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News 27 Oct, 2012

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber share the front row of the grid for the Indian Grand Prix, after dominating qualifying

10:59 PM, October 26, 2012

Mark Reuss remembers the day, 20 years ago, when his father's career was blindsided. Reuss had a tuxedo hanging in his car to wear that night to a long-planned event honoring his father's 35-year career at GM when his mother called.

Toyota's worldwide sales grew 18 percent last quarter on U.S. demand for Camry sedans and Prius hybrids and helped Asia's largest automaker expand its lead over GM, the global volume leader in 2011.

Much like Calgary, Toronto is enjoying much success with its carsharing service, registering 9,000 new members within the first 100 days.

In fact, 75 additional smart fortwos will soon join the fleet in order to meet member demands, for a total of 325 cars.

"The people of Toronto have quickly recognized that car2go is equal parts convenient, flexible, and fun," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go Canada. "car2go gives members a large network of cars to use when they need it, where they need it, for as long as they need it -- providing an on-demand carsharing service that is unmatched by any other company in the market."

Photo: Smart

Auto123.com has learned that Simona de Silvestro will join Tony Kanaan at KV Racing Technology to form a two-entry squad for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar season.

There were rumours at first that de Silvestro's former team, HVM Racing, would make an alliance with KV Racing but we understand now that the former Lotus team won't have any further involvement with the Swiss driver's career.
De Silvestro is expected to make her debut with KV as part of a test session held at Barber on Monday.

Her longtime personal sponsor Nuclear Clean Air Energy will it too change outfit, as for the first time in her IndyCar career, the woman lines up beside a teammate, veteran Tony Kanaan in this case.

KV Racing ran a three-car effort for the last seasons but has decided to scale back its involvement. Ruben Barrichello is expected to join forces with Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports while EJ Viso is expected to launch his own team in conjunction with Bryan Herta Motorsports.

Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre set the pole position ahead of Shanghai Six Hours, last round of the World Endurance Championship, ahead of their Toyota TS030 hybrid.

Alexander Wurz set the quickest lap, a 1'48''273, which was exactly one tenth of a second faster than Tom Kristensen and Alan McNish's best, in the Audi. Together the two pairings form the front row of the grid ahead of the Sunday race.

Championship leaders Fassler, Lotterer and Treluyer will start from inside row 2 aboard the second Audi R18 e-tron, alongsid Brabham, Chandock and Dumbreck's HPD ARX-Honda.

The works Aston Martin Vantage driven by Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner was fastest in GTE Pro, while the quickest GTE Am was the Felbermayr's Porsche 997.

Shanghai - Qualifying :
1. Wurz -Lapierre (Toyota TS030 Hybrid) - Toyota - 1'48”273 (1st LMP1)
2. Kristensen-McNisch (Audi R18e-tron) - Audi - 1'48”373

3. Fassler-Lotterer-Treluyer (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 1'48”597
4. Brabham-Chandock-Dumbreck (HPD ARX03a-Honda) - JRM - 1'51”003
5. Prost-Jani (Lola B12/60-Toyota) - Rebellion - 1'51”019
6. Leventis-Watts-Kane (HPD ARX03a-Honda) - Strakka - 1'51”037

7. Belicchi-Primat-Cheng (Lola B12/60-Toyota) - Rebellion - 1'51”394
8. Baguette-Kraihamer-Sato (Oak Pescarolo-Honda) - OAK - 1'52”172
9. Charouz-Rossiter.Weeda (Lola B12/80-Lotus) - Lotus - 1'54”132 (1st LMP2)
10. Martin-Graves-Beche (Oreca 03-Nissan) - ADR - 1'54”301

(...)
19. Mucke-Turner /Aston Martin Vantage V8) - Aston Martin - 2'03”721 (1st GTE Pro)

(...)
22. Ried-Roda-Ruberti (Porsche 997) - Felbermayr Proton - 2'05”584 (1st GTE Am)

etc.

From GMM

Michael Schumacher is sporting a big graze and a bandage on his left knee and shin in the paddock ahead of this weekend's Indian grand prix.

He said he was injured playing soccer last week.

"Probably anyone who has played football has experienced this -- I was fouled," the Mercedes driver told the German newspaper Bild.

Asked if the problem will hold him back in India, Schumacher answered: "If I need to race with a bandage, I will."

