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Audi won the 2012 24 Hours of Spa with the R8 LMS driven by Piccini, Rast and Stippler.

BMW dominated qualifying, with the Z4s ran by teams Vita4One and Marc VDS taking the front row.

After they pulled away in the first moments of the race, both BMWs were hit by issues. The Vita4One's car had the wrong strategy, leaving the pits with four new slick tires as the rain made its appearance on the track.

Later in the race, the Marc VDS' Z4 lost several laps in the pits to solve a technical issue (starter).

BMW Z4 (Photo: SRO)

Audi then inherited the lead, with two R8 LMSs moving up to the front, with one of the Phoenix team's car, and the WRT entry. The other Phoenix's Audi, driven by one the main favorites for the race (Fassler, Kristensen and Lotterer), lost all chances for victory after a contact with another car while entering the pits.

Finally, and after an intense refuelling strategy battle, the Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS secured the win with Piccini, Rast and Stippler. The Marc VDS car ended the race one lap down, after a late penalty for an unsafe pit entry.

The winning R8 Audi. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

In Pro Am category, the win went to one of the AF Corse's Ferrari F458s.

By claiming the win at Spa, Audi secured its third win in a major 24 Hours race, after it took victory at Le Mans with the R18 e-tron quattro prototype and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with a R8 LMS.

Final classification:
1. Piccini/Rast/Stippler - Audi R8 LMS - Phoenix - 509 laps (1st GT Pro)
2. Haase/Mies/Ortelli - Audi R8 LMS- Belgian WRT + un lap
3. Lauda/Franchi/Kechele - BMW Z4 - Vita4One + un lap
4. Palttala/Leinders/Martin - BMW Z4 - Marc VDS + 2 laps
5. Hommerson/Machiels/Bartolini/Pierguidi - Ferrari 458 - AF Corse + 7 laps (1er Pro Am)
6. Fassler/Kristensen/Lotterer - Audi R8 LMS - Phoenix + 8 laps
7. Riegel/Stursberg/Menzel/Alzen - Porsche 997 - Haribo + 12 laps
8. Panis/Barthez/Debard/Traffort - Ferrari 458 - Sofrev + 12 laps
9. Parente/Barff/Goodwin/Wills - McLaren MP4-12C - Von Ryan + 12 laps
10. Beaubelique-Goueslard-Badey-Vautier - Ferrari 458 - Sofrev + 13 laps
etc.

Former Formula 1 driver, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jarier talks about his F1 days with Gilles Villeneuve. Jarier was nicknamed “Godasse de plomb” by his peers, “Foot of lead” because of his tendency to squash the throttle.

Jean-Pierre Jarier, former F1 driver. (Photo: WRI2)

"Thinking of Gilles Villeneuve brings back two crucial memories," says Jarier.

"First, in Formula Atlantic at Trois-Rivières. I'm dominating the race when I come across a back-marker. Gilles swoops by and wins the race. Then, in 1978, at Montreal's Canadian Grand Prix, I'm leading again by over 40 seconds at the wheel of my Lotus when an oil leaks forces me to retire. Once again, Gilles gets away with my win!"

"Those two lost victories changed my career. It's not Gilles' fault, I must admit. I mean, those aren't the only two mishaps that costed me a win over the course of my career," he admits.

Jarier, Lotus 79, 1978 Canadian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

Both men also shared a common interest for flying machines, such as planes and helicopters.

"When we were both in F1, Gilles used to ask me a lot about flying, for example 'Is it normal that I have a hard time when I get close to mountains?' Those were questions only he would ask, questions almost childish.

"It's normal to have a hard time flying close to mountains; of course! It's almost impossible!

"He also did stuff nobody else dared to try, like shutting off the engine while airborne, landing in parking lots, or not landing at all when fog would rise! He was incredibly bold, maybe because he didn't have any nerves! Gilles was an incredible, exceptional character, and very romantic too. Almost as if he was a medieval knight.

Jean-Pierre Jarier, Tyrrell-Ford, 1980 (Photo: WRI2)

"He took risks like no one else, and that seduced at lot of fans.

