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News 19 Sep, 2012

MINI will add more models, and the Rolls-Royce Ghost family could include an SUV, Auto Express has learned

Ford, which expects to lose more than $1 billion in Europe this year, will restructure operations in the region, although CEO Alan Mulally kept a lid on details of the overhaul at a New York media event to launch the new Fusion mid-size sedan.

Ford, which expects to lose more than $1 billion in Europe this year, will restructure operations in the region, although CEO Alan Mulally kept a lid on details of the overhaul at a New York media event to launch the new Fusion mid-size sedan.

Volkswagen Group put the seventh-generation Golf compact on a serious diet to reduce emissions by 14 percent compared with the current model.

The Italian government will meet Fiat executives on Saturday September 22 to discuss the carmaker's strategy for Italy.

Volkswagen Group put the seventh-generation Golf compact on a serious diet to reduce emissions by 14 percent compared with the current model.

The Italian government will meet Fiat executives on Saturday September 22 to discuss the carmaker's strategy for Italy.

The Porsche 918 Spyder official brochure has been accidentally leaked and Teamspeed has just posted pictures of it through German Car Scene.

Four matte colours and six metallic colours will be available in addition to two special body paints that will each carry a premium of €50,000 (approx. $63,500). Of course that won't stop the lucky few who have nearly one million dollars to spend on a supercar like this. What's more, Porsche will offer two racing packages including the famous Martini Race.

The 570-horsepower V8 under the hood teams up with a pair of electric motors to boost total output to 770 horsepower - good for 0-100km/h in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h. Yet, the Porsche 918 Spyder achieves a ridiculous 3.0L/100km!

Inside, alcantara and carbon trim pieces exquisitely blend together. There are no armrests, door bins, climate control unit and stereo. As a result, the car is 35 kg lighter at 1,160 kg.



Source: German Car Scene

In a short statement NASCAR officials announced that A.J. Allmendinger was "reinstated upon his successful completion of NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery Program".

Allmendinger had been "indefinitely suspended from NASCAR on July 24 for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy".

After failing a random drug test Allmendinger asked for the “B” sample to be tested; which produced similar results. And Penske Racing suspended its' contract with the 30-year old Californian. While NASCAR has not disclosed what substance tested positive, the driver himself said the test showed Adderall, which is a prescription drug. NASCAR rules call for drivers to advise the sanctioning body what medicines they are taking.

In the meantime Sam Hornish Jr. has driven the #22 Dodge for Penske Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. But Joey Logano, who currently drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, will take the wheel of the #22 which will be a Ford starting next year.

Photo: NASCAR

Speaking on Sirius XM Satellite Radio Allmendinger was very forthcoming about his behavior. “One bad judgment that I made that I really paid the price for,” he said. Speaking about the Road to Recovery he added “I'll be a better person for it. I don't care if I get drug tested every day for the rest of my life. I've got nothing to hide, they (NASCAR) have the option (drug) they have that right I don't have any objections.

Finding another ride at a time of financial troubles compounded by being the closing weeks of the 2012 season is daunting. Although there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for the driver. He was Penske's guest at the IndyCar season closer in Fontana last Saturday night. There might be a return to IndyCar for Penske if Ryan Briscoe is not signed for 2013.

It was like a return to his roots where he came to Penske's attention in the first place.

"It was fun to be at Fontana last weekend," Allmendinger said "With Roger asking me to be a guest there seeing people I hadn't seen in seven years. It was great. After all that's happened I feel closer to him than when I was his driver.

The biggest regret I have is letting Roger down. I was always afraid to ask for advice I didn't want to seem weak. I didn't want to bother anybody.”

Moving forward he added "Roger is the first person I'll turn to every time. I feel like he really does truly care about me."

Heard when climbing into the M5: “At this time, please make sure that all carryon items are stored in the overhead bins or underneath the seat in front of you and that your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions."


We are about to take off. Pressing the start button to the right of the steering column disrupts the earth's rotation. The TwinPower 4.4L V8 awakens from its slumber; clear the runway.