History/Description: A high-luxury, low-stimulation driving experience was the main promise of Lexus' last-generation ES. A Camry-based, front-drive luxury sedan, it offered standard V6 power, a sumptuous cabin, premium goodies and all of the sensible stuff Lexus is known for,including high resale values and owner satisfaction.

Photo: Michel Deslauriers

The ES had plenty of room for four or five adults, a generous trunk, and plenty of at-hand storage. Look for a 3.5L V6 engine making around 270 horsepower on all models. All ES models were front-wheel drive and fitted with an automatic transmission.

Feature content included navigation, a premium Mark Levinson audio system, a sunroof, remote access, Bluetooth connectivity, leather and wood interior trim, and plenty more.


What Owners Like: Styling, a calm and quiet ride, a richly trimmed interior and a fantastic stereo were all commonly noted by Lexus ES owners taking to the web with their ownership experiences. Engine performance and stable handling were also highly rated.

What Owners Dislike: Some owners wish for a more exciting driving experience, sportier handling, stickier factory tires and easier-to-use infotainment and navigation controls. Further, some owners are offended at the “locking out” of numerous functions in said infotainment system while the vehicle is moving.

Photo: Michel Deslauriers

Continue reading 2007-2012 Lexus ES Pre-Owned

The American Le Mans Series' final round presented last weekend was also the last race of the European Le Mans Series championship.

Because the final ELMS round of the season supposed to be held at Portimao (Portugal) was cancelled due to insufficient entrants, ALMS organizers invited the European contenders to race in Road Atlanta and score points for their own championship.

TDS Racing's Oreca-Nissan concluded the race in 5th position with Beche, Thiriet and Tinseau, which was enough to secure ELMS LMP2 title (LMP1 cars are not featured in this championship).

In GTE Am, the crown went to IMSA Performance's Porsche 997 driven by Armindo, Narac and Pons, for the second consecutive year.

Both teams earned an invitation for the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours.

After dealer associations in two U.S. states filed a lawsuit against Tesla Motors, CEO Elon Musk brought up three key points to defend the company's decision to bypass the traditional dealer system.

He first pointed at a conflict of interest where dealers sell both electric cars and conventional, combustion-engined cars. By showing potential buyers the attractive benefits of the former, they undermine the value of the latter.

Musk also reiterated the claim that Tesla's factory stores merely serve as showrooms. People who want to make a purchase still have to go to the website. They can take delivery of their car either at the assembly plant, in one of Tesla's service centres, or directly at home -- never at one of the supposedly illegal stores.

Finally, Musk explained that those service centres don't sell vehicles but only take care of delivery, maintenance, and repair. As such, they don't get an unfair advantage nor violate state franchise laws, he said.

Let's wait and see how the U.S. court interprets Tesla's business model.

Source: auto-journal.fr

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From WRC.com

Sébastien Loeb says not competing for the FIA World Rally Championship title will be one of the biggest things he misses when he goes part time in 2013.

WRC legend Loeb is targeting a partial campaign next season as he builds up to a planned FIA World Touring Car Championship bid from 2014 with current employer Citroen. As a result, he won't be in contention for a 10th WRC crown.

“The fact I will not be competing for the title and I will not have this target for the season to try to win the title will be a bit different,” Loeb answered WRC fan Isak Ruuska in a question and answer session on WRC.com recently.

“I will still have a lot of things to do [next year], maybe some GT racing and preparing for the 2014 WTCC with Citroen. I will be driving but I won't have this target.”

Loeb made it nine WRC titles with victory on Rallye de France Alsace earlier this month in the Citroen DS3 WRC he shares with co-driver Daniel Elena.

Their world championship schedule in 2013 could total five events, the first time since 2006 that they won't have undertaken a full roster of rallies after Loeb was forced to pull out of the closing four rounds due to injury.

From GMM

Force India has confirmed Narain Karthikeyan's suspicion that the door to the Silverstone based team is closed.

Currently hoping to keep his place at the back of the grid with HRT, Karthikeyan is F1's only Indian driver, but so far he has never been seriously linked with countryman Vijay Mallya's nationally-branded team.

Lewis Hamilton said this week he has his fingers crossed for Karthikeyan, as a move to Force India would be "a huge stepping stone for him".

But Karthikeyan, 35, replied that he thinks Force India "have their own plans" for 2013.

Indeed, Force India's deputy Bob Fernley told the Indian Telegraph: "For the moment, we are very happy with the current set of drivers we have.

