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From GMM

McLaren has urged Sergio Perez to keep up his fighting spirit, despite rebuking the Mexican for pushing "over the limit" in his battle with teammate Jenson Button in Bahrain.

Reports say team boss Martin Whitmarsh had firm words with the 23-year-old after the Bahrain race, following Button's depiction of their clashes as "dangerous" and "dirty".

But just a week ago, in China, Martin Whitmarsh had accused struggling Perez of being "too polite" in wheel-to-wheel duels, urging him to use his "elbows" in future.

"I don't want to curb Checo's passion and spark, because that's what got him past Alonso and Webber," Whitmarsh said. "And even if he knows that he pissed off his teammate, I don't suppose that will keep him awake tonight."

Jenson Button ahead Sergio Perez, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

Earlier, Perez admitted the early pressure of being a McLaren driver in the spotlight, versus racing with Sauber in 2011 and 2012, was palpable.

His predecessor at the great British team, Lewis Hamilton, admitted he has noticed the strain on Perez.

"There is a lot of pressure when you are in such a strong and powerful team like that," said Hamilton. "It's not easy. Just as it is here (at Mercedes). The team relies heavily on you, on just those two drivers to pull those results out and if you don't you feel it."

"He looks like an individual who feels it," he added.

In light of a blog I wrote a few weeks ago regarding the fact that I already know which car you own, I feel I should point out there's more to than knowing sales numbers and being generally observant. It also has a great deal to do with the fact that there are definite go-to cars out there; and the manufacturers know it as well as the consumers do.

What's a go-to car? Well, it's the vehicle you can buy without anyone questioning your purchase. There's no argument against it. You wanted an economical sedan and you bought a Honda Civic? Great choice! You wanted a pickup so you bought a base Ford F-150. You're the man. Finally reached a point in your life where you can afford the sports performance car you've always wanted and you chose a Porsche 911? No one is going to ask you, “Why the 911?” I guarantee you that.

Of course, car sales reflect these go-to car fixations, but they aren't the reason they exist. The Dodge Grand Caravan doesn't sell well because it's a big seller. That's the thing, these vehicles don't do well because they sell in droves, they do well because they are the originals; the models everyone else is trying to mimic to garner the same go-to status, and therefore the same sales.

This became glaringly true on a recent comparison drive. With three vehicles in the same segment, we realized that two of the three were just trying to be like the No. 1 seller, the one that everyone turns to in that segment. They were variations on the original, and they had a hard time matching up to it. The go-to car is a go-to for a reason.

The go-to car has history, and is often the first of its kind or the first in its segment. They are/were the trend-setters, the fad-starters, and so they became staples in driveways across the country. Because of this, go-to cars aren't often completely overhauled, they are kept as close to the original as possible, and despite that they continue to sell. Why? Because if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Manufacturers aren't dumb, they know what their consumer wants and so they continue to give it to them. Imagine the next F-150 suddenly came out with two doors, front-wheel drive, and only with a manual transmission. Can you imagine the response to such a sacrilege and how it could hurt the F-150's go-to status in the end?

I think go-to cars are a good thing. They are a constant in a constantly changing world of automotive choices consumers face every time they want to purchase a new car. It's nice to know there are certain makes and models we can always rely on, ones we know we can be satisfied with if we have specific needs.

All hail the go-to car.

Rally champion, Sébastien Loeb will contest the Porsche Supercup races in Barcelona and Monaco.

The nine-time World Rally Champion will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup type 991 and will make his debut in the Supercup, after having raced in the French Porsche Carrera Cup in Albi in 2008, Paul Ricard in 2011, and especially Pau last year where he clinched victory.

Loeb, who will run under the colours of his own team, just took part in the FIA GT Series round in Zolder last weekend, before flying to Rally Argentina. In June, he will compete in the Pikes Peak's hillclimb, driving a Peugeot 208 T16.

He is also rumoured to enter the 2014 Dakar rally, driving a buggy in Nasser Al Attiyah's team. Loeb is also waiting for the green light from Citroën to enter the World Touring Car Championship.

The Sebastien Loeb Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. (Photo: Sebastien Loeb Racing)

Polesitter Carlos Munoz led from start to finish to finally win the Indy Lights round in Long Beach with only half the cars being able to cross the finish line.

