Auto News 5

Honda will add products and expand production in North America as part of a plan to double global vehicle sales to 6 million annually in the next five years.

Honda plans to double its global vehicle sales to 6 million in five years, driven by demand for small cars such as the Fit/Jazz compact and new models in emerging markets including China and India.

News 27 Sep, 2012

Pictures and details of the new 296bhp Audi S3, which has been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show

Jaguar Land Rover and Chery Automobile have won regulatory approval to form a 12.1 billion yuan ($1.92 billion) car venture in China.

Ferrari's latest supercar gives customers as much power as a Formula One driver.

Veteran BMW executive Frank Bachmann is the new head of production for the automaker's Mini brand.

A provisional calendar of the 2013 Formula 1 season was shown to the teams in the paddock of the Grand Prix of Singapore.

British motorsport publication Autosport has learned this first draft has now been put forward for a 20-race campaign next year.

At this moment, there is no French Grand Prix while Spa is scheduled for September 1st.

The June 16 New Jersey, U.S event would replace the Europe GP in the streets of Valencia. The British Grand Prix has been moved forwward one week. The Grand Prix of Canada remains on the same weekend as this year, and will be held June 9.

The German Grand Prix will be staged at the Nurburgring in 2013.

The calendar will be submitted for approval at the new meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council that takes place on September 28.

2013 Formula 1 schedule (provisional)

March 17 Australia (Melbourne)
March 24 Malaysia (Sepang)
April 14 China (Shanghai)
April 21 Bahrain (Sakhir)
May 12 Spain (Barcelona)
May 26 Monaco (Monte Carlo)
June 9 Canada (Montreal)
June 16 America (New Jersey) *
June 30 Britain (Silverstone)
July 21 Germany (Nurburgring)*
July 28 Hungary (Hungaroring)
September 1 Belgium (Spa)
September 8 Italy (Monza)
September 22 Singapore (Marina Bay) *
October 6 Japan (Suzuka)
October 13 Korea (Yeongam) *
October 27 India (Buddh International Circuit)
November 3 Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
November 17 United States (Austin)
November 24 Brazil (Interlagos)

* subject to confirmation

Testosterone is the hormone that makes men men. It gives us deep voices, muscles and the ability to generate offensive odors, talk sports and repair things.

Mostly, this magical stuff is created within a special part of the male body -- but a few vehicles I've driven lately spew it freely from their tailpipes.

Looking for a ride to celebrate your inner alpha male? Here's a look at a few of the manliest, most testosterone-injected vehicles I've come across in the past year.

Warning: Close proximity to any of the following rides may cause you to grow excessive chest hair and crave barbequed meat. Use them at your own risk

BMW 1 Series M Coupé: Manly cars don't need a V8. Six cylinders and two turbochargers suffice here -- the 1M's bulging, muscle-bound body and exhaust note do the rest. You get well over 300 horsepower, widened fenders, big tires, lowered suspension and no B.S.

The 1M only comes with a manual gearbox, furthering its manliness. It's the look and driving experience that get the testosterone flowing here.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Toyota FJ Cruiser: What's more appealing to the male brain than a Tonka truck you can drive every day? Toyota's FJ Cruiser will climb, descend or slog through almost any off-road nastiness thrown its way with one of the most distinctive looks on the road. Best of all, Bilstein shocks and a truck-frame platform deliver one of the manliest rides on this side of a military-spec Humvee.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Dodge Challenger SRT8: Cars don't get much manlier. This one's got 392 cubes, 470 ponies, drives the rear wheels, and lets drivers bang gears via a 6-speed, pistol-grip shifter. The sound and sensation of quickly browsing the Challenger SRT8's forward gears with your foot down is one of unparalleled masculinity.

The Challenger SRT8 recalls fast Dodges of the '60s with loud noises, obnoxious styling and plenty of tire smoke -- and this manly ride makes no apologies for doing it.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Ford F-250 Super Duty: It's the strong, silent type, but Ford's Power Stroke-powered F-250 has enough torque to shift a tectonic plate. With 800 lb-ft of the stuff, it's capable of handling the manliest of feats and it's got room for your buddies and their stuff on a road trip. Super Duty feels tough as heck on any road or trail, too. Big, imposing and powerful, this is one of the beefiest trucks on the road.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Jaguar XKR: This one's manly in the most refined, gentlemanly sort of way. Sure, the XKR looks a bit high-class, hoity-toity and refined, but get to smashing on its throttle and the 5.0L supercharged V8 emits one of the best sounds to ever come out of a set of tailpipes.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Shelby GT500: Pure supercharged testosterone gushes from the four fist-sized tailpipes bolted to the back of Shelby's latest Mustang. It's powerful as heck, rear-wheel drive, horrifying at full throttle, and makes a noise like a Hollywood gun-fight when you downshift. This all-conquering ‘Stang can embarrass many a supercar while leaving enough cash in your pocket for a new Harley, outdoor barbeque pit, and projector TV-equipped man-cave.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Two renowned companies in the tire industry, (Pneus Unimax known as UNIPNEU) and Point S have recently entered an alliance. Point S, with its 2,600 outlets, sell 15 million tires annually and are already present in the United States; the association with Pneus Unimax means they will enter the Canadian market in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic provinces.

