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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would like to allow dealers to retrofit vehicles with on-off switches for airbags for another three years. Five hundred such requests are reportedly made to the agency every year.

During the 1990s, a number of casualties have been directly attributed to airbag deployment, especially among unrestrained, out-of-position children. It also happened in relatively low speed crashes, and to some small women.

Automakers eventually adopted sophisticated airbags that sense if a small person is sitting in a front seat and deactivates the airbag if not enough weight is detected.

In 1997, the NHTSA approved a regulation allowing dealers and repair businesses to install retrofit on-off switches for frontal airbags in vehicles - with prior written consent by the agency, of course. However, that rule will expire on August 31st, 2012.

Despite all the latest technological advancements in occupant protection, some individuals remain at risk. According to the NHTSA, there have been two confirmed airbag-related adult fatalities in model year 2004 or later vehicles.


_{Source: Detroit News}

From GMM

The US grand prix could get back on the right track now that a spate of legal action has ended.

The local Austin American Statesman newspaper reports that race founder Tavo Hellmund and the Circuit of the Americas' new project leaders have settled a lawsuit.

No further details were forthcoming, but the newspaper said the settlement "could lift a cloud that has been hanging over Austin's first F1 race".

"I hope this puts the matter behind us all," Hellmund commented.

His lawyer agreed that the confidential settlement "bodes well for Austin's F1 project, and we look forward to seeing Tavo's dream of a fantastic race happen in November".

The good news is timely for the $300 million project, with FIA officials set to inspect the site on Monday ahead of the scheduled mid November race debut.

Tickets are now going on sale.

I was surprised to learn that one in five cars currently sold by Toyota/Lexus in Canada is a hybrid. A 20% pick rate establishes hybrid-powered vehicles as an important and influential component of the passenger car market. The proliferation and perfection of the technology has rooted it firmly in the mainstream of fuel-efficient alternatives.

The 2013 Lexus ES 300h is perhaps the iconic example of applying hybrid technology in the entry-level luxury sedan segment.


New for 2013
Both the gas-powered Lexus ES 350 and the focus of this review, the ES 300h, are new for 2013. In fact, there has never been a hybrid ES prior to this launch. Lexus claims that the ES 300h will deliver class-leading fuel economy.

Despite the claim, the figures are not available for release at this point; and just what's included in the "class" referred to by Lexus is unclear. Still, I'm completely confident based on Toyota's outstanding hybrid technology that they've refined and improved over the years that the ES 300h will achieve noteworthy, if not outstanding, fuel economy.

Lexus claims that the ES 300h will deliver class-leading fuel economy. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

Polished hybrid performance
There's nothing groundbreaking in the ES hybrid setup; we've seen it in other Toyota/Lexus products of late, such as the smaller, less powerful Lexus HS 250h. In the case of the ES 300h, a 2.5L Atkinson-cycled I4 gas engine supplies the core power while a sophisticated battery and inverter system delivers the electrical content.

The combined power output is rated at 200 hp. It's delivered to the vehicle's front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which mimics a conventional 6-speed automatic when the manual mode is selected.

There's little doubt that Toyota/Lexus has worked diligently to enhance the operation of their hybrid powerplants, and the ES 300h is the latest example of their efforts. It's a full hybrid setup, which enables the ES to run solely on electrical power within pre-established parameters.

Under normal acceleration, both the engine and battery contribute smoothly and seamlessly to the motivation, providing a response that's eternally satisfying but not exhilarating. The vehicle is suitably capable off-the-line and adequately competent in the passing lane, but not nearly as capable as its gas-powered ES 350 kin.

Of course, the ES 300h will drive past its kin and the gas station it's refueling in, thanks in part to the choice between Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes. They allow the driver to maximize the vehicle's economy or performance dynamics, while in the Normal mode, the car handles the emphasis based on driving characteristics.

When motoring at slow speeds, the driver can also opt for EV mode, which will allow the ES 300h to propel itself exclusively by electrical power. Once the battery depletes to a predetermined threshold or the need for greater propulsion arises, the gas engine fires up and the vehicle returns to normal hybrid operating status.

