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From GMM

Lewis Hamilton and McLaren are apparently now "closer" than ever to agreeing a new deal beyond the 2008 world champion's current contract.

With the 27-year-old Briton's current deal expiring this year, he has been linked with sensational moves to Lotus or Mercedes.

Rumours have said the McLaren impasse is essentially over money, although Hamilton said recently the fact he is currently not allowed to keep his original trophies or helmets is a "push point" in the negotiations.

"In a lot of other teams, the drivers get their original trophies," he is quoted by the Guardian. "So whatever contract I'm having next, that is going to be a push point."

Jonathan Neale, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale suggested this week that Hamilton is now close to signing on for 2013.

"We are closer and of course we (are) in dialogue," he is quoted as saying by the Sun. "We are working hard to find common ground."

Asked if both McLaren and Hamilton want to keep working together in the future, Neale insisted: "Very much so."

From GMM

Turkey could return to the F1 calendar.

Between 2005 and last year, despite poor spectator attendance, drivers enjoyed the Hermann Tilke-designed Istanbul layout, featuring the unique quadruple-apex Turn 8.

But the race was not included on the 2012 schedule, after organisers and F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone disagreed over the sanctioning fee.

81-year-old Ecclestone, however, said on Wednesday that he, the teams and the FIA are "happy" to go to Turkey.

He told the major daily Haberturk: "If we can solve this (fee) problem, Turkey can return to the F1 calendar."

It is not known if the news is linked with recent reports that, amid Greece's severe economic crisis, the country could enlist neighbour Turkey's help to stage a formula one street race in Athens.

A report in the Hurriyet daily said Greece was in serious talks with Turkish race official Mumtaz Tahincioglu.

"We have to support all projects that market Greece," said Greek sports minister Kostantinos Cavares.

From GMM

Gerhard Berger wants to make it simpler for young drivers to progress through the junior ranks to formula one.

The former ten-time grand prix winner, BMW motor sport director and Toro Rosso co-owner is now the president of the governing FIA's single seater commission.

Jean Todt, Berger's former Ferrari boss and now FIA president, told the latest edition of the federation's own Inmotion magazine that he is looking into "how we can best create a logical path for aspiring drivers from karting all the way to F1".

The problem has arisen in recent years, with the path now cluttered with junior series including GP2, GP3, Renault World Series, F2, Formula Renault, Formula BMW, Formula Ford, F3, Auto GP and others.

Robert Wickens, Formula Renault 3.5 Champion 2011. (Photo: World Series by Renault)

It was much easier in 52-year-old Berger's day, when he moved from Formula Ford and rose through the German and European F3 ranks and was spotted by the F1 team ATS.

"The commission," Berger said, "looks at everything between karting and formula one and I find that the pyramid at the moment is very loose. There are too many championships out there and attention between them is split too much. People are complaining that the best drivers are now all spread out and so you cannot look at the British Formula 3 championship, for example, and say that he is certain to get to formula one. These days, the best drivers are all over the place. The system no longer does what it is supposed to do, which is to give a highly talented driver a CV he can use to progress to formula one."

Edoardo Mortara, Formula 3 Euroseries Champion 2010. (Photo: F3 Euroseries)

Gerhard Berger said he is "sure" he can help to "sort out" the system "because of the contacts" and skills he has.

He has started by championing European F3, and the next step - according to Berger - could be an all-new "Formula 4".

"We are working on this," Gerhard Berger admitted.

Canadian race car drivers Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani will contest the Montreal 200, the Canadian round of the Grand-Am Rolex series held at circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend.

Both will be co-driving Daytona Prototype cars on the Montreal road course.

Action Express Racing will enter a Corvette DP for 2003 ChampCar series' Champion Paul Tracy and veteran driver David Donohue.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to join Action Express Racing in Montreal,” Said Tracy in a press release.

“When I got the call from Bob Johnson asking me if I'd be interested in joining the team for the race I was very excited about the chance to drive the new Corvette Daytona Prototype. I've known David for a number of years and think that our styles fit well together, and will be very competitive at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Of course, this track holds some fond memories for me, having raced there from 2002 - 2006 in the CART/Champ Car days...finishing 2nd in '06. Racing in front of the Canadian fans always holds a special place for me and I can't wait to get back to Montreal!" Paul Tracy added.

Alex Tagliani will co-drive the No. 2 Ford/Riley with Indianapolis Grand-Am Rolex race winner Alex Popow. This will be Tagliani's first race in a Daytona Prototype, although he competed in five GT races in 2006 for Blackforest Motorsports.

Tagliani will also race in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge in the No. 30 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports.

From GMM

No longer in a Renault shirt, Fabrice Lom has revealed he is still "very busy" in the world of formula one.

