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Volkswagen recently unveiled a new 4-cylinder engine at its Silao, Mexico plant -- the 100th VW plant in the world -- namely a 2.0L turbocharged and direct-injected TSI.

Producing 210 horsepower (up from 200) and 207 lb-ft of torque (unchanged), it will become available in the Beetle Turbo, Beetle Turbo Convertible, and Jetta GLI.

The automaker claims the more powerful TSI will also be more fuel-efficient. Look for a 9% improvement in city driving, and anywhere between 4% and 8% in the combined cycle.

With the Beetle Turbo, it allows 0-60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration of 6.6 seconds; add one tenth for the Jetta GLI.

Photo: Volkswagen

Twenty-nine-year old Augusto Farfus ran a clever race successfully used the technical novelties option tires and DRS and was the first to take the chequered flag from his fellow BMW driver Dirk Werner and Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz) at the opening round of the DTM at the Hockenheimring.

Dirk Werner showed an incredible recovery. From 20th place on the starting grid, the 31-year old from Hanover moved up through the ranks to finish second.

Christian Vietoris finished third in his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé.

Photos: DTM.com

After starting from pole position, two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider (Audi) missed out on the tactically right moment for a pit stop during a safety car intervention in the first part of the race and thus lost valuable positions.

At the end, he still made his way up to finish sixth behind Briton Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz, fourth) and reigning DTM champion, Canadian Bruno Spengler (BMW, fifth).

In an under-the-radar move last week, Tesla Motors hired Aston Martin's chief platform manager as its new vice president of engineering.

Chris Porritt, who led the development of the Aston Martin One-77, knows a thing or two about the needs and wants of customers after a fast, luxurious automobile.

You may remember that Tesla also recruited Henrik Fisker from Aston Martin in 2006, and the man worked for two years on the Model S project before founding Fisker Automotive. Tesla sued Fisker in April 2008 for theft of confidential design information and trade secrets; the matter was settled in December of that year when an arbitrator ruled largely in Fisker's favour.

Tesla is the only electric car maker enjoying good momentum right now. As previously reported, CODA has filed for bankruptcy, and Fisker Automotive may be about to do the same.

Source: Green Car Reports

From GMM

The 2013 title is slipping away from McLaren, according to the British team's former long-time driver David Coulthard.

On the record, boss Martin Whitmarsh is insisting that the season is not lost for McLaren, despite launching the troubled MP4-28 and falling a long way off the championship lead after the first four races.

"There are a lot of races this season. But when you look at the last few years, it's clear that you need to be finishing almost all of them in the points -- and in the good points," Coulthard told Germany's motorsport-magazin.com.

"I think it might be difficult for them (McLaren)," he admitted.

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

McLaren's big upgrade package for the opening round of the European season this weekend, then, might be seen as the Woking based team's only chance to put its 2013 campaign back on track.

"We've made some progress but we need to make a lot more," Whitmarsh said after Bahrain.

Officially, lead driver Jenson Button said: "There's been a lot of talk about the importance of next weekend's upgrades ... but I'm pragmatic about what we'll discover next weekend."

However, to Brazil's Totalrace, the 2009 world champion admitted: "Barcelona is more important than ever for us, but we're not going to get the seven or eight tenths which is basically what we're missing in qualifying. But hopefully we can go in the right direction, as there is much more we can do with this car."

Another argument is that McLaren should simply write off 2013 and focus completely on 2014, because shifting resources so early in the season could pay strong dividends for the all-new V6 rules.

Martin Whitmarsh has ruled that out, but Button admitted it "should be something we are thinking about".

"On the other hand, I don't know," the 33-year-old added. "We want to win races this year; our goal is still to fight for the (2013) championship, so first of all let's focus on what we have to do in Barcelona."

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This Volkswagen CC Sport is a very pretty car, inside and out. I like the shape as do onlookers I saw gawking at it.

Audi will not build a vehicle assembly plant in Brazil until the laws governing what exactly is required to ensure a car is considered locally built are clarified, CEO Rupert Stadler said.

Audi will not build a vehicle assembly plant in Brazil until the laws governing what exactly is required to ensure a car is considered locally built are clarified, CEO Rupert Stadler said.

Current IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) earned pole postion for the upcoming Sao Paulo Indy 300 after an action-packed qualification in the streets of the Brazilian venue.

As expected, following modifications made to the tracks that allowed for faster speed, Hunter-Reay set a new track record of 1m20.4312s, still 0.3 seconds ahead of his team-mate EJ Viso.

Ganassi's Dario Franchitti was third fastest alongside local favorite Tony Kanaan (KV Racing), who had to enter the weekend with injuries on his right hand sustained during the Long Beach event.

