Auto News 5

From GMM

Norbert Haug has admitted he is stepping down due to Mercedes' lack of success as a works team since 2010.

But in an interview with Germany's Bild daily, he denied reports he is being made a scapegoat.

"No, I'm not," said Haug, who served as the German marque's motor sport vice president for more than two decades.

"If I had nothing to do with our failures in the last three years, then I would have nothing to do with our victory in China this year," said the 60-year-old, "and I wouldn't like that."

But why has Haug been axed, and not the Brackley based team's British principal, Ross Brawn?

"Because over 22 years I have borne the overall responsibility for motor sport at Mercedes, not Ross Brawn. I am ultimately his superior," he insisted.

Haug said he accepts that he must take the responsibility.

"The basis of our car was good, but the development was poor to very poor," he admitted.

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Norbert Haug denied rumours he is actually quitting for health reasons.

"Thank god not," the German insisted. "Almost three years ago to the day I had thyroid surgery, but since then I'm doing very well. I'm totally healthy," he added.

He said he doesn't know if his job will now be split into two roles -- DTM and F1.

"I have no information. Maybe there is a very capable professional who can do much more than I can," said Haug.

He played down suggestions ex-drivers like Michael and Ralf Schumacher, or Mika Hakkinen, can fill his shoes.

"Honestly, I don't think they were born to be in the office," laughed Haug.

From GMM

Jean Alesi has decided to retire from motor racing.

At the wheel of a highly uncompetitive Lotus-powered Dallara, the F1 veteran made his Indy 500 debut this year and vowed to return in 2013 with a better performance.

But the 48-year-old Frenchman, who won just one grand prix for Ferrari during his 202-grand prix career between 1989 and 2001, announced this week he is in fact quitting.

"I do not feel like hunting for sponsors," Jean Alesi told the French sports daily L'Équipe.

Jean Alesi at the Indy 500, in 2012. (Photo: IMS)

The 2013 DTM calendar has been modified, including the final round in Hockenheim to be held one month later than first scheduled.

The Norisring race has been moved one week later, following the change of the date of the German F1 Grand Prix.

Zandvoort has been moved to end of September, and the final round will be presented Cctober 20 at the Hockenheimring.

2013 calendar*:
May 5: Hockenheim I
May 19: Brands Hatch
June 2: Spielberg
June 16: Lausitzring
July 14: Norisring
August 4: Moscow
Septembre 15: Oschersleben
September 29: Zandvoort
October 20: Hockenheim II
*Subject to approval by the FIA

Photo: DTM

From GP2

The GP2 series' organisers have revealed their 2013 calendar which will consist of eleven rounds in total, all support events of the official Formula 1 World Championship.

Seven rounds will be held in Europe whilst four overseas events have been added, making it once again an international Series.

The ninth season of the GP2 Series will open in Sepang, Malaysia on March 22-24 before flying off to Bahrain for the second round a month later on April 19-21. As Formula OneTM will make its way back to Europe, so will GP2 starting in Barcelona on May 10-12 and Monte-Carlo two weeks later. The action will then resume in Silverstone on June 28-30. The month of July will host two race weekends, first in Nurburg on the 5th, 6th and 7th, and then in Budapest on the 26th, 27th and 28th.

After the summer breather, the Series will set-up camp in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium on August 24th followed by the Italian round at Monza two weeks later. The Series will return to Singapore on September 20th, 21st and 22nd. The 2013 season will be concluded on the first weekend of November in Abu Dhabi at the prestigious Yas Marina Circuit.

The 2012 Champion, Davide Valsecchi, in Monza. (Photo: GP2 Series)

In addition to these eleven rounds, two pre-season test sessions will be organised first at Jerez de la Frontera on February 26-27-28, followed by Barcelona on March 5-6-7.

Date  Venue
26-27-28 February   Jerez de la Frontera, Spain   Test
5-6-7 March   Barcelona, Spain   Test

22-24 March   Sepang, Malaysia   Race
19-21 April   Sakhir, Bahrain   Race
10-12 May   Barcelona, Spain   Race
23-25 May    Monte-Carlo, Monaco   Race
28-30 June   Silverstone, Great-Britain   Race
05-07 July   Nurburg, Germany    Race
26-28 July   Budapest, Hungary   Race
23-25 August   Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium    Race
06-08 September   Monza, Italy   Race
20-22 September   Singapore, Singapore   Race
01-03 November   Abu Dhabi, UAE   Race

From GMM

Barcelona has moved to secure its annual spot on the formula one calendar.

With European grand prix host Valencia dropped from the 2013 schedule, it was expected that both of Spain's F1 hosts would now move to annually alternate a single race per year.

But El Mundo Deportivo newspaper reports that the Circuit de Catalunya has inked an agreement with the public institution Diputacion Provincial de Barcelona, providing new funding to the track.