A high ranking engineer at Renault throughout the Williams, Benetton and Fernando Alonso eras, the Frenchman's last team role was in 2011, liaising between the engine supplier and its most prominent partner, Red Bull.

But a role at the FIA opened up late last year, with the governing body's engine boss Gilles Simon having accepted a job to design a V6 for Craig Pollock's new 2014 venture Pure.

Lom is the FIA's new head of powertrain.

"The FIA contacted me and proposed a job," he revealed.

"I was quite happy at Renault but it sounded like a very interesting opportunity for me and so I decided to take it. It is a very busy role," Lom admitted.

He is in charge of the powertrain for F1, world rally, world endurance, world touring cars and F3.

One of Lom's tasks, he revealed, is "discussing the details of the 2014 F1 rules with the manufacturers".

Six World Rally Championship titles and 75 victories at WRC rounds: this is the impressive tally of the four rally stars that will be competing in the Legends classification of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup round at the Nürburgring this weekend.

The drift aces Markku Alén, Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Ogier are pitted against the 21 regular drivers of the German one-make cup just one week before the ADAC Rallye Deutschland in the Eifel region.

But the title fight of the Scirocco R-Cup delivers suspense as well. Particularly the runner-up in the standings, Adam Gładysz, after having clinched three second places in the near-285-horsepower Cup Scirocco powered by a bio natural gas engine, is shooting for his first victory of the season in order to maintain his chances of winning the championship against leader of the standings Ola Nilsson.

Photo: VW Motorsport

Here are the rally legends:

• The Finn Markku Alén (61) in 1978 won the FIA Cup, the predecessor of the World Rally Championship and scored victories at a total of 19 WRC rallies.

• Alén's compatriot Juha Kankkunen (53), with four titles (in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993), 23 rally wins and 821 WRC points, was the WRC record holder for a long time.

• Spaniard Carlos Sainz (50) was ranking among the absolute top of the crop in rallying for nearly two decades. "El Matador” won 24 of his 180 WRC events and in 1990 and 1992 clinched the WRC titles as well.

• At the age of 28, Sébastien Ogier is the youngster among the Legends entrants at the Eifel circuit. The Frenchman is the first racer to have been signed by Volkswagen for the WRC commitment with the Polo R WRC that commences in 2013. With his race experience limited to a pair of outings in the French F4 single-seater of the Auto Sport Academy last year, Ogier is looking forward to the challenge.

Range Rover's redesigned 2013 flagship SUV goes on sale in December featuring a sharply lighter body, improved fuel economy and better handling. The five-seat Range Rover has an all-aluminum unibody structure -- a first for an SUV, Land Rover said.

Ford, projecting losses of more than $1 billion in Europe this year, is examining the competitiveness of its vehicle lineup and brand in the region as it draws up a turnaround plan.

Ford Motor, projecting losses of more than $1 billion in Europe this year, is examining the competitiveness of its vehicle lineup and brand in the region as it draws up a turnaround plan.

Ford Motor, projecting losses of more than $1 billion in Europe this year, is examining the competitiveness of its vehicle lineup and brand in the region as it draws up a turnaround plan.

Way back in June, Autoweek published a speculative rendering of the forthcoming Chevrolet SS.

Way back in June, Autoweek published a speculative rendering of the forthcoming Chevrolet SS.

A request by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to delay the implementation of new rules regulating event data recorders, the 'black boxes' in vehicles that record crash data, was denied by the National Highway Traffic Safety...

2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Once more with feeling.

At times, the Mustang versus Camaro storyline is as sophisticated as The Itchy and Scratchy Show, the television-show-within-a-television-show created for Matt Groening's jaundiced, cartoon American family. While these two pony cars take turns playing tireless cat or ruthless mouse, one thing remains constant: they fight (They fight. They fight, they fight, they fight. Fight, fight, fight! Fight, fight, fight!) with little purpose other than antagonizing the other or settling the score.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Automobile Magazine

2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

It's safe to say the London Olympics were a success for the United States, which won 104 medals, the most of any country.

Two senators today questioned whether battery-maker A123 should receive the rest of its government grant in light of a deal with a Chinese firm to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the faltering company.

The new Peugeot 208 is both smaller and an average 114kg lighter than the outgoing 207. That should mean improved economy and fewer emissions, especially as there are also new three-cylinder engines. So how does the car measure up?

The new Peugeot 208 is both smaller and an average 114kg lighter than the outgoing 207. That should mean improved economy and fewer emissions, especially as there are also new three-cylinder engines. So how does the car measure up?

Land Rover has not been one to radically remake the

Also in this episode: The insurance industry develops a challenging new crash test, and