Five of the 10-car field were out of commission before the end of the first 11 laps, among those three that were involved in an accident at the start of the race.

The accident started when previous points leader Jack Hawksworth squeezed Andretti's Zach Veach into the wall at the start, pitching both cars back across the track where they collected the unfortunate Peter Dempsey.

Carlos Munoz, Andretti Autosport. (Photo: IndyCar)

After the restart, Juan Pablo Garcia tried to move on and close the gap with Munoz but he lost his car and his hopes when he made a mistake in turn 1 and spun on lap 11, only to take his own teammate at Team Moore Mikael Grenier out of the race.

Munoz maintained his lead during the restart and drove off for a comfortable win, finishing two seconds ahead of Gabby Chaves who himself was followed by Sage Karam.

Results - 41 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Carlos Munoz Andretti 1h00m04.9293s
2. Gabby Chaves Schmidt + 2.2190s
3. Sage Karam Schmidt + 18.1043s
4. Jorge Goncalvez Belardi + 21.0389s
5. Matthew di Leo MDL/Dragffy + 1 lap

Retirements:
Juan Pablo Garcia Moore 11 laps
Mikael Grenier Moore 11 laps
Jack Hawksworth Schmidt 0 laps
Zach Veach Andretti 0 laps
Peter Dempsey Belardi 0 laps

Despite Matt Kenseth's dominance at Kansas Speedway he had to deal with a determined Kasey Kahne to notch his second win of the year for his new team Joe Gibbs Racing.

The key was Kenseth's Toyota beat Kahne's Chevy off of pit road after the day's final caution.

"When it was in front, we knew it was really fast," said Kenseth, who also won in Kansas last fall for Roush Fenway Racing. “If we could get (off pit road) first, we'd be tough to beat."

Photo: NASCAR

Oddly enough he likened the 400 mile race to child game. “ It was kind of like musical chairs," Kenseth said. "You had to be out front when the music stopped. Our car was very fast in clean air. It was reasonable in dirty air, but it wasn't quite good enough to catch all them guys and pass 'em (in traffic).

"Thankfully, I had a couple of really crazy-good restarts for some reason and made up some ground and got us back in position."

"We were very close at the end, battling with Matt," Kahne said. Then he added that the finish reminded him of a race earlier this year. "Felt like Vegas all over again, just kind of felt like really similar to that in how I could catch him but couldn't really do anything once I got close. It made my car a little bit looser. So I tried a few things there, and he kind of blocked those spots and went those directions and gained the speed that I (had), and then we were even again.

"It was tough, but we still had a great race."

With a third-place finish, Johnson opened a 37-point lead in the Cup standings over second-place Kahne, who gained five spots. Johnson is 38 points ahead of Keselowski in third.

“Well, it's hard to believe we've got a huge gap like that in the points already,” said the five-time NASCAR champion. “We've been off to a great year and even had some trouble at Bristol and didn't finish as well as we did there and 37 points up on everybody is pretty awesome.”

Talking about the race in Kansas Johnson added “last two days we've had a comfortable race car, but just didn't have the speed in it for qualifying and for the fast lap time that you would see in practice sessions, the first lap out. But our car was comfortable over the long haul and we just kind of waited and hoped that the comfortable balance that I felt in the race car would be there come race time, and it was.”

Crash Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. (Caption: NASCAR)

Keselowski drove a car with something like battle damage to sixth place and that felt like a pretty good finish to the 2012 Sprint Cup Champion. “Yeah.  Usually, you're not happy unless you win, but a day where you can fight through adversity like we did today and get a solid finish, that kind of is a win, yes,” he said. And, referring to the stiff penalty imposed on the team by NASCAR for a technical rules violation he added.  “Yeah, it's been a long week, but we're not giving up.” 

Penske Racing has appealed those penalties on both Keselowski's and Joey Logano's cars, crew and driver's points. No date has been set for that appeal.

True colours revealed on a road trip
First impressions are important, but sometimes you really need to get to know someone to discover their true nature. This doesn't just apply to people, but vehicles too, and was all too much the case for my time behind the wheel of the 2013 Acura MDX.

At just a smidgeon over $60k (for my Elite model), the 2013 Acura MDX sits in high class, futuristic company, and I thought it was sitting pretty and was a viable choice from the aristocratic group in which it resides.

I was wrong.