"We have a contract to host the GP de Espana until 2016," said Circuit de Catalunya chief Vincente Aguilera, "and we want to keep it. Indeed, we are open to negotiating an extension until 2020 with the same conditions."

Vincente Aguilera told AS newspaper: "We have no desire to alternate. We cannot speak for Valencia, who have agreements with (Bernie) Ecclestone about which we have nothing to say."

Start of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, in Barcelona. (Photo: WRi2)

Although it's no longer Colin Chapman's original team, Gerard Lopez's Lotus F1 Team scored a victory this year in Formula 1, 25 years after Ayrton Senna won the U.S. Grand Prix in Detroit in 1987.

The near-fatal rally accident of their star driver, Robert Kubica, prior to the start of the 2011 season turned out to be a real disaster for the team led by Frenchman, Eric Boullier. The team needed a genuine leader and eventually found one in rally refugee, Kimi Raikkonen. The 2007 F1 World Champion adapted very well to his new home and proved to be a great source of motivation despite his reluctance to talk.

The team name was officially changed from Renault to Lotus for this year. Lotus finished the season in fourth place in the Constructor's championship with 303 points.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

Kimi Raikkonen
3rd in the Driver's Championship with 207 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Belgium)
Best race result: 1st (once, Abu Dhabi), 7 podiums
Never retired (scored points in 19 races)

Romain Grosjean
8th in the Driver's Championship with 96 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Hungary)
Best race result: 2nd (once, Canada), 3 podiums
Retired 7 times

The Renault-powered Lotus E20 was a brillant race car, but a not-so-good qualifier. It seems the Lotus had difficulties getting its tires up to the correct temperature during the qualifying effort. But on a full tank in race trim, it was a totally different story and the car was really fast and consistent

Kimi Raikkonen finished five times on the podium -- including three second-place finishes -- in the opening 11 Grands Prix. However, a win remained elusive until the 18th round in Abu Dhabi. Despite having been away from F1 for two full years, Raikkonen was brilliantly consistent.

The Finn scored points in 19 races out of 20 (China was his only off), and earned thousands of new fans when he told his team on the radio, “Leave me alone. I know that to do,” when he was en route to victory in Abu Dhabi, demonstrating his (very) strong character.

Kimi Raikkonen won at Abu Dhabi ahead of Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). (Photo: WRi2)

Romain Grosjean made his return to F1 after clinching the GP2 serie's title. Inexperience showed in an erratic early form, but he then scored three impressive podiums. The second half of the season was characterised by a number of high-profile accidents, including one at Spa that earned him a one-race ban, but he managed to retain his seat for 2013.

Grosjean scored 76 points in the opening 12 races of the season, then got his race ban and drove very carefully afterwards, collecting just 20 points in the final seven races.

From GMM

Luiz Razia, the 2012 GP2 runner-up, admitted he was surprised when on Tuesday Marussia announced Max Chilton as Timo Glock's 2013 teammate.

The 23-year-old Brazilian told Globo he was a hot contender for the seat until the very last minute.

"We didn't have much chance at Lotus," Razia, referring to this week's news of Romain Grosjean's new contract, admitted.

"But we were caught by surprise by Marussia. We were talking to them until yesterday. They said 'We're still deciding'. There are still two vacancies, Force India and Caterham, and we've been talking. Yes we still have a chance," said Razia.

Max Chilton, Marussia. (Photo: WRi2)

Yet another possibility is that Marussia does not honour its existing contract with Timo Glock.

Indeed, Tuesday's press release about Chilton made not a single reference to the German, and the recent official 2013 entry list said both of Marussia's 2013 seats were 'TBA' (to be announced).

"Timo has a contract until 2014 and so the team would have to pay a penalty of termination. I don't know if that's interesting for the team," said Razia, who admitted he has "sponsors" but not a "bottomless pit" of funding.

From GMM

According to his manager, Jules Bianchi has a "real chance" of securing one of the two remaining race seats on the 2013 grid.

The 23-year-old Frenchman's manager Nicolas Todt told RMC Sport that Bianchi is in the running for the vacant Force India drive alongside Paul di Resta.

Bianchi, also supported by Ferrari's driver development 'academy', was the Silverstone based team's full time reserve driver this year.

"The decision is in the hands of two or three people at the Force India team," Todt, the son of FIA president Jean Todt and also the manager of Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado, said.

"I think Jules has a real chance but nothing is done," added Todt.

Jules Bianchi. (Photo: Ferrari)

It has been reported the favourite for the drive is German Adrian Sutil, but Todt insisted: "There are many drivers knocking on the door at Force India."

He said he doubts Sutil is a shoe-in for the seat.

"I would be surprised, but as of today I do not think anyone has signed," said Todt.

Sahara Force India has announced it will launch its 2013 car at Silverstone on 1 February, ahead of the winter test season in Spain.

From GP3

GP3 series' organisers have unveiled the provisional 2013 calendar which will be made of eight rounds in total.