The UNIPNEU banner will remain in Quebec, while Point S will be developed by Pneus Unimax in certain areas in Quebec as well as where the company wants to increase its presence in the rest of Canada. Tire dealers whose business is focused on retail will offer the brand Point S.

Pneus Unimax is composed of 77 independent dealers in 133 outlets under the brand UniPNEU in the province of Quebec.

Source: Pneus Unimax

This Saturday and Sunday, the third edition of the popular Last Call Show'n'Shine auto show will take place at the Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown, PEI. The event highlights the Confederation Bridge's 15th anniversary festivities and will feature exotic vehicles, rare pre-1980 classic cars and approximately 25 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts and participants from five countries. The tour will include approximately 25 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts and participants from 5 countries

It will all kick off at 11am with the main showcase and a Concours d'Elegance for high-end vehicles. This will be followed in the afternoon by the MINI Invasion experience on Victoria Row (one of the newly named "Great streets of Canada"), accompanied by live music performances.

Day 2 will begin with a scenic drive on the North Shore followed by the Show'n' Shine at Landing Park. In all, $5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded.

Photo: peiimf.com

From press release

Alan Bellavance clinched the 2012 Quebec GT Challenge Series' title with two fifth places at the last round, held at the Calabogie Motorsports Park.

The Quebec GT Challenge was created late in 2011 to give every racer a chance to go on track, no matter what type of car he or she was driving. Challenge founder Charles Hammer saw an opportunity to race the kind of car he likes to drive.

“A lot of racers own well prepared cars that do not fit in the current racing class structure because of age, preparation rules or outright speed. We decided to create a series where you can “Run What You Brung”, be it a Prototype, an old Trans-Am or production-based car, or a recent Super Car,” Hammer said.

Seven double-header rounds, featuring standing starts, two 20-to-30 minute races with an obligatory pit stop, took place at the Circuit ICAR and the Autodrome St-Eustache near Montreal, and at the Calabogie Motorsports Park, just West of Ottawa.

A total of 18 drivers took part in the series, an excellent number for a first season. Series Director Cliff Dawson of Pro racing management is happy with the first season's results.

“We know there are a lot of idle race cars out there and drivers who will race them if the costs are kept within reason. That is one of our goals and we know that our approach will attract more and more people over the coming seasons. We will announce the 2013 schedule shortly, as well as a few refinements to simplify our rules and give every participant a chance at a good result,” Dawson explained.

The series' organisers congratulated Alan Bellavance, who raced his Honda Civic in all 14 races and finished on the podium four times over the season.

Set to go on sale in Canada on September 24th, the all-new 2013 Honda Accord will start at $23,990. That's the price for the base LX sedan with 6-speed manual transmission.

The Accord Coupe, meanwhile, will arrive at dealerships on November 1st with more content and a lower MSRP ($26,290) than the 2012 model.

The new top-of-the-line Honda Accord Touring sedan, featuring the HondaLink connectivity system, Honda LaneWatch blind spot monitoring system, heated rear seats and other luxurious amenities, will retail for $35,290.

"Due to added standard features and technologies, coupled with price reductions, the new Accord adds up to $3,500 in additional value for Canadian customers compared to the outgoing model," claims Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada.

Photo: Honda

The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) reached a new four-year tentative agreement with General Motors of Canada on Thursday. The deal is similar to the one between Ford and the CAW earlier this week.

The new agreement includes a $3,000 quality and productivity bonus for workers upon ratification as well as cost of living lump sum payments (to be paid before the Christmas holiday period) of $2,000 in each of 2013, 2014 and 2015.

It also offers protection of current pension benefits for existing workers and incremental improvements in benefits, including dental care. New employees will now start at $20.40 an hour, which represents 60% of the current base rate, and reach full compensation after 10 years.

Moreover, GM will add a third shift at the Oshawa Flex assembly plant while creating, maintaining or extending 1,750 jobs across the country.