A 2.5L Atkinson-cycled I4 gas engine supplies the core power while a sophisticated battery and inverter system delivers the electrical content. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

Luxury as well as economy
Because the ES 300h is a Lexus product, a couple of tenets apply. Firstly, the car will be assembled with exacting standards - true. Secondly, it will be generously equipped with the latest in comfort, luxury and safety - again, true.

While the ES is effectively the entry-level midsize luxury sedan in the Lexus lineup, the 300h version is equipped closer to a top-of-the-line model. There's very little left wanting in this vehicle. I particularly liked the polished bamboo trim that added a sense of elegance and eco-friendliness to the plush cabin.

I also enjoyed using my tester's Remote Touch Interface to adjust vehicle settings and make selections displayed on the in-dash multipurpose screen. The haptic-enabled mouse-like device is one of the more straightforward functioning controllers of this nature that I've worked with.

I particularly liked the polished bamboo trim that added a sense of elegance and eco-friendliness to the plush cabin. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

On the road
The flashy design language of the new ES 300h and its unique to Lexus, spindle grille, wouldn't mean much if the vehicle was undesirable on the road. Fortunately, that's not the case. The latest Lexus hybrid is a pleasure to drive due to its quiet, silky operation.

It's also a notably smooth riding sedan, and imparts a sense of stone-like solidity over rougher sections of road, thanks to a stiffer chassis than before.

The ES 300h is clearly oriented toward spoiling occupants with comfort and serenity rather than inspiring them with racecar reflexes, yet it manages itself with confidence when the tarmac begins to twist and turn.

One aspect noted by my driving partner and I was the need to adapt to the car's brake performance. Its regenerative brake setup - found on virtually all conventional hybrid vehicles - requires more pedal actuation in the early stages of braking to achieve the intended results.

A few miles behind the wheel, and the braking characteristics of the ES 300h become second nature.

The latest Lexus hybrid is a pleasure to drive due to its quiet, silky operation. (Photo: Lexus)

ES 300h wrap-up
In terms of manufacturers, I don't think it's inaccurate to any degree to declare Toyota/Lexus the leader in passenger car hybrid technology. With the addition of the ES 300h to the hybrid fleet, virtually every car - and pretty well everything else Toyota/Lexus manufacturers - is available in hybrid form.

While the economy figures have yet to arrive, I expect to be impressed with the ES 300h's results. On the whole, I was delighted with the vehicle, and feel that it provides luxury car buyers with a realistic alternative to the thirstier, conventional ES V6 engine despite the reduction in performance.

With fuel at an all-time high recently in Vancouver of $1.50 per litre, fusing luxury with economy makes greater sense than it ever has. The ES 300h performs this task most effectively - I think. We'll anxiously await the official economy numbers before passing final judgment.

The ES 300h should arrive in Canadian showrooms by late August. Pricing has not yet been established, but I'm guessing that Lexus will want to offer maximum value to the 20% of ES buyers seeking hybrid-enhanced fuel economy.

Buick Lacrosse eAssist

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Volkswagen Passat TDI

Auto123.com provides live coverage of the Formula 1 Grand Prix held Sunday in Montreal.

Our motorsport editor René Fagnan is on location at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Don't miss his analysis and comments during the Grand Prix of Canada held Sunday afternoon. For logistic reasons, the feed will be carried in both English and French.

The FIA's proposal for the 2013 calendar to the event organizers has failed to go through.

Both Autosport and AutoHebdo have confirmed that the deadline for the events to sign their contract with the FIA is now behind.

In theory, failure to sign the contract means the venue is taken off the 2013 calendar.

But not a single event had signed the proposal on June 8th.

The debate revolves around the £80,000 asked by the FIA for TV rights and timing equipment use.

"None of the events involved in the 2013 World Rally Championship have signed the FIA's proposed agreement for next year's series," David Evans wrote on Autosport.com.