The sound that escapes the quad tailpipes when the V8 roars to life blurs the mind, raises arm-hairs and the vibrations permeate ever bodily orifice. The German equivalent to a muscle car rumble is rushed, steady and full of intent. As engine idle slows, the 7-speed M Double Clutch transmission lever is pushed to the right, the electric parking brake is released and the skies open up.

M Power
The fury in the belly of the 2012 BMW M5 is like few I've ever experienced before. The rated 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque may as well read 48,782 hp and 391,042 lb-ft as this car feels infinitely more powerful.

BMW notes a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds. This number is realistic if only because the 20x10 rear wheels shod with P295/30ZR20 Michelin Super Sport rubber, despite their best intentions and massive section, can only do so much to contain the fire. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h; I'd hate to be that limiter as I can scarcely imagine the effort required to tame this beast, preventing it from humiliating the sound barrier.

An excellent feature of the M5 is, beyond the lag-free power delivery of the V8, its 7-speed DCT transmission. Through the button located directly behind the shifter, shift patterns can be modified from rapid to skull-crushing fast. With the wheel-mounted paddles, slapping up or down through the gears is rewarding with instantaneously smooth shifts.

Yes, the new M5 is insanely, ungodly fast, quick, rapid, swift, brisk, and expeditious. Don't let anyone tell you differently. This car feels every bit as monstrous off the line as the Porsche Panamera Turbo. I've, unfortunately, not sampled the Panamera Turbo S but can only imagine that it would crush the M5 from a standstill, but only just keep up with it once underway.

The rated 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque may as well read 48,782 hp and 391,042 lb-ft as this car feels infinitely more powerful. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Luxurious accoutrements
As with every German performance sedan, be they $60,000 or $260,000, the quality and design of the interiors, although austere in some instances, are irreproachably well crafted. In the 2012 BMW M5's case, it's all about the driver. These are A380 First Class accoutrements.

The dash's slightly angled centre stack presents itself to the driver for maximum ease of use. The same goes for the centre console on which the shifter, the all-important M Chassis controls and iDrive controller are all aslant in such a way as to allow the right hand to find everything without having to pivot the wrist.

The M steering wheel, M seats, M pedals, M door sills, are all mmm mmm good. The M seats are especially noteworthy as their seemingly limitless ability to adhere to the contours of one's body make them as supremely comfortable as they are supportive.

On the kit-side of things, the M5 has everything, unless it's optional. At $101,500, the base car lacks nothing, but should more be desired, the $9,500 Executive Packages throws in the M seats and the very useful Head-Up display which are all well worth the extra few bucks.

The dash's slightly angled centre stack presents itself to the driver for maximum ease of use. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

The M road
How all the elements which make the 2012 BMW M5 an M5 come together is exceptional in some respects, and not so much in others.

The entire driving experience is somewhat marred by an odd filtered-unfiltered feeling. It's as though BMW built into the car a way to insulate the driver from the goings-on underneath only to then digitally or electronically permit portions of some of the remastered original organic sensory material back to the driver. I don't know; it felt good, but not natural.

Up front, the steering's precision and assistance are impossible to fault, however, somewhere between my hands and the tires' contact patches was a sieve that only allowed my sense to sense what it wanted me to sense.

The car's suspension with Dynamic Dampening control's work is faultless. Its stabilizing effect on the car's on-road behaviour feels electronic and calibrated to suit drivers who otherwise buy the M5 because it's the top-of-the-line 5 Series as opposed to real driving enthusiasts. The settings -- Normal, Sport and Sport+ -- allow the driver to tune the ride to taste, but even in Sport+ (reserved for the track), although highly effective, seems tweaked.

All of the available modes can be programmed and solicited through the “M” button. There are three “M” modes that can be saved for future call-ups, of which one should always have suspensions, steering and throttle/transmission response set in Sport+ -- just because.

Confidence in this car is unflappable, despite my misgivings on certain aspects. The M5's kicker points are the Active M Differential which is nothing short of magical given its control over the V8, and massive flawless disc brakes. Going fast is a given, as is coming to a full stop, all the time and every time.

All of the available modes can be programmed and solicited through the “M” button. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

An M5 to crush all others?
The F10 2012 BMW M5 casts a huge shadow over the outgoing E60 M5. Not only is the new car faster but its driving dynamics are far superior and, not that we should care, it's much better on gas. Actual numbers are not necessary...