"But it was incredibly dangerous, there is no denying that. Then again, Gilles was like disconnected from the real world, living in his own bubble instead," the former F1 driver adds.

Following Discount Car Rentals' own involvement last week, Place des Arts has now joined The Electric Circuit as well. Starting next September, the cultural activities complex will be offering visitors four charging stations for electric vehicles in its underground parking lot.

According to Marc Blondeau, CEO, Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, Place des Arts “...plays a major role in Quebec's cultural development and intends to play an important role in sustainable development. Its commitment translates into actions such as the installation of charging stations to improve the quality of life of Quebec citizens and show consideration for both present and future generations.”

While the upheaval of agencies and marketing by GM's Joel Ewanick, who is fond of grand gestures, provide plenty of speculative fodder for the reasoning behind his departure, the bottom line may instead be something simpler: GM's market share...

GM has dismissed global marketing chief Joel Ewanick two years after hiring him. "He failed to meet the expectations the company has of an employee," a spokesman said. Alan Batey, GM's vice president of U.S.

Hyundai is recalling more than 200,000 units of the Santa Fe and Sonata in the United States due to problems with their airbags, a federal safety agency said.

News 29 Jul, 2012

Lewis Hamilton takes his second victory of the season, having driven from pole to win the Hungarian Grand Prix

Winning the pole for the Brickyard 400 may just be the right stuff for Denny Hamlin to kick start his title drive.

Although Hamlin has two wins and nine top-five finishes in 19 races, he has three finishes of 25 or worse in that same stretch, still a lot to prove after losing the title to Jimmie Johnson in 2010.

“We knew that this is the turning point of the season,” said Hamlin who drives the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. We feel like from Indy to Richmond (last race before the Chase) is when you're going to start to see who's going to fight for a championship.

“Everyone has got their Chase cars prepared, bringing them to the racetrack, starting to tune on them, and that's when you want to start running good.”

Carl Edwards, who qualified second in a Roush Fenway Ford, was just trying to make the Chase after losing the title to Tony Stewart in a tie-breaker last year.

Roush Fenway had replaced Edward's long-time crew chief, Bob Osborne, with Chad Norris in an attempt to get their driver into the Chase from 11th place with no wins (thus not eligible for a “wild card”).

Speaking of his qualifying effort “everybody has worked really hard for the last 12 days or however long that it takes to make this happen and it's just one lap,” Edwards said.

“But this is the first step towards our comeback to make the Chase, and I think everybody did a good job,” Edwards added.

Joey Logano, Hamlin's teammate and in the last year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, was third in another Toyota.

Eric Almirola was a bit of a surprise in fourth in another Ford.

Five-time Champ, Jimmie Johnson had the fastest Chevrolet.

Reed Sorenson and Joe Nemechek failed to make the field. Michael McDowell's qualifying was disallowed after a NASCAR inspection found too much nitrogen in a shock absorber.

From GMM

Adrian Sutil recently visited Ferrari's headquarters at Maranello.

But the former Force India driver's manager denied that German Sutil, 29, is therefore a hot contender to replace Felipe Massa in 2013.

Indeed, the Cologne newspaper Express said Sutil was only at Ferrari's private test circuit Fiorano for a day of road car driving with friends and a factory tour.

"It's true," the out-of-work former Spyker and Midland driver's manager Manfred Zimmermann said.

"Adrian was at Ferrari and also at the test track.

"But he was in a road Ferrari. He was not in the simulator or getting a seat fitted," Zimmermann insisted.

As for the likelihood this might have been Sutil's first step towards a Ferrari future, he admitted: "We definitely would not be opposed, but currently there are no negotiations.

"We are however confident that Adrian will be back (in F1) next year," added Zimmermann.

We've seen it before. After years of living together, couples break up because one of the two looks in the mirror and realizes that something must be done to fight aging.


To feel young again, you can spend thousands in plastic surgery with questionable results. Or, you can rejuvenate your entourage. This is exactly what's happening to the Mazda CX-7.