Sao Paulo is Hunter-Reay's second consecutive pole (Photo: IndyCar)

Another Andretti ace, James Hinchcliffe ended up fifth while Franchitti's sidekick Scott Dixon was the last of the Fast-Six contenders.

But the story of the day was the elimination of both Penske drivers Will Power and Helio Castroneves in the opening phase.

Having chosen to start late in the session, they were unable to make a decent run when James Jakes's car broke down on the circuit and brought out the red flags.

Difficult weekend also for Tristan Vautier (Schmidt) he launched himself over the Turn 1 kerb and went straight into the Turn 2 wall during the first segment.

That brought out the red flag and the Frenchman was therefore stripped from his two best laps for causing the stoppage; the next qualifying phase was briefly delayed while the barrier was repaired.


Qualifying results - Sao Paulo (IndyCar)
1.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"4312 - Fast Six
2.Ernesto Viso (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"7380 - Fast Six
3.Dario Franchitti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'20"8922 - Fast Six
4.Tony Kanaan (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'20"9812 - Fast Six
5.James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'20"9893 - Fast Six
6.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'21"1183 - Fast Six
7.Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 1'20"8210 - Q2
8.Simona de Silvestro (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'20"9390 - Q2
9.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'21"0570 - Q2
10.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'21"1716 - Q2
11.JR Hildebrand (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther - 1'21"2961 - Q2
12.Takmua Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 1'21"3618 - Q2
13.Oriol Servia (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther DRR - 1'21"7963 - Q1 Gr. 1
14.Ed Carpenter (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Carpenter - 1'24"0203 - Q1 Gr. 2
15.Alex Tagliani (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Herta - 1'21"8636 Q1 Gr. 1
16.Ana Beatriz (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'24"8864 - Q1 Gr. 2
17.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'22"2482 Q1 Gr. 1
18.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'25"1734 - Q1 Gr. 2
19.Graham Rahal (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 1'22"2998 Q1 Gr. 1
20Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 4'00"2612 - Q1 Gr. 2
21.Tristan Vautier (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 4'20"5417 Q1 Gr. 1
22.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 4'05"5886 - Q1 Gr. 2
23.Simon Pagenaud (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 4'23"1097 - Q1 Gr. 2
24.James Jakes (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - no time - Q1 Gr. 2
25.Josef Newgarden (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Fisher - no time - Q1 Gr. 1*

*Penalized for engine change

Auto123.com has learned that both Buddy Rice and veteran Townsend Bell have secured deals that will allow them to take part in the 97th edition of the Indianapolis 500 and that other announcements could also be made in the coming days.

Rice is expected to join Sam Schmidt's squad alongside Simon Pagenaud and rookie Tristan Vautier.

As for Bell, he is scheduled to become a member of the Panther Racing team and partner J.R. Hilderbrand. Bell's car will be sponsored by the DreamWorks' Indy 500-themed movie, Turbo, which will be out this summer.

Furthermore, with Pippa Mann signed for Dale Coyne's third car, Buddy Lazier acquiring a car with his father, and USAC champion Bryan Clauson closing in on enough sponsorship for a ride, there could be up to 36 cars trying to qualifying at Indy - with only 33 spots available on the grid.



Provisional entry list - Indy 500
Count, Car No, Driver, Engine, Entrant

1 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
2 2 AJ Allmendinger (R) Chevrolet Team Penske
3 3 Helio Castroneves Chevrolet Team Penske
4 4 JR Hildebrand Chevrolet Panther Racing
5 NA Townsend Bell Chevrolet Panther Racing
6 5 E.J. Viso Chevrolet Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM
7 6 Sebastian Saavedra Chevrolet Dragon Racing
8 7 Sebastien Bourdais Chevrolet Dragon Racing
9 8 Ryan Briscoe Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 9 Scott Dixon Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 10 Dario Franchitti Honda Target Chip Ganassi Racing
12 11 Tony Kanaan Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
13 12 Will Power Chevrolet Team Penske
14 14 Takuma Sato Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 15 Graham Rahal Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
16 16 James Jakes Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17 18 Ana Beatriz Honda Dale Coyne Racing
18 NA Michel Jourdain Jr. Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
19 19 Justin Wilson Honda Dale Coyne Racing
20 NA Pippa Mann Honda Dale Coyne Racing
21 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet Ed Carpenter Racing
22 22 Oriol Servia Chevrolet Panther DRR
23 25 Marco Andretti Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
24 26 Carlos Munoz (R) Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
25 27 James Hinchcliffe Chevrolet Andretti Autosport
26 41 Conor Daly (R) Honda A.J. Foyt Enterprises
27 55 Tristan Vautier (R) Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
28 NA Buddy Rice Honda Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
29 67 Josef Newgarden Honda Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
30 77 Simon Pagenaud Honda Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports
31 78 Simona de Silvestro Chevrolet KV Racing Technology
32 83 Charlie Kimball Honda Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
33 98 Alex Tagliani Honda Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian
34 TBD Bryan Clauson TBD TBD
35 TBD Jay Howard TBD TBD
36 TBD Buddy Lazier TBD TBD

After qualifying at the Talladega Super Speedway was washed out, on Saturday morning, Carl Edwards was awarded pole position for Sunday's race based on his fast time in the first practice session.