AutoHebdo on the other hand laments the loss of championship promoter North One Sport, which has made organizing events a whole lot more complicated.

From GMM

Canada is in the grip of F1 fever, but in the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve paddock, it is soccer fever that is rampant among the sport's travelling circus.

That is because Euro 2012, UEFA's European football championship, has kicked off in Poland and the Ukraine.

On Saturday, Germany's match against Portugal was set to kick off just minutes after qualifying.

When asked a mundane question about his helmet design immediately after taking pole on Saturday, an impatient Sebastian Vettel smiled: "It (the answer) might take too long ..."

Quipped Lewis Hamilton: "I think that's the best and shortest answer I've ever heard him give!"

Fernando Alonso, in the post-qualifying press conference as well, also teased Vettel: "As Seb wants to go, I will give you a very long answer now, starting from my go-kart helmet ..."

Ultimately, Vettel caught the kickoff and watched Germany win 1-0 from the comfort of Bernie Ecclestone's marquee.

And Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that Mercedes rearranged Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg's media and briefing commitments in order to watch the match together.

Rosberg was seen sporting suitable black, red and yellow glasses, hat and inflatable hand.

"I will try to watch all of the games," he confirmed.

Spain plays Italy on Sunday, which could be awkward for Spaniard Alonso, who is Ferrari's much-loved number one driver.

"If Spain wins," said the driver, "I think there may not be many people at my pitstop!"

From GMM

There is little good news to report about the Lotus F1 team at present.

The UK financial website Thisismoney.co.uk reports that the Enstone based team has recorded a $32 million pre-tax loss for last year.

It is however an improvement on the $63 million loss of 2010.

But the news of the latest loss followed the dismissal by the team's former sponsor Group Lotus of its controversial chief executive Dany Bahar.

Business journalist Christian Sylt said Group Lotus' Malaysian owner DRB-Hicom is contemplating "whether to close or sell the loss-making marque".

On the brighter side, the Lotus team's black and gold E20 car is regarded in the F1 paddock this year as perhaps the very best in the field.

Commentating on British television Sky this weekend in Canada, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve called the car "amazing" and blamed its drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for failing to perform.

"Put a Hamilton-Alonso-Vettel in there and they might have won every race," said the French Canadian.

Grosjean and 2007 world champion Raikkonen qualified seventh and twelfth in Canada.

Asked why McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and even Williams have been winning so far in 2012 while Lotus has not, Raikkonen said on Saturday: "My guess is that we still have to get stronger in qualifying.

"Of course, the aim always is to win, but sometimes it is better to fight for a good position and bag good points. If the win comes it comes," he told F1's official website.

British driver Lewis Hamilton became on Sunday the seventh different race winner so far this year when he won the highly exciting Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal.

Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean. (Photo: WRI2)

Hamilton, driving a McLaren-Mercedes ran a two-stop strategy and managed to pass Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) for second place and then race leader Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) to take victory.

Vettel and Alonso only stopped once for tires, and tried to reach the end of the race on worn rubber. But Hamilton was much quicker in his newer tires, and he passed them both using his DRS on the main straighaway.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team (Photo: WRI2)

Romain Grosjean finished a brilliant second for Lotus, and Sergio Pérez, driving for Sauber, arrived home in third.

Vettel crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Alonso. Nico Rosberg took sixth place for Mercedes in front of Mark Webber (Red Bull), Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) and Alonso's teammate at Ferrari, Felipe Massa.