"(Do) you want to be simply patriotic or stay competitive on the circuit?" he asked rhetorically.  "Force India are trying to improve their performance every year.

"Show me a good Indian driver and I will definitely be interested in him," he added.  "For the moment, we have no such plan," added Fernley.

From GMM

Paul di Resta has vowed to work on his image, after admitting it was "disappointing" to miss out on a move to a top team for 2013.

The Scot was linked with moves to McLaren and Ferrari, but McLaren ultimately signed young Mexican Sergio Perez, while Ferrari retained its Brazilian driver Felipe Massa.

Di Resta admitted to the Telegraph that he thinks Perez "opens up various different markets" for McLaren, which could have contributed to the British team's decision.

"But listen, it was flattering to be linked to a team like McLaren," he said.  "It has not come off this time but that doesn't mean you should become any less ambitious."

Another factor counting against di Resta could be his public persona, with F1 journalist Tom Cary saying he is "about as far from colourful as a formula one driver gets".

"I think it's a big thing," di Resta admitted.

"I understand the need to get out there and show people who you are.  It's just about being more open but it takes time."

He denies the fact both he and current McLaren driver Jenson Button share a manager in Richard Goddard could have counted against him.

"I don't believe that," said the 26-year-old.

"I'm happy with Richard's involvement and the way it works, and I think Martin (Whitmarsh) was equally happy with Richard's involvement."

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel dominated all three free practice sessions ahead of the Indian Grand Prix, and then went on to claim the pole position in another Red Bull 1-2, as Mark Webber joins in on the front row.

The German, although he made a mistake during his first run for pole during Q3, was never really in his rivals' reach. Even teammate Webber played second fiddle to his performance.

McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button therefore had to settle for the second row, which they filled up. Behind them, title finalist Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and his lieutenant Felipe Massa managed to grab row 3.

In a scrap for the last positions available in the top 10, Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and Sergio Pérez (Sauber) earned positions seven and eight, ahead of Pastor Maldonado (Williams), ninth, and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), tenth. The German finally opted out of posting a lap in the last portion of the qualifying session.

On his home track, Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) managed to avoid starting last. Since he out-qualified Marussia's Charles Pic, he gets to start 23rd.



Qualifying results* - Indian Grand Prix (Buddh International Circuit)
1.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'25"283 - Q3
2.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'25"327 - Q3
3.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'25"544 - Q3
4.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'25"659 - Q3
5.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'25"773 - Q3
6.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'25"857 - Q3
7.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'26"236 - Q3
8.Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'26"360 - Q3
9.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'26"713 - Q3
10.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - no time - Q3
11.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'26"136 - Q2
12.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'26"241 - Q2
13.Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'26"331 - Q2
14.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'26"574 - Q2
15.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'26"777 - Q2
16.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'26"989 - Q2
17.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'27"219 - Q2
18.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'27"525 - Q1
19.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'28"756 - Q1
20.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'29"500 - Q1
21.Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'29"613 - Q1
22.Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'30"592 - Q1
23.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'30"593 - Q1
24.Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'30"662 - Q1

*Unofficial timing

From GMM

Ferrari has rejected claims it put the Italian navy flag logo on its F1 cars in India for political reasons.

The decision has undoubtedly sparked a political response, with Italian government figures welcoming the decision and their Indian counterparts angered.

But team boss Stefano Domenicali on Friday denied the move was linked with the diplomatic situation involving two Italian sailors held in India on murder charges.

"No, no, that's not true," he insisted.

The original Ferrari statement, however, clearly referred to the "two sailors".

The Maranello based team then issued a new statement, saying "with all the respect due to the Indian authorities ... this initiative does not have ... any political implication".

But some Italian insiders believe Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who has a political party, knew precisely the impact the flag logo would provoke.

Indeed, he is quoted by Ansa news agency: "It (the logo) is the contribution that Ferrari can make to this story.

"All we want to do," Montezemolo is also quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, "is make a small contribution ... towards finding a solution through dialogue."

Jimmie Johnson's hopes for a sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup title moved a step forward when he won the pole in Martinsville on Friday.

Posting a lap of 97.598 mph, Johnson's Chevrolet was marginally faster than Brian Vickers' Toyota at 97.553 at the .526-mile track known as the paper clip for its' unusual shape.

Chase points leader, Brad Keselowski, struggled qualifying 32nd.