Oh, there's nothing wrong with Mazda's compact crossover. It was actually pretty unique when it was launched back in 2006, with a turbo four-pot engine instead of a V6. But inevitably, a new model has just been introduced, the 2013 Mazda CX-5, and it's better in just about every way than the venerable CX-7, which will be retired after the 2012 model year.

As the CX-7 slowly fades from Mazda dealer lots, there might be a chance for the car shopper to cash in on a good deal. After all, and despite its younger, sexier and more efficient little sister, the CX-7 still has a lot to offer.

The Mazda CX-7 will be retired after the 2012 model year. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

To turbo or not to turbo?
The 244-hp CX-7, powered by a 2.3L turbocharged inline-4 is a quick and versatile machine; yet, I never thought Mazda's turbo MZR DISI engine sounded or felt quite right under the hood of the CX-7.

A couple of years ago, Mazda added a base GX trim with a normally aspirated 2.5L four, producing 161 hp and 161 lb-ft of torque, managed by a 5-speed automatic. I immediately grew fond of this slower yet thriftier version of the CX-7. The only downside is that all-wheel drive isn't offered.

Smooth and refined, the GX model helped Mazda raise CX-7 sales exponentially, increasing from 2,869 units in 2009 to 6,710 in 2011. So far this year, however, the CX-5 has been clobbering its older sister on showroom floors. It's sad, but from a business standpoint, retiring the current CX-7 is an inevitable decision.

If you don't need all-wheel drive, the 2.5L engine is more fuel efficient than the turbo 2.3L unit. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Anyway, the 161-hp GX gets to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds, which isn't particularly fast, but a good reaction to throttle inputs make it feel quicker than it really is. My fuel economy average of 9.9L/100km isn't too shabby, either; despite some glorious NRCan fuel economy ratings, compact crossovers and SUVs rarely dip below the 10L/100km mark in my hands, and my right foot isn't filled with lead.

In addition, the CX-7 is still one of the best-handling compact crossovers out there. It may be old, but it hasn't lost any of its moves.

The CX-7 GX is also very quiet, more so than the turbo GS and GT versions with their moaning turbo I4. At 100 km/h on the highway, the GX hums along at 2,000 rpm. The 2.5L engine and 5-speed auto are well suited to each other. Unless you really, really need AWD, skip the less efficient turbo engine.

Great-looking cockpit
While the CX-7's outer shell hasn't changed much in six years, the steeply raked windshield and rising beltline gives it a sporty edge that doesn't make it look outdated. Clearly, it's not being dumped for a younger model because it's got wrinkles or a beer gut.

Same deal inside. The trim on the dash, door panels and seats look like it was pulled out of a much pricier vehicle. Assembly quality and ergonomics are top-notch, while the seats are both comfy and supportive. The only flaws are the high door sills, which complicate entry and especially exit, and the lack of a USB port for the sound system, although you do get Bluetooth streaming audio.

Cargo space with the rear seat in place is pretty good, rated at 848 litres; fold the 60/40-split seatback down, and you get 1,658 litres of volume, about the same as in a Nissan Rogue and a little better than in the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. You know what? The new CX-5 is roomier inside than all of them.

The CX-7's cockpit looks pulled out of a more expensive vehicle. (Photo: Sébastien DA'mour)

Happy retirement
The 2012 Mazda CX-7 GX with the Luxury Package, as tested, lists for $29,740. That's a good deal for a well-crafted and spacious crossover that includes features such as leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, Bluetooth, power sunroof, climate control, 17” alloy wheels and a slew of safety features.

Again, the CX-5 outshines its older sister; for only a few hundred dollars more, you get about the same equipment in addition to all-wheel drive.

The Mazda CX-7 is on its way out, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked. With age comes experience and maturity; at least, that's what I say to myself when I count the candles on my birthday cake. Zero percent financing is also a good incentive.

It may be cliché to dismiss it because of its age, but the CX-5 and other new compact crossovers such as the 2013 Ford Escape are mighty tempting. Sorry, CX-7, but I'm leaving you for someone new.

