monteblanco. Full story...

Red Bull figures on Wednesday said they were flattered that so many rival cars now resemble the Milton Keynes-designed single seater. After the RB5 finished the 2009 season as the dominant car, many new contenders have hit the test tracks this winter resembling features of the Red Bull. Full story...

Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Focus) put his advantage to 16.6 seconds to Sebastien Loeb (Citroen C4) after day 2 in rally of Sweden. Full story...

Despite avoiding an accident on lap seven, Danica Patrick's NASCAR debut on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway was cut short after she was caught up in a 12-car crash about half-way through her first Nationwide race. Full story...