Seven rounds have been confirmed for the season which will run alongside the Formula 1 World Championship, with an eighth standalone race weekend mid-June (venue to be announced at a later date). The calendar features an exciting new venue for GP3 with Abu Dhabi hosting the final race of the season.

The Series will kick off its fourth season in Barcelona, Spain on 10-12 May with the brand new GP3/13 car. The eagerly anticipated second-generation machine will make its debut as the Formula 1 season commences its European campaign. The GP3 standalone event (TBA) will follow on 15-16 June before the paddock then travels to Silverstone, Nurburg and Budapest before the annual summer break.

Mitch Evans, 2012 Champion, in Valencia. (Photo: GP3 Series)

GP3 will return to action on 23-25 August at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit with Monza the setting for the penultimate race weekend. The magnificent Abu Dhabi will set the scene for the season finale on 01-03 November.

A total of nine pre-season test days will be held: firstly in Estoril on February 20-22, followed by Barcelona on March 12-13 and finally Silverstone on April 3-4. There will also be one mid-season test at the Hungaroring in Budapest on June 5-6.

Date    Venue
20-22 Feb   Estoril, Portugal   Test
12-13 Mar   Barcelona, Spain   Test
03-04 Apr   Silverstone, Great Britain   Test
10-12 May   Barcelona, Spain   Race
05-06 June   Budapest, Hungary   Test
14-16 June   TBA   Race
28-30 June   Silverstone, Great Britain   Race
05-07 July   Nurburg, Germany   Race
26-28 July   Budapest, Hungary   Race
23-25 Aug   Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium   Race
06-08 Sep   Monza, Italy   Race
01-03 Nov   Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates   Race

Like any year in the auto industry, 2012 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. It was also a year of economic uncertainty hovering over automotive markets. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part one covers the first half of the year, part two the second. This is part one.

On Friday, we introduced you to the

Also in this episode: BMW will bring the M6 Gran Coupe, 4-series concept and new Z4 at the Detroit auto show, and

Ford Motor and its community relations arm today committed $10 million to a program aimed at strengthening a Detroit neighborhood.

Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record

Self-taught land-speed-record designer Waldo Stakes hopes to use surplus Space-Race technology to break the sound barrier.

Most assaults on the land-speed record follow one of two templates. British efforts, from the Reid Railton-designed streamliner driven by John Cobb to the ThrustSSC that currently holds the record, typically feature formally trained engineers and vast battalions of support personnel. American undertakings, on the other hand, tend to involve homegrown hot-rodders -- think self-taught Frank Lockhart and junkyard genius Art Arfons -- fueled by lots of Yankee ingenuity.

Photo Gallery: Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record - Automobile Magazine

Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Recently, some punk-rock guy tried to pick up your author's girlfriend. Upon being shot down, dude lamented, and#8220;You probably date guys who like R.E.M.and#8221;

The veil is beginning to come off the 2014 Cadillac ELR, the extended-range electric luxury coupe that will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

News 20 Dec, 2012

Tell us which motoring issue we should tackle first in 2013 by voting here

Vintage Japan Glam Machines

Once dismissed as tin cans, old Japanese cars are becoming classics.

Although a mere 350 miles of California coastline and a few weeks separate mist-shrouded Pebble Beach from sunbaked Long Beach, the concours d'elegance that takes its name from the former would seem, to even the most casual observer, to be a universe removed from the Japanese Classic Car Show. This year's JCCS was held in a parking lot aside the Queen Mary. The port of Long Beach has long been one of the main entry points for cars shipped from Japan, so it's quite plausible that, for a fair number of vehicles at the show, this was something of a homecoming. Since it was established eight years ago, the JCCS has more than doubled in size; this year 400 cars and trucks plus thirty motorcycles were on display. The thermometer hit a toasty 103 degrees (the high at the Pebble show was 40 degrees lower), but that didn't deter the 5900 sweaty souls who came to ogle old Zs and have fits of nostalgia while viewing the other vintage imports from the land of the rising sun. Datsun has long dominated the show, but there was official presence from Toyota, which displayed some treasures from its nearby corporate museum. While some of the vehicles were as pristine as any Hispano-Suiza you might find at Pebble Beach, there were certainly quite a few that showed some "patina," as you might expect of vehicles that were considered somewhat disposable when purchased new.

Photo Gallery: Vintage Japan Glam Machines - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Vintage Japan Glam Machines - Automobile Magazine

Vintage Japan Glam Machines | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Toyota will keep its global output target for 2013 nearly unchanged from this year at 9.9 million vehicles despite a production cut at home, the Nikkei reported.

2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Serious Comfort

This car is soft by every definition of the word.

After crisscrossing the upper Midwest in its early days with us, our Four Seasons Nissan Altima has now spent significant time closer to home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which means that staff members have logged a wealth of first impressions.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Four Seasons Update - December 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Four Seasons Update - December 2012 - Automobile Magazine

2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Serious Comfort | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us