Adapted from GMM

Jenson Button thinks staying at McLaren would be the "right thing" for Lewis Hamilton.

"I'd like to see him stay," teammate Button, who is already under contract for 2013, said in Hungary.

"I'd love someone really slow as a teammate, but this place is like home to Lewis, he has been here since the start of his career."

Jenson Button wants his teammate Lewis Hamilton to stay at McLaren (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren chairman Dennis this week sounded unlikely to meet all of Hamilton's new contract demands, insisting "It's a question of whether we employ him, not the other way around".

1996 world champion Damon Hill had a word of caution for McLaren.

"His (Hamilton's) value is just going to keep going up and up if he carries on driving like that," the Sky pundit said after Hamilton netted a dominant pole and victory at the Hungaroring.

In the meantime, Button himself didn't do anything to stop the rumours that are sending him out of McLaren - to Ferrari. The 32-year-old Briton is firmly under contract to McLaren for 2013 however. But Autosprint quoted him as adding in Hungary: "Never say never".

Hamilton might be leaving McLaren, but teammate Button might do so too (Photo: WRi2)

All of which prompted Livio Oricchio, the Brazilian correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper who "arrived in Budapest thinking the chances of a renewal for Massa were good" to change his mind.

Rumours of the Brazilian leaving the Italian outfit are growing - almost as fast at the list of potential replacements is expanding, which reportedly includes Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Heikki Kovalainen and even Kamui Kobayashi

The latest development has Kimi Raikkonen shooting straight to the top of the list.

The rumour was given life by team boss Stefano Domenicali, when to Finnish broadcaster MTV3 he said Ferrari's number one Fernando Alonso and the team's departed 2007 world champion share "a lot of similarities".

A team 'insider' had earlier been quoted by the Sunday Times newspaper as saying Ferrari sees Finn, 32, as a better alternative than some of the others on the list to replace Massa.

Is Kimi Raikkonen headed back to Ferrari? (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

"Fast, experienced, unpolitical and out of contract at the end of the year. Fernando would have no problem having Kimi as his teammate," he said

But there could be an obstacle, according to British columnist Mark Hughes.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

The fabled marque's all-powerful Montezemolo and Raikkonen are said to have fallen out badly when the Finn was dropped at the end of 2009, pushing him into world rallying.

Montezemolo is reportedly "resistant to the idea" of Raikkonen coming back, where as the 2007 world champion is said to have "vowed never to work with Montezemolo again", Hughes said.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) started from pole and led most the Hungarian Grand Prix on his way to a second win this season, but had a lot of work to do to keep both Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean behind.

First, it was Romain Grojean who, putting his front row start to good use, pressured Hamilton. The pair fled from Jenson Button (McLaren) and Sebastian (Vettel), who where were fighting together for the third spot.

At the time, Raikkonen was only sixth, sitting behind championship leader Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). As the laps went by, he proceeded to climb back the order and emerged as Hamilton's biggest threat in the final stint.

Even though the Finn seemed faster, he failed to find a way by Hamilton around the tricky and tight Hungaroring.

Behind the two, Grosjean brought home to Lotus another good but slightly disappointing result, finishing third where the team had surely hoped for a win.

Vettel, who had lost a spot to Button at the start, eventually managed to get rid of the Brit but couldn't climb any higher than fourth. In fact, Button fell down to sixth because of a bad three-stop call.

Alonso squeezed between the two, therefore ending a discrete but good race in fifth. As Webber only finished eighth, the Spaniard stretched his lead in the championship to 40 points. It was Bruno Senna (Williams) who, in one of his strongest performance, denied Webber a better result by finishing seventh.

Felipe Massa (Ferrari) fell back from his honourable starting position to ninth at the finish, while Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) made his way from 13th up to 10th and therefore grabbed the last point available.

His teammate Michael Schumacher endured probably one of his worst race weekend ever. The seven-time world champion first crashed in Friday's free practice, then qualified a lowly 17th, which ultimately didn't matter because he stalled on the grid and had to start from the pit lane.