The new M5, especially draped in Alpine White, is as beautiful to behold as it is savage to drive. There are few other cars on the road today under the quarter-million dollar price tag that have any hope to tango with this car.

In fact, at under $115,000, the M5 works out to be some kind of bargain. The Nissan GT-R is nothing but a compromise and the Jaguar XFR falls short on many levels, even though it sports a leaping leopard crest.

BMW will run two more M3s in next year's DTM championship, as the new Team MTEK BMW will enter the series in 2013.

By increasing its contingent to eight cars, BMW Motorsport is intensifying its commitment to the DTM and will now compete on a par with the other two manufacturers represented in the DTM.

BMW has made an impression so far this season. Canadian Bruno Spengler captured three wins and is fighting for the title.

Bruno Spengler won last Sunday with BMW. (Photo: DTM)

Next year, the newly-formed BMW Team MTEK will also run two BMW M3 DTMs. Dutchman Ernest Knoors will take the act as Team Principal of BMW Team MTEK, which is based in Garching near Munich.

The latest version of the Shelby GT500 embodies the culmination of an engineering assault intended to create the fastest factory Mustang yet. The result is a car with world-class handling and braking performance, the output of a pair of Porsche Cayman Rs, and the most powerful factory-installed V8 currently available.


You can get one starting in the low 60-grand range. And it has air conditioning. Cupholders. A warranty, even.

Shelby's attainable four-seat rocket thruster now has the best aerodynamics, brakes and support systems ever fitted to a Mustang. Apparently, it'll do 200 miles per hour -- a feat made possible largely because of the obscene power output. Whether you want to hit that sort of velocity in a machine with a solid rear axle is up to you.

The New Shelby V8
The latest Mustang to wear Shelby's “Cobra” badge uses an aftercooled Eaton TVS supercharger to stuff its 5.8L of displacement full of air and high-octane gas at about 14 PSI.

Result? 662 horsepower. And a Mustang that'll use your rich pal's Ferrari or AMG as a chew toy. The sound, even just starting the engine, is enough to make nearby enthusiasts smile, laugh gutturally, and mutter expletives under their breath.

The looks further back up that point. There's no front grille, because that would slow the car down. And it's got vents, cooling ducts, a spoiler, a curb-eating front lip and cannon-sized exhaust pipes that actually require being present (all of them) to help keep the GT500 grounded, cool and breathing properly.

The latest Mustang to wear Shelby's “Cobra” badge uses an aftercooled Eaton TVS supercharger. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Surprisingly Compliant
Despite the visual and auditory clues, the Shelby GT500 is a fairly uneventful machine if you're not driving it hard. With the torque output of a battleship, it can be left in third and driven around all day long. Around town or on a highway cruise, it's laid back, fairly quiet, smooth and even easygoing.

The Recaro seats are very comfortable, the glass roof is awesome, and the ride is pretty darn good, considering. With ultra-low highway revs and more power available by 1,500 rpm than a couple of Kias, it's actually remarkably good on fuel, too.

Like, we're talking, 11L/100km during steady cruising around the speed limit.

There's a striking effortlessness to the power output though -- and this Shelby will accidentally whisk you well beyond the speed limit if you're not very careful.

En dépit de ses indices visuels et sonores, la Shelby GT500 est une voiture plutôt calme si vous ne la conduisez pas trop rudement. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

All Hell Breaking Loose
Intentionally putting all 662 horsepower to work is a great way to give you and your passengers a facelift, heart-attack and neck injury all at once.

Hammer down, and the nose lifts sharply as the rear-end squats and squirms around. From about 3,500 revs, a sharp whine from the twin-screw blower overlaps the exhaust rumble that saturates the cabin.

There's no pause, lag or anticipation. It's just instant, horrifying acceleration, broken up by brief moments of silence and zero gravity as drivers shift into the next gear. The heavy clutch and notch-y shifter add a layer of pure toughness to the experience.

Be alert at full throttle -- as the tail can quickly get sideways, even in second or third. Driven by a cocky novice, this machine could get very ugly very quickly, or at least require a changing of the tires and a cleaning of the seats.