Grand Prix of Canada, Montreal, race*:

1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 70 laps in 1h32m29.586
2 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 2"513
3 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 5"260
4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 7"295
5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 13"411
6 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 13"842
7 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 15"085
8 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 15"567
9 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 24"432
10 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 25"272
11 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 37"693
12 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 46"236
13 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 47"052
14 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'04"475
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1 lap
16 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1 lap
17 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1 lap
18 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
19 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
20 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 3 laps

Retirements
Narain Karthikeyan (HRT)
Pedro De La Rosa (HRT)
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes)
Timo Glock (Marussia)
*Unofficial results

Podium (Photo: WRI2)

Drivers' championship:
1.Hamilton 88 points; 2.Alonso 86; 3.Vettel 85; 4.Webber 79; 5.Rosberg 67; 6.Raikkonen 55; 7.Grosjean 53; 8.Button 45; 9.Perez 37; 10.Maldonado 29; 11.Kobayashi 21; 12.Di Resta 21; 13.Senna 15; 14.Massa 11; 15.Hulkenberg 7; 16.Vergne 4; 17.Schumacher 3; 18.Ricciardo 2.

Constructors' championship:
1.Red Bull-Renault 164 points; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 133; 3.Lotus-Renault 108; 4.Ferrari 97; 5.Mercedes 69; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 58; 7.Williams-Renault 44; 8.Force India-Mercedes 28; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 6.

Joey Logano led 35 drivers over the existing Pocono Raceway qualifying record due to the latest repave job.

Taking his fourth career NASCAR Sprint Cup pole Logano averaged 179.598 mph in a Toyota on Saturday.

There was an ironic twist in the story. Despite the increased grip early qualifiers found themselves on a slippery surface.
"The track was really dirty and you saw the first few cars go out in turn one and one of the ARCA cars must have blown up in the practice," Logano said.

"They just couldn't get the track clean enough. I went down into (turn) one and barrelled in there and got loose and went up the race track, so I feel like I left a couple tenths (of a second) out there."

Carl Edwards, second fastest in a Ford at 178.866 mph had a similar, experience to the pole-sitter. "I drove down in the corner and it was just a little slicker than I thought it was gonna be and I got out of the groove a little bit on exit," Edwards said.

"I just ran out of guts and had to lift a little off of one, and then I totally messed up the tunnel (turn), but I've got a great race car. My guys did a really good job, but, admittedly, it's very difficult to practice yesterday and run a really good lap and then come back 24 hours later and run that perfect lap again.

"I think a couple guys are gonna go fast if the track cleans off, but it is a little treacherous out there. I've got to give credit to Joey. He did a really good job."

Paul Menard, who won the Brickyard 400 last year, will start third in a Chevrolet at 178.582 mph. He may be considered a favourite as the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway - called the Tricky Triangle - is considered a comparable race track even if it has only three corners.

"They are more similar now; the grip level is a lot closer," Menard explained. "Indy is probably the track that has the most grip that we go to. They do an excellent job with the surface.

"Obviously, this track has a lot more grip now so they are a lot similar. Car wise, set-up wise and what the car needs isn't the same yet but it's closer.

"I haven't really thought a lot about what we did at Indy outside of it's the same type of deal you just have to get off the corners and carry speed down these long straightaways. That is what I have been working on during the test and during the practices."

Kyle Busch, Logano's teammate will start fourth, and Denny Hamlin, another teammate is fifth followed by the Toyota of Mark Martin.

David Reutimann is driving the Phoenix Racing car in place of Kurt Busch who is serving a one-race suspension. David Stremme failed to qualify for the 400-mile race which was reduced from 500 miles.

Sebastian Vettel will start from pole for the Canadian Grand Prix, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso

China's auto market revved to life in May despite the weakening economy, with vehicle sales jumping nearly 23 percent from a year earlier to 1.28 million units.

French technology company Parrot is betting that drivers want their cars to be fitted with an all-in-one "infotainment" device based on Google's popular Android operating software.

The giant orange robotic arms that swiftly weld together car frames at the Great Wall Motors factory in Baoding might seem like the perfect answer to China's fast-rising labor costs -- they don't ask for a raise, get injured or go on strike.

History/Description: Selection, style and capability were arguably the biggest draws to the outgoing generation of the Ford Escape. With four- and six-cylinder power, front- or all-wheel drive, generous ground clearance and a large span of options and packages, this Canadian favorite offered a variation that was just right for virtually any shopper.