What is the Acura MDX?
The Acura MDX is a three-row, seven-seater crossover SUV, and was the first of its kind when it arrived in 2000. With plenty of space and a decent engine available from the beginning (a 3.5L when it arrived, and now a 3.7L), the MDX answered a need for space, a bit of power and efficiency. Wrapped in a stylish Acura-designed package, it was well received.

Always a “luxury” vehicle, the Acura MDX has continued the trend well over a decade into its North American stay. The 2013 model is no slouch when it comes to amenities, loaded to the gills with everything you need to make life behind the wheel (and as a passenger) easier.

Technicalities
The 2013 Acura MDX is equipped with a 3.7L 24-valve VTEC V6 that pushes out 300 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Tipping the scales at 2,109 kg (for my Elite model, the chunkiest of the bunch), this is no lightweight. A 6-speed automatic transmission manages the power and performs quite well on its own, but can also be controlled via paddle shifters. The 2013 Acura MDX also features Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD) and has a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs.

As the Acura MDX was designed and introduced to be a convenient family vehicle (with luxury amenities) cargo volume and space are of the utmost importance. With all back seats folded down, the 2013 Acura MDX offers up 2,364 litres of space to swallow up goods. With all rows up, that number shrinks to just 425 litres behind the third row (less than the Kia Soul that offers 546 litres with all seats up).

The 2013 Acura MDX is available in three model trims: MDX (base), Tech, and Elite. Prices range from $50,810 all the way up to $61,010. Engine and drivetrain remain the same across all models.

The 2013 Acura MDX is equipped with a 3.7L 24-valve VTEC V6 that pushes out 300 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Driving the Acura MDX
Behind the wheel of the 2013 Acura MDX is a pretty good place to be. Throttle response is good, as is engine delivery of the 300 horses under the hood. I also enjoyed the ability to shift via the steering-wheel mounted paddles. Honda/Acura have a knack for making vehicles that are good fun to drive, and such is the case with the MDX -- despite a few niggles.

On a trip to the country with a fully loaded MDX (which I'll get to in a moment as well), we noticed that road noise is abysmal. For a luxury vehicle, the 2013 Acura MDX doesn't “sound” luxurious as we actually had to raise our voices to speak to one another. All passengers also noted that the MacPherson strut front independent suspension and multi-link independent rear suspension may need some serious updating as it was a less than comfortable ride.

Even though the 2013 Acura MDX Elite offers up the ability to change the “ride” from Comfort to Sport, it just stiffens things up from float-y, sea-sickening (read: Comfort) to jarring and uncomfortable (read: Sport). Not the ideal road-trip vehicle after all.

On a trip to the country with a fully loaded MDX, we noticed that road noise is abysmal. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Inside and Out of the Acura MDX
Sitting at the top of the pack, my 2013 Acura MDX Elite was decked out with everything and then some (DVD entertainment for the back, XM satellite radio, blind-spot monitors, rear-view camera, the whole shebang). I quite like the look inside: it's sophisticated and upscale without being too snooty. I want to offer up a “bravo” to Acura for the multitude of buttons it threw into the MDX in our currently button-less automotive world. While everyone else goes for touch-this and link-that, Acura's remained old school, and for that I'm thankful.

However, button placement on the steering wheel is a bit annoying as some sit much too low.

Seating in the 2013 Acura MDX is mainly good. Front passengers have plenty of space and comfort. Second-row occupants will feel the same with plenty of legroom. But it all kind of goes downhill when you hit the third row. At 5'2” essentially I should fit anywhere. Yet, I had virtually no legroom in the third row and had to sit with knees to the side -- and the second row cannot be slid forward for more room in the back.

The exterior look of the 2013 Acura MDX is, perhaps, its best quality. Sitting atop 19” wheels with modern Acura touches we've come to recognize over the years, this is a sharp-looking crossover SUV.

Sitting at the top of the pack, my 2013 Acura MDX Elite was decked out with everything and then some (DVD entertainment for the back, XM satellite radio, blind-spot monitors, rear-view camera, the whole shebang). (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Comparing the Acura MDX
The 2013 Acura MDX Elite sits amongst some pretty heavy hitters like the BMW X5, ">Audi Q7 and even the Mazda CX-9. While a good-looking package inside and out, the MDX just isn't “fresh” enough to warrant the price tag attached, in my opinion.

