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On Sunday May 19, before the start of the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher will take to the track.

Schumacher will post a demonstration lap on the Nürburgring's legendary Nordschleife in a Mercedes AMG 2011 W02 to say 'thank you' to his fans for their years of loyal support during his F1 career.

This will be the first time since Juan Manuel Fangio's victory on 1st August 1954 that a modern Formula 1 Silver Arrow has driven on the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring.

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes W02. (Photo: WRi2)

Schumacher covered part of the Nordschleife in the last Formula 1 grand prix at the Nürburgring in July 2011, however, that was in a Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Stromlinie W196.

"I have a lot of fond memories of the Nürburgring and am really looking forward to giving fans and friends from my home town of Kerpen, which is quite close to the Nürburgring, something to remember as they see me drive by,” said Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes-Benz press release.

“But it will be a fantastic experience for me too, driving along the Nordschleife in a state-of-the-art Formula 1 Silver Arrow, particularly in view of the fact that the Silver Arrow's legend began here. Posting a lap in a modern Silver Arrow on the most beautiful and most testing circuit in the world, what a brilliant mix - it's every motor racing driver's dream!" he added.

Denny Hamlin's hopes for an early return to racing, following his back injury in California, have been thwarted following a medical evaluation.

Dr. Jerry Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates re-evaluated Hamlin this week and it was determined that he would benefit from additional rest and rehabilitation.

The 32-year old Joe Gibbs Racing driver suffered an L1 Compression Fracture during an accident on the final lap of the race at Auto Club Speedway on March 24 after making contact with Joey Logano.

Hamlin tweeted “unfortunately I won't be racing this weekend at Richmond. It kills me to not be in the car for my team and sponsors but after long discussions with the doctors we have decided to wait on my return back to racing. Thanks to all of my fans who have sent encouraging messages over the last month. I'll be back in no time.”

Brian Vickers will remain behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond.

Fuel efficiency is not always directly correlated to tiny boring cars although they do make up a good portion of the following list. Perhaps most importantly, fun-to-drive need not be excluded from the equation as great drivers such as the MINI and Jetta fulfill this top 10's criteria. Cars are listed in alphabetical order.

Chevrolet Cruze ECO M6 7.2/4.6

Photo: Chevrolet

Continue reading Top 10 most fuel efficient cars under $30k

The 2013 edition of the famous Who Works in Motorsports book has been released and covers 18 motorsport series this year.

The indispensable B to B motor sport business tool covering most world's major motor-racing championships in 1058 pages.


ALMS DTM Eurocup FR2.0 Eurocup Megane Trophy ELMS Euro Racecar NASCAR FIA GT Formula E Formula One Formula Renault 3.5 GP2 Series Grand-Am IndyCar NASCAR Sprint Cup V8 Supercars WEC WRC WTCC are covered this year.

Each carefully researched edition of Who Works In Motorsports provides industry professionals and fans with in-depth, hard-to-find details that cover teams, drivers, cars, engines, team principals, engineers, key staff, sponsors, suppliers, marketing and PR professionals, press officers, photographers, journalists, circuits and officials.

Names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses: it's all in Who Works In Motorsports 2013.

This professional reference tool is produced in a convenient-sized hardback book containing 1058 pages and 2000+ colour images.

Who Works in Motorsport is available online at www.whoworksin.com, by emailing info@whoworksin.com or calling +44 20 7193 0686.

Further details are also available on the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/whoworksin.formulaone.

From GMM

One of F1's existing engine bosses has questioned rumours Honda and Toyota could be set to re-join the sport in the foreseeable future.

Amid strong rumours Honda will become McLaren's works partner in 2015, and possibly supply customer V6s to Sauber, another rumour doing the rounds in Bahrain was that Honda's traditional rival Toyota might also come back.

Both Japanese marques withdrew their works teams amid the global financial crisis late last decade, but could now be interested in F1's futuristic ERS-powered turbo V6 rules that will come into force next season.

"Yes, even Toyota is toying with a comeback," Swiss newspaper Blick's veteran correspondent Roger Benoit said in Bahrain. "The Japanese have Williams in sight, and they could get Japanese favourite Kamui Kobayashi back in a race cockpit."

Photo: Renault Sport F1

Senior Renault engine figure Rob White, however, doubts not only the Toyota rumours, but also the reports that Honda's plans are already well advanced.

"If they actually wanted to come back," he is quoted by Speed Week, "then why not take part in the planning meetings? We have never received a request in this regard -- the meetings are always only represented by Ferrari, Mercedes and us. But Honda and Toyota could easily ask the FIA for permission and join in."

Asked whether Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault were always alone in the turbo V6 planning meetings, White answered: "No. The first project meetings were held four years ago, and the interest was great -- Audi, Cosworth, Ilmor, Honda, Toyota, Mecachrome and others.