Gears are very long. Get a good launch, and you'll exit first after 3.5 seconds at over 100 kilometres per hour. Second gear ends shortly thereafter, alongside a velocity that'll get your car impounded by police in most provinces. That leaves four gears...

So, do the math: The GT500 has a level of power largely wasted on roads with a speed limit. And if you don't have the self-control of a Buddhist monk, this thing will do to your driver's license what Taco Bell does to your digestive tract -- annihilation.

Intentionally putting all 662 horsepower to work is a great way to give you and your passengers a facelift, heart-attack and neck injury all at once. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

More Than Just Speed
Adjustable Billstien dampers feature a sharp, responsive “sport” setting, and a fairly compliant “normal” setting for everyday driving.

The steering can be switched between Standard, Comfort or Sport modes, which alter effort and feel at the touch of a button. All of these modes utilize a very quick ratio, which works with the stiff shocks for an aggressive eagerness to change direction. Brembo brakes clamp down to offer eye-popping stops and decent pedal feel.

If drag racing is more your thing, there's a launch-control function to help you get off the line without landing upside down at the top of a nearby tree. You can even call up a range of performance gauges in the driver computer screen, alongside some “Track Apps” for when you go racing.

Adjustable Billstien dampers feature a sharp, responsive “sport” setting. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Too Much
End of the day, this all amounts considerably more performance than most drivers can enjoy or use on a regular basis -- although it's a level of American firepower and sensory overload not to be missed by speed freaks and bragging-rights enthusiasts.

The best return on investment will come to owners who hit the track or strip. The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is simply too fast, too violent and too extreme to be exploited on public roads and highways.

That, of course, will help sell a lot of them.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Singapore will be held this weekend on the 5.073km Marina Bay street circuit.

The FIA announced that there will be just one DRS (Drag Reduction System) zone again this year.

The detection point will be located at Corner 4 (blue). The activation point will be located after Corner 5 (green).


The Marina Bay circuit is the second slowest of the year after Monaco, with an average speed of just 172 kph and an average cornering speed of 105 kph. Approximately 46 per cent of the lap is taken at full throttle, compared with over 75 per cent at the last race at high-speed, low downforce Monza.

Singapore's 23 corners mean that the twisting layout is very hard on brakes. It doesn't do gearboxes any favours either with drivers changing gear around 80 times per lap.

The Singapore GP is usually packed with incident and the safety car has intervened here at least once in every race since 2008.

Long-time V8 Supercar team Stone Brothers Racing will merge with Erebus Motorsport to run three AMG E Class V8 Supercars in the V8 Supercars Championship from 2013.

The agreement, which has been almost a year in the making since its initial concept in early 2011, is a reality with the newly formed team operating under a Customer Sports Program of AMG.

The announcement was made in Melbourne today by Stone Brothers Racing owner Ross Stone, Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko, Erebus Motorsport CEO Ryan Maddison and V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane.

Betty Klimenko and Ross Stone. (Photo: Australian V8 Supercar series)

Erebus Motorsport has been dominant in the Australian GT category with Mercedes-AMG's SLS AMG GT3 racecar.

Stone Brothers Racing this morning announced it will be ending its partnership with Ford after a relationship that began when the team was first formed in 1998 and won three V8 Supercar Championships with Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall.

The Erebus Motorsport-SBR alliance was made possible under the Car of the Future program. The new 2013 cars will run 5-litre engines with their own bodywork over the COTF spec chassis.

Office employee during the week, Bianca Martin steps into sportsbike racing mode on the weekend. This is a woman who is truly fascinated by her pastime on the track.

As a volunteer rider for an organization called Trackfever, Bianca watches out for the safety of track participants and makes sure everyone respects safety regulations. Plus, she acts as a guide for those with little experience riding the circuit.

"I used to go motorcycle riding with my dad when I was a kid," says Bianca. "So, it was only a matter of time before I got my licence and bought my own bike."

Photo: Filip Bertrand

Full of determination, she enrolled in a track riding course... just 2 days after obtaining her licence. Bianca has been nuts about sportsbike riding ever since. So much so, that now a full decade later she's ever-present at the track, but has practically given up on regular road riding.