2008 Ford Escape (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

The 2008 Escape offered a 153-hp, 2.3L 4-cylinder and a 200-hp, 3.0L V6.

Model year 2009 saw engineers fit a new 171-hp, 2.5L four, while the V6's output was bumped to 240 hp. A 5-speed manual was offered on base trims, while a 6-speed automatic was standard on the rest of the line-up.

All models were five-seaters, and feature content included heated leather, SYNC, steering wheel audio controls, a sunroof and automatic climate control. Key competitors included the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue.

What Owners Like: Performance from the V6 engine, off-road capability with all-wheel drive, a sporty and comfortable ride and a flexible interior were all rated highly by owners. A commanding driving position, comfortable seats and exterior styling are also owner favorites.

What Owners Dislike: Common complaints include transmission ‘gear hunting,' noisy engines, poor performance from the factory stereo system and higher-than-expected levels of road noise.

Common Issues: Approach your used Escape looking for signs of automatic transmission trouble. Hard shifting, ‘flaring' or slipping during gear changes could all be signs of trouble. Ensure the unit shifts between Drive and Reverse as quickly as you'd expect, too. Apparently, a problem within the transmission itself is to blame. Some reports of transmission failure have been made, too.

Ensure the transmission on the used Escape you're considering operates as expected, and have a mechanical inspection completed regardless. Additionally, an issue with the transmission cooler may cause a potentially damaging fluid leak.

2009 Ford Escape (Photo: Matthieu Lambert)

Continue reading 2008-2012 Ford Escape Pre-Owned

Jon Fogarty and John Edwards each obtained a Grand-Am pole for the second week in a row.

Fogarty, co-driving with Alex Gurney the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP, recorded his 21st pole.

"We definitely made some pretty aggressive moves for qualifying," said Fogarty, the all-time leader in Rolex Series poles. "Those were pretty bold changes and I'm happy we made them for qualifying."

Canadian Michael Valiante, who shares the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP with Richard Westbrook, banged in the second fastest lap. Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli, in the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP, will start third.

Which means Chevrolet took away the first three starting spots on the grid - actually, the top five is all Corvette's.

In GT, John Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro GT.R shared with Robin Liddell, took pole. Andrew Davis (No. 59 Brumos Companies Porsche GT3) clocked the second fastest lap, and Paul Edwards (Autohaus Motorsports) the third best time.

Source: Grand-Am.com



Qualifying results - Grand-Am (Mid-Ohio)
D'après ItaliaRacing.net

1. Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP) - Stallings - 1min18.079s
2. Valiante-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit of Daytona - 1min18.443s
3. Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 1min18.499s
4. Donohue-Borcheller (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1min18.771s

5. Barbosa-Law-France (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1min18.911s

6. Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1min19.255s

7. Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1min19.837s

8. Luhr-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - no time

9. Dalziel-Potolicchio (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - no time
Etc.

From GMM

F1 looks set to call off plans to relocate this year's 'young driver test' to Silverstone.

The original plans, with young and up-and-coming drivers able to get some running in November after the Abu Dhabi grand prix, were called into question due to the unusual calendar congestion at the end of the 2012 season.

So most teams - with the exception of Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren - organised instead to run their young drivers at Silverstone in July.

But according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Bernie Ecclestone has intervened.

The report says the F1 chief executive has informed teams that the Northamptonshire circuit will actually not be available in the week after July's British grand prix.

Ecclestone's race contract with Silverstone also gives him control over the circuit in the days immediately before and after the grand prix.

"Silverstone and the teams had agreed on the test date without first talking to him (Ecclestone)," said the German publication.

The move - interpreted by some as Ecclestone's favour to Abu Dhabi - could "force all the teams to test in Abu Dhabi", it added.

But Ecclestone's move could also backfire, according to Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn.

"There was an unanimous agreement that this year there should be a young drivers' test in two different locations," he said. "This agreement is broken.

"So we are not obliged to go to Abu Dhabi," Brawn insisted.