Chrysler is the last of the Big Three not to have reached an agreement with the CAW. The threat of a work stoppage at its Canadian facilities is still on the table.

It's official: Summer is over. Despite your denial, the cooler temperatures have surely given away fall's presence, as have the ads for rustproofing treatments strewn about. These are telltale signs that cold weather, winter tires and Christmas are just around the bend. Buck up, we're here to make the transition easier.

For the last month or so, rustproofing companies have been assailing radio-, TV- and web-waves with advertising campaigns pushing and touting their products as being better than all the others. Corner garages have put up signs on the curb displaying their available rust treatments and coupons keep landing in all of our mail boxes.

Rust and rustproofing may be seasonal topics, but they are in reality year-round issues. It's the same thing every year: People are confronted, even conflicted, by something they should do to protect their car but often are not certain as to what they should do, when they should do it and where it should be done.


As an FYI, it's usually at the F&I (Finance & Insurance) stage when you're buying your new car that the dealer will suggest their own rustproofing for many hundreds of dollars and note that the car will be guaranteed for life. Simply put, we say don't bother with this getup as others are available for less. Make sure you don't fall victim to fear-mongering. An independent treatment by a specialized outfit is usually the best way to go.

Truth is that new cars and trucks typically undergo factory-applied rustproofing treatments, however, they can begin to show pertinent signs of rust after only 5 years. The fact is that not everyone should get their vehicle treated.

For those who intend to keep their vehicles for an extended period of time, rustproofing will do many things including maintain a good resale value. Not only that, but over a 7- or 8-year span, it could prevent the replacement of parts such as brake lines, electrical connectors and even certain body panels such as lower-door seams or rocker panels. On the other hand, those who are leasing for 2 to 4 years and have no intention to buy the car at the end of the contract do not need to bother with the investment.

The second most common enquiry - after what treatment should be had - is when should the car be done? Ideally, rustproofing should be done when it's warmer outside so it's not necessary to wait until the fall. The reason is simple: The mild-to-warm temperatures will allow the products to better penetrate the treated areas. The metals will basically soak up the product as it is porous.

Now, once the consumer has decided to get the job done, they are faced with another decision: Which type of rustproofing treatment is best for me? There are in fact two real types of treatments: oil and grease-based treatments. There are other choices, but they are not actually options. More on this in the coming days.

Caterham F1 Team has confirmed Friday that Cyril Abiteboul will join the team as CEO, responsible for all the team's on and off-track operations and reporting to Caterham Group CEO Riad Asmat and Chairman Tony Fernandes.

Until January 2013 Abiteboul, currently Deputy Managing Director of Renault Sport F1, will split his duties between Caterham F1 Team and Renault Sport F1 to finalise ongoing projects.

Abiteboul has spent the 11 past years with Renault.

Cyril Abiteboul, Riad Asmat and Tony Fernandes. (Photo: Caterham F1 Team)

“Cyril's appointment is more good news for our F1 team,” said Tony Fernandes.

“As CEO he will lead our F1 operation and will work closely with Riad, who can now turn his full attention to the continuing growth of the wider Caterham Group which is already active in the automotive, aerospace and marine industries. Cyril will also strengthen the excellent relationship that we have with Renault, particularly as we work towards the introduction of the new engine regulations in 2014 when engines will play an even greater role in overall car performance,” he added.

From GMM

Indycar could be another option as Alex Zanardi prepares to take his next step.

The former F1 driver recently won double Paralympics gold in hand-cycling, revealing afterwards that he is now considering a return to his sport of choice.

After losing his legs in a 2001 CART crash, the now 45-year-old Italian has tested hand-controlled Champ Car and F1 single seaters and won races in a BMW touring car.

Alex Zanardi in the specially equipped BMW WTCC car. (Photo: WRI2)

It emerged earlier this week that a DTM foray with BMW next year could be an option, and now his former Indy boss Chip Ganassi has revealed talks with Zanardi.

"We are talking to him but we'll have to see; talk is cheap," Ganassi, who is also involved in sports car and Nascar racing, is quoted by the Telegraph.

"But it would be a dream come true to bring him back; it would be as big as it gets. I'd sure like to do it and I wouldn't want him returning with anybody else," added Ganassi.

Something new
Launched this year, the 2012 Buick Verano takes on the best in the compact luxury segment. It certainly fits in with this category's upscale look and is easily identified as a signature Buick with its vertical grille, angular wrap-around headlights, and indented accent side lines along the bottom of the doors.

This model comes with an important feature that is oftened overlooked: superior sound damping, or as Buick calls it, Quiet Tuning. This blissful design element cocoons driver and passengers from exterior din and hubbub, as well as the road rumble and engine noise from the vehicle itself. The manufacturer has succeeded in spades: The 2012 Buick Verano is the quietest car I've ever driven.