From Infiniti

Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel Monday became the first F1 driver to experience the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

(Photo: Infiniti)

Vettel was joined by former F1 driver, David Coulthard in driving part of the track, which is still under construction.

Once complete, the 3.7-mile Sochi Olympic Park Circuit, scene of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, will be the third longest circuit on the F1 calendar behind Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Silverstone in Britain.

(Photo: Infiniti)

Russia's inaugural Grand Prix race is scheduled for 2014, after the Winter Olympics. The circuit's integration into Olympic Park infrastructure is the key feature of the Russian venue.

Sochi Formula 1 circuit in figures:
Circuit length: 5,854m
Maximum speed: 320 km/h
Circuit width: 13-15 m
Number of turns: 18
Total area of the circuit construction site and its infrastructure: 36 ha
Developer and operator of the circuit is OJSC "Center "OMEGA"
Designer of the circuit: Tilke GmbH & Co.KG

From GMM

Romain Grosjean has hit back at Alain Prost, after the quadruple world champion said the Lotus driver's lack of pace in 2013 was due to his "emotionally difficult situation".

"I haven't seen him (Prost) this year," Grosjean said, after putting his early-season troubles behind him with a podium in Bahrain.

"I have a deep respect for what he did but I think it's easy to speak when you are not here," the 27-year-old added.

The two Lotus drivers on the podium. (Photo: WRi2)

Grosjean struggled with a mysterious problem in Australia, Malaysia and China, leading Lotus to wipe the slate clean with a brand new chassis for the Swiss-born Frenchman in Bahrain. Grosjean drove chassis 01 since the beginning of the season, and switched to 02 for the Bahrain race.

"We have realised what was wrong," he told France's RMC Sport. "There was nothing mechanically broken. Honestly, I can't tell you what it was because it's confidential, but I said on the radio on Saturday morning 'This is day and night -- this is the car I love'. I had asked myself whether it was me, or the tires, or the car, but in the end it was neither one nor the other, but a combination very difficult to detect."

Team boss Eric Boullier backed Grosjean's explanation.

"Well, we found a lot of details that had not been working well in Romain's car," he is quoted by Speed Week. "It's nice to see him smiling again."

Romain Grosjean at the arrival of the Bahrain Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Finally, Grosjean dismissed Prost's diagnosis that his recent struggles had a psychological cause.

"I think that the fact that you're able to come back from a very difficult situation proves that I think he was wrong," he said.

From GMM

Lloyds, the part government-owned British bank, has sold its stake in the F1 team Marussia.

F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the bank's private equity division LDC decided to sell its 25.3pc stake due to huge losses and the team's lack of results.

"LDC has sold its minority shareholding in the Marussia F1 team to (Russian supercar maker) Marussia," a spokesman confirmed to the Telegraph.

The spokesman said the team will continue to have a loan from LDC.

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

AJ Foyt Racing's Takuma Sato ran with the frontrunners all afternoon long to finally claim his first ever IZOD IndyCar victory Sunday in the streets of Long Beach.

The former Formula 1 driver and Honda protégé took the lead on lap 31 and then ran a flawless race, making sure to maintain a good  gap between himself and his rivals.

Although he crossed the finish line under a full-course yellow, the Japanese driver had a 5.2-second lead over Graham Rahal who needed to clinch a good result following a disappointing start to the season.

Takuma Sato. (Photo: LAT/IndyCar)

Briton Justin Wilson, another former F1 driver, started the race from the pack of the field because he's been unable to complete a lap during qualifying. He finished the race at an impressive third place for Dale Coyne Racing.

Ganassi's Dario Franchitti, who took the start from pole position, crossed the line in fourth place, the Scot having lost time during a slow first pit stop.

JR Hilderbrand (Panther Racing) completed the top 5, having been promoted to that position after Oriol Servia was penalised for the incident in which he was involved with Tony Kanaan.

It was a day to forget for Andretti Autosport... James Hinchcliffe was squeezed into the wall and crashing out on a restart - an incident that also damaged the car of teammate EJ Viso - while Ryan Hunter-Reay crashed while trying to pass Ana Beatriz.