In fact the 43-car field was set by that practice.

Edwards took 30 practice laps in a Ford Fusion with a top speed of 199.675 mph, around NASCAR's longest oval at 2.66 miles. That edged the 199.650 mph lap of Martin Truex Jr. As a result, Edwards is on the pole for the first time since last year's season-opening Daytona 500.

Australia's Marcus Ambrose will start third, Joey Logano fourth and Ryan Newman fifth. Matt Kenseth, who won the Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway last October, will start sixth, with Denny Hamlin, points leader Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top 10.

Defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski will start 11th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. will line up 12th, giving Hendrick Motorsports four cars in the top 12.

According to Edwards, Friday's practice was more intense than usual because the teams knew there was a chance qualifying might not take place.

“It was like a heat race out there,” Edwards said. “Everyone was doing everything they could to get the fastest lap times they could, and it was pretty exciting. We got the fastest lap with about one minute to go. That was our whole mission (Friday) and I'm pretty proud of the fact that we ended up with the fastest time.”

Sunday's race could be another Talladega wild one according to the pole sitter: “We were four-wide in practice once,” Edwards pointed out.

“The cars seem to do a really good job of pulling up and actually passing other cars here. Our car was very fast. I don't know if it's just that our car is real fast or if everyone is like that, but it looks like it's going to be a pretty crazy race. It looked like it was a pretty wide-open practice session, so I think (Sunday) could be any type of race, but I can guarantee you the final couple of laps are going to be insane.”

Truex and Ambrose said they will be “aggressive” in describing their race strategy for the Aaron's 499, and said they believe most other drivers feel the same way.

“My plan coming in here is to be aggressive, to try to stay up front all day long,” Toyota driver Truex said.

“Based on what I've been hearing and reading throughout the week, I think a lot of guys are on that same program. Why not just go out and race and put on a show and try to run up front all day long? That's our plan, our strategy and what we're going to do. We're going to try to stay up front all day and hopefully lead some laps and have some fun out there.”

Ambrose, who also is in a Ford, agreed, saying, “Our plan is to drive aggressive all day and try to stay up there. We know that track position is going to be a big thing for everybody even though it's a plate race. There were definitely more runs (during practice), than what there was at Daytona as far as the cars getting more speed to make things happen out there. So I think it's going to be a great race.”

Augusto Farfus (BMW) has won the opening round of the DTM season presented in Hockenheim, where reigning champion Bruno Spengler (BMW) finished 5th.

Farfus, who started from second position behind Timo Scheider (Audi), took advantage from a great strategy cooked by BMW to move up to first position at the end of both tire changes.

Dirk Werner (BMW), who started from 22nd and last position on the grid, earned his first DTM podium in a BMW 1-2. Third, Christian Vietoris (Mercedes) also earned his first DTM podium. He showed great form all weekend and managed to overtake his teammate and 2012 runner-up Gary Paffett in the last laps of the race.

Bruno Spengler (BMW) finished fifth, behind Paffett. Considering the race he had, it was the best the Canadian could hope for. After a good start where he went from seventh to fourth, the reigning champion was slowed down by tire problems, and possibly also suffered from aero damage, during his second stint.

A good final stint helped him back to fifth, ahead of Scheider, Joey Hand (BMW) and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi).

Augusto Farfus, BMW M3 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Classification :
1 - Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 42 laps in 1h10'11"583
2 - Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 3"692
3 - Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 9"675
4 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 12"613
5 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 13"212
6 - Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 13"753
7 - Joey Hand (BMW M3) - RBM - 14"100
8 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 14"477
Etc.

Audi had a clean run in the Six Hours of Spa, second round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and therefore easily claimed the three first steps of the podium.

Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fässler led the trio of Audi prototypes.

The three men started on pole but lost two positions when Lotterer went wide in the first lap. The No. 1 Audi then lost ground again when it suffered a puncture in the only safety car period of the race. But the reigning champions were able to claw their way back.

In the end, they crossed the finish one minute clear ahead of the sister car driven by Duval-Kristensen-McNish.