It was Johnson's second pole at Martinsville, 28th in his career and third of the year. The most important thing in the five-time champion's mind was pit stall selection on one of NASCAR's shortest tracks.

“Once it was over I mean I know how important pit road pick is and I wanted that first stall,” said Johnson. “After qualifying as poorly as I did here in the spring (22nd), I was focused on these two laps pretty heavily and wanted to make sure I did my job.”

Worse for Keselowski is Johnson's success at the short track including six wins in 21 races including a win from the pole in 2008.

Keselowski, who came to Martinsville with a seven point lead over Johnson, has never won at the track in five attempts.  His best finish, ninth, came this spring.

Yet the young driver is cautiously optimistic that he'll have a good finish and stave off his rivals and retain the lead. “I thought last weekend was harder to pass than this weekend will be, to be honest,” Keselowski said.

“And that's not to say it's going to be easy here at Martinsville but there is quite a few more variables that I think work to your favour with strategies and so forth.I feel confident that it'll work its way out here. Obviously it's a very, very long race with 500 laps around here. There are a lot of tools in our tool chest to help us recover from that.”

Vickers, a part-time driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, announced a contract extension with the team for 2013.

Rounding out the top qualifiers, Kyle Busch was third, followed by Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin (who is third in the points, 20 behind Keselowski).  Other Chase drivers included last week's winner Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, and Clint Bowyer in sixth through eighth spots, respectively.

Qualifying was also noticeable for the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. - who missed the previous two races due to a concussion sustained at test in Detroit, but not disclosed until after the Talladega race.

Earnhardt qualified 20th while Mike Bliss and J.J. Yeley failed to qualify on speed.

From GMM

Jenson Button's manager has admitted he is concerned about McLaren's accommodation for the Indian grand prix weekend.

Earlier, we reported that mosquitoes are a problem at McLaren's hotel, particularly with hundreds of New Delhi locals having contracted the deadly Dengue fever.

McLaren is staying at the Hilton, which is a sponsor of the British team.

"The Hilton is really nice and the people there are friendly and helpful," Button's manager Richard Goddard is quoted by the Daily Mail.

"But perhaps with the hotel being new, there has not been enough allowance made for the amount of mosquitoes in the area."

Reports say the hotel is situated near an area of standing water, which has acted as a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.

But McLaren spokesman Matt Bishop insisted the hotel is "excellent, luxurious, comfortable", adding: "Mosquitoes are a hazard of life all over India that Indians learn to live with -- just as Scottish highlanders cope uncomplainingly with midges, for example."

From GMM

Fabio Leimer has dropped out of the running at Sauber.

After paying hundreds of thousands of euros for a test with the team a year ago, the young Swiss was expected to return to the track for the forthcoming young drivers' test in Abu Dhabi.

But according to the Swiss newspaper Blick, the 23-year-old GP2 driver has dropped out.

Indeed, Sauber announced last week that only 2013 hopeful Esteban Gutierrez, and new Renault World Series champion Robin Frijns, will be driving the C31 next month.

Blick speculated that Leimer's backer Rainer Gantenbein might have pulled the financial plug.

"Leimer cancelled his young driver test with us.  We do not know more," team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said.

From GMM

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone would consider letting in a second Indian race in the future.

But the sport's 81-year-old chief executive said there is no room on today's 20-race calendar.

"We've got too many races now either in the championship or about to go in," he is quoted by Reuters. "So, later on maybe. Three or four years."

However, after a good crowd watched last year's inaugural Indian grand prix in New Delhi, the grandstands have been much emptier on F1's return visit.

Indian motor racing chief Vicky Chandhok said the biggest problem is the high ticket prices.

"There is a contract between the (Indian) GP group and formula one until 2015," he told CNN.

"Beyond that I do hope that we can sustain it, and if not maybe F1 will start to change their approach to rights fees and things like that."

Chandhok revealed that the Buddh circuit's "very high" annual fee to Ecclestone is $40 million.

Furthermore, Ecclestone confirmed reports Hockenheim could return to the F1 calendar in 2013.

According to their alternating scheme, with Hockenheim having hosted the German grand prix this year, it was scheduled to be the Nurburgring's turn in 2013.

But the Nurburgring is weighed under with financial problems, triggering reports Hockenheim could stage next year's German grand prix instead.

"Yes, there are negotiations with Hockenheim about the race in 2013," F1 chief executive Ecclestone is quoted by Wirtschaftswoch.