Takuma Sato leading the race in Long Beach. (Photo: LAT/IndyCar)

Results - 80 laps:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Takuma Sato Foyt Dallara-Honda 80 laps
2. Graham Rahal Rahal Dallara-Honda + 5.3612s
3. Justin Wilson Coyne Dallara-Honda + 8.2386s
4. Dario Franchitti Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 12.3573s
5. JR Hildebrand Panther Dallara-Chevy + 28.2402s
6. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR Dallara-Chevy + 29.4683s
7. Marco Andretti Andretti Dallara-Chevy + 30.2703s
8. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Dallara-Honda + 31.8674s
9. Simona de Silvestro KV Dallara-Chevy + 33.1224s
10. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara-Chevy + 33.4118s
11. Scott Dixon Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 33.6278s
12. James Jakes Rahal Dallara-Honda + 35.0645s
13. Josef Newgarden Fisher Dallara-Honda + 35.8945s
14. Ana Beatriz Coyne Dallara-Honda + 36.3442s
15. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon Dallara-Chevy + 36.5936s
16. Will Power Penske Dallara-Chevy + 43.0022s
17. Tristan Vautier Schmidt Dallara-Honda + 51.7961s
18. Ed Carpenter Carpenter Dallara-Chevy + 56.4533s
19. Alex Tagliani Herta Dallara-Honda + 1 laps
20. Tony Kanaan KV Dallara-Chevy + 2 laps
21. Charlie Kimball Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 2 laps
22. EJ Viso Andretti Dallara-Chevy + 27 laps

Retirements:
AJ Allmendinger Penske Dallara-Chevy 51 laps
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Dallara-Chevy 49 laps
Mike Conway Rahal Dallara-Honda 38 laps
James Hinchcliffe Andretti Dallara-Chevy 34 laps
Sebastian Saavedra Dragon Dallara-Chevy 1 lap

Toyota is giving its Vios and Yaris models a major makeover for China as part of the Japanese group's make-or-break move into the no-frills entry-level segment of the world's biggest autos market.

GM and Volkswagen, the largest foreign carmakers in China, both forecast sales will climb to 3 million vehicles in the country this year as the rivalry heats up for a second year.

GM and Volkswagen, the largest foreign carmakers in China, both forecast sales will climb to 3 million vehicles in the country this year as the rivalry heats up for a second year.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: This 2013

Rolls-Royce is seeing slowing growth in China. The brand expects sales growth of 2 percent to 3 percent a year in the country this year, CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said.

Opel unit returned to China's main auto show after a five-year absence with three new cars at the center of a long-promised push into the world's largest market.

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (Ganassi BMW/Riley) extended their championship lead, Saturday, by winning the 2013 Grand Prix of Atltanta.

Friday's rain forced the cancellation of the qualifying session, which meant Pruett and Rojas could start first because they lead the championship. A flawless performance in the race ensured they stayed atop the standings in the title race.

Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel (Startworks Ford/Riley) finished some 17 seconds adrift, followed by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty (GAINSCO Corvette DP).

John Edwards and Robin Liddell (Steven Chevrolet Camaro) scored their first victory of the season in GT, 2.506 seconds ahead of Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey (Park Place Porsche GT3).

Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal (Scuderia Corse Ferrari 458) were relegated to third by a late passed pulled by Long on Balzan.

Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell (SpeedSource Mazda 6) picked up the win in GX.



Race results - Grand Prix of Atlanta (Grand-Am)
1 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 120
2 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 120
3 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette/Riley) - Stallings - 120
4 - Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
5 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette/Dallara) - SpiritOfDaytona - 120
6 - Angelelli-Taylor (Riley-BMW) - Taylor - 120
7 - Valiante-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
8 - Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 120
9 - Lamy-Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette/Coyote) - 8Star - 119
10 - Hartley-Legge-Mayer (Porsche 997) - Starworks - 119
11 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 114
12 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 112
13 - Long-Lindsay (Porsche 997) - Park Place - 112
14 - Balzan-Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 112
15 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 112
16 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 112
17 - Papis-Segal (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 112
18 - Johnson-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 111
19 - Assentato-Lazzaro (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 110
20 - Povoledo-Hurley (Porsche 997) - Muehlner - 109
21 - Hart-McCutchen (Porsche 997) - ParkPlace - 108
22 - Miller-Nunez (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 103
23 - Donohue-Norman (Porsche Cayman) - BGB - 103
24 - Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 100
25 - Long-Tremblay (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 99
26 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 64
27 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 18
28 - Marsal-Schaldach (BMW M3) - Turner - 3

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (Ganassi BMW/Riley) extended their championship lead, Saturday, by winning the 2013 Grand Prix of Atltanta.