Something old
The introduction of this new sedan completes a range which is sure to please parents of Baby Boomers, while also reaching a younger demographic.

Even though the interior styling of the 2012 Buick Verano is attractive, there are still, unfortunately, some tired vestiges of earlier models, namely wood inserts in the console and door panels. In an era when you're hard-pressed to find such panelling, even in grandma's basement, you have to ask: Is Buick really interested in attracting a younger clientele?

The passenger compartment in the 2012 Buick Verano is spacious. Seats are comfortable and supportive, like settling into a La-Z-Boy. Passengers get the same treatment with the rounded seat backs, allowing for a few extra centimetres of legroom. And for a little extra pampering, automatic heating of the front seats and steering wheel kicks in when the temperature drops below 7°C.

The dashboard in the 2012 Buick Verano is distinguished, but you might get lost in an eclectic mix of glitzy accoutrements of plastic and woodgrain. The no-fuss central console misses its chance at ergonomic perfection because I had to look twice to figure out the right button choice.

Technology integrates with the Buick's navigation system in whizz-bang fashion. Now you can synchronize your cell data and send it along to your maps, addresses, contacts, etc., and have it all stored directly in the console's memory bank, lurking down there somewhere... Certainly, the 2012 Buick Verano wants to hook up with the inner geek in all of us.

The dashboard is distinguished, but you might get lost in an eclectic mix of glitzy accoutrements of plastic and woodgrain.(Photo: Marie-Andrée Ayotte)

Something borrowed
With a Buick Regal's engine inside a Chevrolet Cruze's chassis, the Verano is designed to compete with the low-end models of the Acura and Lexus brands.

A 4-cylinder, 2.4L engine supplying 180 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque powers the 2012 Buick Verano. Weighing in at 1,500 kg this vehicle hardly makes for sporty driving, and you can forget about any nifty moves that require fast acceleration. It lacks power and that gentle nudge on the accelerator that would make it more lively on the road.

The 6-speed automatic transmission featured in the 2012 Buick Verano gives you decent gas mileage. I calculated an average of 8L/100km during my trial week. For a car of this size, I'm quite satisfied. I wouldn't say that I was heavy on the gas pedal or got over-excited revving the engine -- not at all. In fact, the gearbox-engine-power configuration means you can't help but be conservative.

A 4-cylinder, 2.4L engine supplying 180 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque powers the 2012 Buick Verano. (Photo: Marie-Andrée Ayotte)

And something...else
You can get your hands on a 2012 Buick Verano (fully loaded, and with real leather) for $27,620. Still too steep? Then go for the low-end version which retails for $22,595.

GM says the 2012 Buick Verano's competitors are the Acura ILX, starting at $27,790, the Lexus IS 250 at $32,900 and the Audi A3 at $34,100.

All joking aside (and in a better group) the more spacious Toyota Camry is available for $26,120, while the Volkswagen Passat Comfortline (which is also bigger), ranges from $28,000 to $31,500. Although not in the luxury compact segment, these two don't stoop to woodgrain dashboards either.

From GMM

Rubens Barrichello has tipped Fernando Alonso to hang onto his championship lead all the way to the 2012 finale.

Asked by O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper to pick this year's title winner, the most experienced driver in F1 history answered: "I think Alonso."

After a record-setting career spanning 326 grands prix, 40-year-old Brazilian Barrichello switched to Indycars this year when he lost his Williams race seat.

Explaining his reason for choosing Alonso as the likely 2012 champion, he added: "Hamilton is the guy in F1 with the most natural speed, but Alonso is the most complete. That's why it's so difficult for Felipe (Massa), because he's always comparing to the strongest of all."

Photo: WRi2

Rubens Barrichello, however, said his countryman Massa could have a chance to keep his Ferrari seat in 2013, because he has been "very close to Alonso in recent races".

Meanwhile, Barrichello suggested that he was considered by Lotus to replace the banned Romain Grosjean at Monza recently.

"In the end they had the pressure to use their third driver," he said, referring to Belgian Jerome d'Ambrosio.

He still regrets Williams' decision to overlook him for a 2012 race seat.

"I'm not saying I would do better than the guys (Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna) who are there," said Barrichello. "Just that with a good car, it is natural to expect a more experienced driver to get more points."

Barrichello admits he misses F1.

"You do not date someone for 19 years and then forget about them the next day. It hurt my son Eduardo to watch the first race in Melbourne on TV," he said.

He hinted he will attend November's 2012 season finale in his native Sao Paulo.