"When Trackfever's founder Céline Gignac, asked me if I wanted to work with her in 2008, I accepted at once because that meant I could help others enjoy my favourite pastime as well."

According to Bianca, the women she meets at the track fall into one of two categories: first, there's the group who appreciate having a woman to assist them because it means they can go at their own pace, without anybody pressuring them. On the other hand there are those women who absolutely want to compete with the guys, to prove they're just as capable of winning as any man. Indeed, Bianca puts herself squarely in this second group.

"I was very proud, and I always wanted to perform and show them that I was at their level," she continues. "At first, I was under a lot of stress and always on edge. But as I got older and more experienced, I eventually realized that the important thing was to have fun, regardless of what others thought."

Bianca's integration into the team went smoothly. The guys working alongside her readily accepted her into the group and everyone gets along well. There's the odd tasteless joke here and there, but that's about it.

Photo: Filip Bertrand

"It's all good-natured fun... nothing nasty about it, and everybody gets a good laugh, me being the first," she points out.

And as for any rider who is nonchalant about safe riding, she quickly puts them in their place. Bianca doesn't think that the fact that she's a woman makes a participant react differently. And that's because if the warning comes from a male colleague the reaction from the participant, whether good or bad, is the same.

Bianca is the only female safety officer at Trackfever. She knows of other women who hold similar positions in other organizations, but as far as she can figure out they are few and far between.

To all those who want to follow Bianca's example, she offers this piece of advice: "You shouldn't be shy about stepping up. If you want to do it, you can do it. Just set aside any negative feelings that might pop up along the way. And don't forget; at the end of line, we're in the sportbike game to have fun -- and plenty of it. "

Alex Zanardi won two gold and one silver medals at the 2012 London paralympic games in a hand bike that has been produced by race car manufacturer Dallara.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

Dallara published a press release to explain the manufacturing process. Interestingly, the hand bike chassis has been created in Varano with the same methods and processes used for developing a race car.

The process of development closely mirrored that of a race car: once both he and his bike were scanned to produce a 3D model, there followed an in-depth study of aerodynamics using advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), aimed at the development the final form of the bike.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

With this stage completed, structural analysis using FEM methods (Finite Element Methods) are applied, as well as many laboratory tests.

A prototype mannequin was constructed during the development process to help determine the best driving position with the final design and first prototype ready in July, followed by the definitive hand bike.

Alex accomplished only one test of his new Dallara, on August 1st. Then he was off to London where he win three medals.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has admitted to a level of confusion surrounding his future in formula one.

The 2008 world champion is a long-time protege of the McLaren team, but he has refused to deny intense media speculation he is considering moving to Mercedes for 2013.

Some insiders believe the 27-year-old is simply trying to push up his retainer and negotiate better contractual terms, while others think he is under pressure from his entertainment manager Simon Fuller to cash in on the association with the global Mercedes brand.

Amidst the saga, Hamilton seemed unhappy and uncomfortable after winning the recent Italian grand prix for McLaren, and he has now told CNN he is also feeling confused.

Team McLaren celebrating Hamilton's win at Monza. (Photo: WRi2)

"I don't know what the future holds, particularly," he said. "There is so much speculation, and even in my mind I'm kind of like 'what's going on, what's going on?' "

"But you know, as I said, just keep the eye on the ball and win the world championship," added Hamilton. "It's very difficult to leave any space to think about anything else. So I have to leave that to people who are working with me."

Lewis Hamilton insists he needs to direct his full focus towards tracking down championship leader Fernando Alonso, who enjoys a 37 point advantage in the drivers' title standings with seven races to go.

"Fernando is a two-time champion, and he's the best there is," said the Briton. "So to catch him and overtake him is a huge, huge tall order, but not impossible."

Carpooling is an increasingly popular way of commuting. In fact, a number of companies are offering this service to their employees. Commuters in Montreal and Quebec City will also be happy to learn that a new multimodal ride sharing platform is currently being launched. Called Netlift, it's the only one in the world that allows people to link a carpooling route with a public transit route.