Sauber's Monisha Kaltenborn agreed: "It is quite possible that most of the teams will cancel the test in Abu Dhabi."

Some industry experts believe that autonomous cars could be sold to the public as early as three to five years from now. When that day comes, drivers will be able to take their hands off the steering wheel to eat, send text messages or check Facebook without committing a driving infraction or worse, endangering the lives of other road users.

Photo: Google

After Nevada in March, California's state Senate approved a bill last month to allow road-testing of autonomous cars. And at least four more states including Arizona, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma are planning to follow suit.

Advocates of autonomous or self-driving cars claim they reduce accidents, clear traffic congestion, lower emissions and provide unprecedented mobility to blind or disabled people. On the other hand, critics argue that the technology is unproven and could be unsafe.

Yet intelligent cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist and parking assist systems have been successfully put to use in production vehicles for many years. Public acceptance is perhaps the only remaining roadblock for autonomous cars right now.


_{Source: Detroit News}

The 2012 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will also feature a curtain-raising contest for historic Group C cars.

A Porsche 962 at Road America (Photo: ALMS.com)

The 45-minute race will highlight the event's 80th edition, and commemorate the 30th anniversary of the debuts of the Group C era, that saw manufacturers such as Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, Toyota and Mercedez-Benz fight for World Endurance Championship glory.

Nissan GTP (Photo: ALMS.com)

It was back in 1982 that Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx, aboard their Rothmans Porsche 956, took victory of the first 24 Hours of Le Mans contested under the Group C regulations.

Start of a Group C race at Sebring (Photo: ALMS.com)

From GMM

F1's governing body will inspect the new formula one track in Austin, Texas, next week.

The Circuit of the Americas, scheduled to host its inaugural US grand prix in November, is still under construction.

So next week's FIA inspection, as revealed by the local Austin American Statesman newspaper, is not the final one that will give the circuit its mandatory homologation.

"It could, however, alert circuit officials if the FIA sees any potential problems," read the report.

The newspaper said the news of the inspection came from an official of circuit constructor Hermann Tilke's German company.

It was confirmed by American FIA official Nick Craw.

Charlie Whiting, currently officiating in Montreal, is expected to be among the Austin delegation.

German driver Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull Racing team clinched pole position for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull (Photo: WRI2)

“We worked very hard to improve the car, there's a hole or not. We had a clean preparation for the race,” said Vettel during the post-race interview.

“We knew it would be tight in qualifying. You make a small mistake and you lose a lot of time here. We saw in Monaco that the Pirelli Super Softs tires are working well, but it all depends on how [the] race will unfold. Making the tires last is tricky here,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team qualified second.

“The car was working well yesterday in cooler temperatures, and it was not as good today. We captured a reasonably good position at the start. We feel confident because the car was good yesterday on the long runs,” Hamilton said.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

Fernando Alonso qualified his Ferrari in third place.

“There are only five or six corners on this track, that's why it is so close. I am happy with the car, and the new parts are working as expected. We have good grip and we made a step forward in performance. The car works well here on the long straights, which is encouraging,” Alonso explained.

Grand Prix of Canada, Montreal, Qualiying*:

Row 1
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1min13.784s - Q3
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1min14.087s - Q3

Row 2
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1min14.151s - Q3
Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1min14.346s - Q3

Row 3
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1min14.411s - Q3
Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1min14.465s - Q3

Row 4
Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1min14.645s - Q3
Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1min14.705s - Q3

Row 5
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1min14.812s - Q3
Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1min15.182s - Q3

Row 6
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1min14.688s - Q2
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1min14.734s - Q2

Row 7
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1min14.748s - Q2
Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1min15.078s - Q2

Row 8
Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1min15.156s - Q2
Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1min15.170s - Q2

Row 9
Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1min15.231s - Q2
Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1min16.263s - Q1

Row 10
Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1min16.482s - Q1
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1min16.602s - Q1

Row 11
Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1min17.492s - Q1
Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1min17.901s - Q1

Row 12
Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1min18.255s - Q1
Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1min18.330s - Q1
* Unofficial timing