And it kept on coming.

Pitting for an early tire change, Schumacher picked up a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. In the end, he didn't even get to see the flag, as he retired only a handful of laps from the finish.



Race results* - Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring, Budapest)
1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 69  laps 1.41'05"503
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1"032

3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 10"518

4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 11"614

5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 26"653

6 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 30"243
7 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 33"899
8 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 34"458

9 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 38"3

10 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 51"2

11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 57"2

12 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'02"8
13 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'03"6

14 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'04"4

15 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1  lap

16 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1  lap
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1  lap
18 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 2  laps
19 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 2  laps
20 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 2  laps

21 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 3  laps
22 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 3  laps



Fastest lap by Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1'24"136



Retirements

Michael Schumacher (lap 61)

Narain Karthikeyan (lap 63)



Drivers' championship

1.Alonso 164; 2.Webber 124; 3.Vettel 122; 4.Hamilton 117; 5.Raikkonen 116; 6.Rosberg 77; 7.Grosjean, Button 76; 9.Perez 47; 10.Kobayashi 33; 11.Maldonado, Schumacher 29; 13.Di Resta 27; 14.Massa 25; 15.Senna 24; 16.Hulkenberg 19; 17.Vergne 4; 18.Ricciardo 2.



Constructors' championship

1.Red Bull-Renault 246; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 193; 3.Lotus-Renault 192; 4.Ferrari 189; 5.Mercedes 106; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 80; 7.Williams-Renault 53; 8.Force India-Mercedes 46; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 8.

*Unofficial

While Brad Keselowski was wheeling his Dodge to victory lane in the inaugural Nationwide Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Elliott Sadler was furious.

When Keselowski spun his wheels, and slowed, on a late race restart Sadler, leaped ahead which NASCAR officials ruled as an illegal start black flagging the series' points leader.

The victory was the first NASCAR series win for Penske Racing which has a record 15 Indy 500 wins at the legendary 2.5 mile Brickyard. And it was Penske's 100th NASCAR win.

"I've been watching races here for a long time as a kid from Michigan," Keselowski said. "Everyone knows how special Indy is. To win the first Nationwide Series race is special here. This is for Roger. It's special for me to deliver it to him."

Sam Hornish, Jr., Keselowski's Penske teammate, finished second followed by Ty Dillon.

Hornish said he was pushing his teammate at the restart with about 18 laps remaining in the 100-lap race.

The issue was the exact time and place of the restart.

"You tell me what the protocol is if the leader beats me to the restart line — which he did and it's on video just as clear as day — and then he spins his tires," Sadler who drove a Chevrolet explained.

"It's just like missing a shift. Do I stop and wait for him to get his shift right or do I stop and let him get his tires? Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm getting pushed by the 3 (Austin Dillon - his teammate) car, who's also getting pushed by the 43 car."

"They just want it to be close and fair," Keselowski said. "It was obvious that (Sadler) beat us by more than that (at the restart). That's NASCAR's call."

Denny Hamlin, who won the pole for Sunday's Brickyard 400, was fourth in Toyota followed by Austin Dillon, Ty's older brother, in a Chevrolet.

Michael Annet, who finished sixth in a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, took home a $100,000 bonus in the series Dash4Cash award.

Sadler, who ended up 15th, continues to lead the series by one point over Austin Dillon and 13 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who finished ninth. Hornish remains in fourth place 28-points in arrears.

Max Chilton took his first GP2 victory at the Hungaroring in Budapest this weekend, after starting from pole position.

The English driver maintained his lead after the start ahead of Davide Valsecchi and championship leader Luiz Razia, who started from fifth position on the grid.

The positions remained unchanged until the first pit stops, when Chilton, Valsecchi, Razia and Calado were back on track behind Julian Leal, who delayed his own stop.

The colombian driver slowed the field down behind him, on a circuit where the overtaking are very difficult. When Leal did stop, Chilton was back in the lead but had to defend his position ahead of Valsecchi, who put the pressure on him until the finish line.

Chilton eventually took his first GP2 win ahead of Valsecchi and Razia.