"However, as it got more specific, only (Craig Pollock's) Pure was left, but now it's only us three. I simply cannot imagine that a company will enter in 2015 without having wanted a say in the rules," added Rob White.

DTM reigning champion, Bruno Spengler, spoke to Auto123.com about the DRS and the soft tires that will make their appearance this season.

During both collective test sessions held in Barcelona and Hockenheim, the DTM competitors had the opportunity to test the DRS, introduced by the series organizers in order to help overtaking and improve the show during races. Each driver has the ability to activate his mobile rear wing system once per lap if the gap between him and the car ahead does not exceed two seconds on the start/finish line.

Spengler, who just experiences these two new elements aboard his BMW M3 DTM, gave some information to Auto123.com in an interview.

Photo: BMW Motorsport

"The gain of speed is clear when the rear wing moves,” he explained. “It's a gain of about 7-10 km/h. But we still have to wait and see how it will operate during the races to know what it will change for us. That will be a big novelty, with the option tires."

Indeed, the soft tires will also make their appearance for the first time this season in DTM. They will only be used during races and will increase the performance of the car.

"That will also change the game,” continued Spengler. “Option tires are faster -- 1 to 1.2 seconds per lap -- than standard tires. We will have one set of option tires for the race, and we can use them when we want.”

"We will all start from zero,” concluded the Canadian driver. “There are a lot of things we still have to discover, such as how the DRS will help us overtake; how long the option tires will perform, etc. This will all cause quite a headache for the engineers who will define the strategy. But I am quite confident, and I have great faith in the BMW team that proved its exceptional ability to adapt last year by winning all trophies for its DTM return."

Ford's European production will rise 6 percent in the second quarter from year-earlier levels, to 390,000 units, after falling 8 percent in the first quarter to 386,000, the company said Wednesday.

Can a BMW be considered a sports model if it's only got 100 horsepower? Glenn Brooks tries the base version of what was last month the UK's best selling premium brand car.

The owners of 120 auto dealerships have filed a federal lawsuit against Carfax, alleging that the vehicle history reporting company engages in anti-competitive practices and violates antitrust laws.

Shares in Federal-Mogul, the diversified auto-parts supplier controlled by billionaire Carl Icahn, rose the most in more than four years after the company reported operational profits that show a restructuring effort is working, analyst Brian...

Struggling Fisker Automotive took a bludgeoning today on Capitol Hill from top congressional Republicans who compared Fisker to failed automotive startups of the past and lambasted the Department of Energy for allowing the electric car producer to...

Toyota revealed its funky looking ME.WE electric concept on Wednesday. The and#8220;anti-crisisand#8221; vehicle was designed in collaboration with French architect Jean-Marie Massaud. The ME.

Capital One Financial today agreed to pay a $3.5 million fine to settle charges that it hid millions of dollars in auto-loan losses as the economy was headed toward a recession, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said.

Mitsubishi has pinpointed the cause of the lithium ion battery glitch that forced it to halt production of the Outlander plug-in hybrid crossover and most i electric cars.

Autoweek editors discuss the question of whether horsepower equates to luxury. Horsepower is a definite desire for some, but does it count as an extravagance?

2013 Honda Accord Touring

The new Honda Accord satisfies, but does not excite.

The 2013 Honda Accord is not a particularly exciting car, but it's a solid sedan that displays extensive evidence of outstanding engineering. Visibility out of the car is absolutely fantastic; I don't remember the last time I drove a car with such a low dashboard and unobstructed view. The instruments aren't particularly pretty, but they are bright and clear enough that you can get all the information you need with just a quick glance. The V-6 is ridiculously smooth and quiet, barely making a peep even if you stand on it, and it was only when paying careful attention that I noticed the shifting of the automatic transmission. In keeping with Honda's much-touted "Man Maximum" philosophy, the Accord puts the needs of its driver ahead of all other design criteria.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Honda Accord Touring - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Honda Accord Touring - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2013 Honda Accord Touring | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

General Motors says its Chevrolet Spark EV will get the equivalent of 119 mpg in combined city and highway driving, the best efficiency of any U.S. car sold to retail buyers.

Motorcycle fatalities rose by 9 percent in 2012, totaling more than 5,000 deaths, according to data released Wednesday by the

Toyota Motor Corp. outsold all automakers for a fifth straight quarter as the yen's depreciation sharpens the Japanese company's edge over General Motors and Volkswagen AG.

Fiat may select New York as the primary exchange for its stock after a planned merger with Chrysler Group, sources said. The move would be highly political and symbolic for debt-ridden Italy as it struggles to emerge from a cycle of recessions.