How does it work? First, Netlift members request a route through the website or mobile app. A driver agrees to pick them up using the same website or app. Passengers then confirm their departure and later their arrival by clicking on the corresponding button - or they can specify ''transfer'' when they choose to use public transit to extend their commute. Surprisingly, they're the ones suggesting a reasonable charge for the requested trip, with 70% going to the driver and the other 30% to Netlift.

Photo: Netlift

But wait, it gets even more interesting: Multi-time passengers (10+ commutes per month) collect CO2 credits that increase their driver's share from 70% to 85%!

''Both passengers and drivers can positively and significantly reduce CO2 emissions from transportation, one of the leading causes of global warming,'' says Netlift founder and president Marc-Antoine Ducas.

You can do a quick search on Facebook to find out if some of your friends are Netlift members. It's also possible to rate users based on their punctuality, courtesy, reply time and other such criteria. This helps develop a sense of trust and dependability on both sides.

Some of the companies and institutions that are part of Netlift include Montreal University, HEC Montreal, Polytechnique Montreal, Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie as well as the Quebec Metro High Tech Park. Others are currently in talks to join Netlift and help attract a total of 600,000 users in the first year including 2,000 regular users. The plan is to double the network within two years.

Netlift	Auto solo	Public Transport	Train (5 AMT zone)
$0,06 to $0,10 per km	$0,10 to $0,45 Per km +parking + toll	$121 per month ($6,00 per day)	$142 per month (TRAM)
$2,75 per ride $5,50 per day	$4,00 $ to $18,00 per day	$7,00 per ride (unitary)	$3,50 per ride $7,00 per day

''Netlift banks on social commuting by offering a dynamic multimodal platform to reduce vacancy on the road, maximize the use of reserved traffic lanes and fight global warming,'' explains Ducas. ''Netlift stands as the most intuitive and user-friendly carpooling app on the market.''

With sustainable mobility becoming more important than ever, here's hoping that this initiative will expand into the rest of Canada and beyond.

Source: Netlift

According to some rumours that circulate in Europe, Nasser Al Attiyah would leave the Citroen Racing World Rally Team after the Rallye de France. That would also mean that the investment fund of Qatar, a major sponsor, would also leave the French car manufacturer.

The Qatar World Rally Team, which runs a DS3 WRC for 2011 Dakar winner Al Attiyah was apparently ready to purchase the entire operations of Citroen Racing. But the relationship between the two partners has mysteriously cooled down since.

Al Attiyah would prefer giving priority to the Dakar and to the Middle East Rally Championship instead of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Photo: Qatar World Rally Team

Addtional rumours suggest that Al Attiyah would leave Citroen after the French round, and would be in talks with Ford to purchase a Fiesta WRC to race in the Middle east.

The Qarat investment fund would therefore also leave the WRC and follow his favorite driver in his new projects. Al Attiyah would have two or three Dakar vehicules currently under construction in California.

The withdrawal of such an important sponsor would leave Citroen in a difficult financial position. Addtionally, it seems more and more likely that Sebastien Loeb will put an end to his rally career at the end of the season.

We should know more soon during the international auto show in Paris.

From GMM

Eric Boullier has admitted it is unlikely Jerome d'Ambrosio will make another appearance on the grand prix asphalt in 2012.

Lotus' Boullier-managed Belgian reserve driver replaced Romain Grosjean at Monza recently, while the team's French regular served his one-race ban.

Jerome d'Ambrosio leading a group at Monza. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

D'Ambrosio is the team's official reserve driver, who at the start of the 2012 season was slated to make some Friday morning practice appearances in the black Lotus.

But the E20 was ultimately so impressive that Kimi Raikkonen is now charging for the title, and Grosjean race wins.

It's for that reason that team boss Boullier has sidelined d'Ambrosio for now, even though he insists the 26-year-old performed impressively at Monza.

"Jerome lost KERS at the start of the race and around Monza that is a big, big loss. In lap time it is nearly a second," Boullier is quoted by the Telegraph.

"He did a very nice job. I was very satisfied."

So does that mean the former Virgin driver might be given another chance to drive the 2012 Lotus, perhaps during a Friday morning practice session?

"I don't think it's under consideration," Boullier answered.

"If we can afford to do it, we will do it, but with the championship being so close we want to fight and use any resources or means we can to give us all the chances to do well."