Esteban Gutierrez took eighth position, which means he will start race 2 from pole position.



Race 1:
1 - Max Chilton - Carlin - 37 laps in 59'02"965
2 - Davide Valsecchi - Dams + 0"628
3 - Luiz Razia - Arden + 1"538

4 - James Calado - Lotus + 4"090

5 - Giedo Van der Garde - Caterham + 8"070
6 - Jolyon Palmer - iSport + 10"805
7 - Nathanael Berthon - Racing Engineering + 16"235
8 - Esteban Gutierrez - Lotus + 16"826
Etc.

As a minority shareholder, Daimler AG is investing in the largest ridesharing network in the world, GmbH's carpooling.com, which transports over one million people a month across Europe. In fact, they are already working on their ‘moovel' mobility platform as a pilot project.

At carpooling.com, drivers and passengers link up together online, planning special trips or their daily commutes. Daimler also provides a car sharing service of its own, car2go - with over 130,000 customers and growing ever more successfully.

"As a leading automotive player, Daimler will serve as a strong partner in further establishing the role of modern carpooling in Europe and overseas. We will be utilizing the new investment to further improve our offerings, broaden our customer service and make carpooling available to even more users worldwide," says Markus Barniikel, carpooling.com CEO.

News 28 Jul, 2012

Lewis Hamilton will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole, having qualified ahead of Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel

Chrysler's biggest investment in the United States in the year following its June 2009 bankruptcy exit is about to show up under more of its hoods: transmissions with additional gears to improve performance and boost fuel economy.

From GMM

A trio of formula one drivers have criticized the performance of Pirelli's rain tires.

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher on Friday suffered his second crash in wet conditions in the space of seven days, explaining at the Hungaroring that he aquaplaned into the tire barrier.

But the great German, who has been openly critical of F1's Italian tire supplier, held his disapproving fire on Friday.

Others were more vocal.

"In my view, these (Pirelli wet) tires are extremely bad in terms of (water) displacement," Marussia driver Timo Glock is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"The (tyre) behaviour is just very, very funny, in terms of aquaplaning," he added.

Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, who made his F1 debut in 2010, added: "The Bridgestones were able to cope with more water."

And a third - unnamed - driver told the publication: "In the past we lost 12 seconds in the rain, now we're losing twenty."

From GMM

Craig Pollock's 'Pure' company has paused its operations, the German website motorsport-total and journalists Dieter Rencken and Stefan Ziegler have revealed.

Pollock, formerly the founder of Brackley based BAR and Jacques Villeneuve's manager, announced last year he intended to supply 'Propulsion Universelle et Recuperation d'Energie' (Pure)-branded engines to formula one customers for the 2014 V6 regulations.

The company set up camp at Toyota's Cologne headquarters earlier this year.

But the project, which also involves former Ferrari and FIA engine boss Gilles Simon, has hit a financial roadblock, the German-language report said.

A key investor pulled out a month ago, and now Pure will have to move out of Cologne, where it utilised office space, a workshop and engine test stands.

Simon informed Pure's partners and suppliers of the unfortunate development by email, explaining a financing problem.

Motorsport-total.com said Pollock confirmed the news.

"The situation is very simple," he is quoted as saying. "The investor is from the United States."

He went on to explain that Pure needs financing to come from Europe in order to satisfy Swiss tax rules.

"Until now we've been manufacturing parts and assembling engines in Cologne, but as of today, all of this has stopped," said Pollock.

He said he is expecting new European-based finance to be in place by "the end of the month".

After it withdrew from GT FIA world championship's organization, SRO will launch a GT Sprint series without the FIA's backing.

The Blancpain Endurance Series, the increasingly popular GT3-spec series, will continue next season, with five events in its calendar, including the season highlight Spa 24 Hours, presented this weekend in 2012.

In the meantime, a new Sprint GT championship, that will replace the FIA GT World Championship, will be launched. The series will keep the double 60-minute race format, intertwined between two Blancpain Endurance Series' races.

The points collected in both championships will count towards a world championship classification.