"I have many friends in formula one and I want to see them," said Barrichello.

Two-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team topped the two free practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Singapore held Friday on the Marina Bay street circuit.

Vettel, driving a Renault-powered Red Bull RB7, set the fastest time in 1m50.566 on the bumpy circuit.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull (Photo: WRI2)

Heavy early morning rain set the tone for the start of the session, which was still significantly damp when free practice began. Then, the track dried up and the teams fitted slick Pirelli tires.

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren ranked second ahead of his teammate Jenson Button, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Pastor Maldonado.

Vettel's teammate, Australian Mark Webber was down in sixth place.

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren (Photo: WRI2)

The modified Mercedes AMG W03 failed to impress with Michael Schumacher 14th and Nico Rosberg in 18th place. The overheating brakes caused some issues to the engineers.

Vettel resumed his domination in the second session, topping the charts with a time of 1m48.340. The Red Bull Team tested a solution to improve the running of their alternators, and it seems that it gave positive results.

Jenson Button planed this McLaren MP4-27 in second place, three tenths down to Vettel.

Mark Webber, Red Bull (Photo: WRI2)

Fernando Alonso was third in front of Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India), Nico Rosberg, Romain Grosjean (back in the Lotus after a one-race ban) and Michael Schumacher.

Bruno Senna lightly brushed his Williams against the outside wall at Turn 19. The incident may have been small, but the stranded car proved difficult to remove and necessitated a short red-flag period.

As usual for a Friday, there was also a comparison between the two tire compounds brought here by Pirelli (Soft and Super Soft) and long runs for all drivers. By the end of today's practice, the Scuderia Ferrari said a clear difference had emerged between the two Pirelli compounds in terms of lap time.

Sergio Perez, Sauber (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

Grand Prix of Singapore, free practice 1*, Friday:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'50"566 - 24 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'50"615 - 15
3 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'51"459 - 17
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'51"525 - 20
5 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'51"576 - 20
6 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'51"655 - 19
7 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'51"658 - 24
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'51"943 - 21
9 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'52"275 - 24
10 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'52"296 - 19
11 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'52"629 - 25
12 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'52"716 - 16
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'52"839 - 23
14 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'52"986 - 21
15 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'53"028 - 20
16 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'53"080 - 17
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'53"189 - 25
18 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'53"227 - 25
19 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'54"908 - 20
20 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'55"091 - 16
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'55"335 - 22
22 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'55"760 - 22
23 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'56"656 - 21
24 - Ma Qing Hua (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'58"053 - 20

Grand Prix of Singapore, free practice 2*, Friday:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'48"340 - 27 laps
2 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'48"651 - 24
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'48"896 - 26
4 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'48"964 - 26
5 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'49"086 - 28
6 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'49"300 - 30ù
7 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'49"339 - 31
8 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'49"790 - 32
9 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'50"039 - 28
10 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'50"161 - 23
11 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'50"263 - 23
12 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'50"345 - 24
13 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'50"636 - 32
14 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'50"791 - 26
15 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'51"122 - 28
16 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'51"450 - 21
17 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'51"452 - 11
18 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'52"008 - 31
19 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'52"218 - 29
20 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'52"576 - 27
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'52"863 - 27
22 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'52"936 - 25
23 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'54"448 - 25
24 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'54"514 - 30

*Unofficial timing

From GMM

Fernando Alonso has admitted to having a "laugh" when he read the names of certain supposed candidates to be his Ferrari teammate in 2013.

Officially, the Italian team quoted its Spanish 'number 1' as saying in Singapore: "Looking at all the names that the media have been putting forward as a replacement, I'm not sure if you realise quite how much Felipe (Massa) has achieved in formula one".

But according to Italy's Autosprint, that is not all the former two-time world champion had to say on the speculation surrounding Brazilian Massa's suture.

"When I read certain names in the papers, I have to laugh," Alonso reportedly said.

"I don't know if they're true or not, but - even in the minor formulas - what have these drivers done better than Felipe?" he asked rhetorically.

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa at Monaco. (Photo: Ferrari)

Drivers including Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil have been linked with Massa's seat for 2013.

Once the favourite, Mexican Perez appears to be racing out of contention now, after Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said the Sauber driver is too inexperienced.

"I fully respect his opinion," Perez, who is now linked with McLaren, said on Thursday.

Alonso also backs his president's view.

"I have nothing to add to Montezemolo's words," said Alonso. "The fact is that if Kobayashi and Maldonado succeed with a different strategy in the next race and get on the podium, then we're suddenly talking about them. That's always the case, in every race, because Ferrari is an attractive place for any driver."