Friday's rain forced the cancellation of the qualifying session, which meant Pruett and Rojas could start first because they lead the championship. A flawless performance in the race ensured they stayed atop the standings in the title race.

Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel (Startworks Ford/Riley) finished some 17 seconds adrift, followed by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty (GAINSCO Corvette DP).

John Edwards and Robin Liddell (Steven Chevrolet Camaro) scored their first victory of the season in GT, 2.506 seconds ahead of Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey (Park Place Porsche GT3).

Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal (Scuderia Corse Ferrari 458) were relegated to third by a late passed pulled by Long on Balzan.

Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell (SpeedSource Mazda 6) picked up the win in GX.



Race results - Grand Prix of Atlanta (Grand-Am)
1 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 120
2 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 120
3 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette/Riley) - Stallings - 120
4 - Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
5 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette/Dallara) - SpiritOfDaytona - 120
6 - Angelelli-Taylor (Riley-BMW) - Taylor - 120
7 - Valiante-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
8 - Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 120
9 - Lamy-Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette/Coyote) - 8Star - 119
10 - Hartley-Legge-Mayer (Porsche 997) - Starworks - 119
11 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 114
12 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 112
13 - Long-Lindsay (Porsche 997) - Park Place - 112
14 - Balzan-Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 112
15 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 112
16 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 112
17 - Papis-Segal (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 112
18 - Johnson-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 111
19 - Assentato-Lazzaro (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 110
20 - Povoledo-Hurley (Porsche 997) - Muehlner - 109
21 - Hart-McCutchen (Porsche 997) - ParkPlace - 108
22 - Miller-Nunez (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 103
23 - Donohue-Norman (Porsche Cayman) - BGB - 103
24 - Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 100
25 - Long-Tremblay (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 99
26 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 64
27 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 18
28 - Marsal-Schaldach (BMW M3) - Turner - 3

From GMM

Pirelli's new 60 per cent scale wind tunnel tires could be to blame for some teams' troubles in 2013, according to a technical expert.

Top team McLaren faltered badly over the winter in switching from the winning 2012 car to the new and uncompetitive MP4-28.

And it's been a similar story at Williams and Sauber, who last year were among the standouts of the midfield and are now conspicuously scrambling for pace in 2013.

Referring to McLaren and Sauber, Swiss newspaper Blick's technical expert Mike Hammer writes: "Both teams now believe they know where the problem lies.

"It has to do with the new Pirelli tires.  They are more angular than in 2012, and then deform differently in the corners, which has a great influence on the aerodynamics.

"Millimetres play a role, but the 60 per cent tire for the wind tunnel models have led McLaren and Sauber astray," he added.

An unnamed McLaren engineer agreed: "They (the Pirelli tire models) are much worse than last year."

Faced with the latest criticism, Pirelli's Paul Hembery insisted: "We are talking about eleven teams with eleven different wind tunnels.

"It is not easy to build good 60 per cent tires," he added.

The theory would explain why teams who made significant changes over the winter have disproportionately suffered so far this season.

Sebastian Vettel has described the pace of his Red Bull as ‘phenomenal' following a dominant victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Vettel started third, but by lap two had overhauled Nico Rosberg's pole-winning Mercedes, and sought to extend his advantage in the coming laps. The reigning world champion's pace was such that before his third and final pit-stop, he held an advantage of around half a minute from his nearest rival.

"A flawless, seamless race from start to finish," said a jubilant Vettel after the race. “The pace was phenomenal; the car was very quick and just seemed to get better and better towards the end.

"A big, big thank you to the team today,"

He also admitted that carefully managing the tires was an important part of claiming his 28th career victory, with tire-wear being something of a question mark surrounding the Red Bull in 2013.

“It was really a beautiful race where you could really push every single lap and we took good care of the tyres, so overall very happy."

Vettel also commented he needed to make a good start to make the most of the Red Bull's pace after qualifying third.

"It was crucial straight away after the start to get in to the lead if I could and then go from there," he conceded.

"Once the track was clear we could unfold the true pace of the car."