The No. 1 Audi (Photo: Audi)

The “Long Tail” Audi R18 driven by Di Grassi, Gene and Jarvis completed the podium, ahead of the solitary Toyota TS030 to finish the race, the one driven by Buemi, Sarrazin and Davidson. Wurz, Lapierre and Nakajima were forced to retire by braking issues on the second Toyota in the fourth hour.

Rebellion was the best private team, placing its two Lola-Toyota coupes in fifth and sixth.

In LMP2, victory went to Pecom's Oreca-Nissan driven by Kaffer, Minassian and Companc, despite a puncture in the last part of the race.

The AF Corse Ferrari F458 driven by Fisichella and Bruni won the GTE class after a great battle with the works Aston Martin driven by Senna, Makowiecki et Bell.

Photo: Audi

Final classification:
1 - Lotterer/Tréluyer/Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 188 laps (1st LMP1)
2 - Duval/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - + 1 lap
3 - Di Grassi/Gené/Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - + 1 lap
4 - Buemi/Sarrazin/Davidson (Toyota TS30 h) - Toyota - + 2 laps
5 - Heidfeld/Jani/Prost (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - + 3 laps
6 - Belicchi/Beche/Cheng (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - + 3 laps
7 - Watts/Leventis/Kane (HPD ARX) - Strakka - + 7 laps
8 - Kaffer/Minassian/Companc (Oreca Nissan) - Pecom - + 11 laps (1st LMP2)
9 - Pla/Hansson/Brundle (Morgan Nissan) - OAK - + 11 laps
10 - Luhr/Dolan/Turvey (Zytek-Nissan) - Jota- + 11 laps
(...)
15 - Bruni/Fisichella (Ferrari 458) - AF - + 19 laps (1st GTE)
etc.

Sébastien Loeb (Citroën) added to his WRC win tally in Argentina, where he finished ahead of both Volkswagen drivers Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala.

Ogier led the event early on, but when he lost 40 seconds in ES7, Loeb moved passed him. The nine-time champion managed to maintain his lead, and concluded 55 seconds ahead the VW driver. 2013 marks Loeb's eight victory in Argentina.

Only one WRC round remains on the Frenchman part-time rally agenda: Rallye de France in October.

Sébastien Loeb, Citroën DS3 (Photo: citroen-wrc.com)

Despite ultimately losing, Volkswagen had a good weekend considering that Loeb is not a championship contender. Jari-Matti Latvala took the last podium position thanks to a late charge that allowed him to overtake Evgeny Novikov (Ford), who lost 40 seconds when he went wide in the last super special stage of Saturday.

Ogier now holds a huge lead in provisional championship classification. His closest rival is no other Sébastien Loeb, 52 points down, who only entered three WRC events out of five this season. Ogier's actual championship rival is Citroën's Mikko Hirvonen, now stands 63 points behind.


Final classification:
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) en 4.35'56”7
2. Ogier-Ingrassia (VW Polo Wrc) + 55”0
3. Latvala-Anttila (VW Polo Wrc) + 2'00”8
4. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 2'36”7
5. Neuville-Gilsoul (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 4'40”5
6. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 6'23”9
7. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 11'02”2
8. Mikkelsen-Markkula (VW Polo Wrc) + 13'22”1
9. Sordo-Del Barrio (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 13'22”3
10. Prokop-Ernst (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 14'07”6
Etc.

Championship:
1. Ogier 120 points, 2. Loeb 68, 3. Hirvonen 57, 4. Latvala 50, 5. Ostberg 32, etc.

Model: 2010 to 2012 Audi R8

Vehicle Type: Performance Coupe / Convertible

The Verdict: Though reliability information is inconclusive, be sure to subject any used R8 you're considering to some standard checks, as well as a few R8-specific ones. Opt for a model with as much of its factory warranty remaining as possible, and don't forget to check the condition of the tires and brakes. This one's a good candidate for an extended warranty to protect against high repair bills down the line.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

What Owners Like: Owners typically love the exclusivity, style, performance and bragging rights that come as part of the Audi R8's package. Ease of entry and exit, and an everyday-comfortable ride are also noted. Fuel mileage on the V8-powered model is said to be good during highway cruising, too.

What Owners Dislike: Limited cargo storage and a sometimes-fussy MMI interface are among the most common owner complaints with the Audi R8.

History/Description: When Audi's mid-engine R8 performance car hit the road in 2009, it put the brand on the bedroom walls of drooling teenage car-buffs around the globe just as quickly as it earned a reputation for being an extreme performance machine with incredible driving dynamics and every-day usability.

All Audi R8 models are two-seat units with mid-mounted engines fixed just behind the cockpit. All models received Quattro AWD, a 4.2L, 420-horsepower V8 and a 6-speed manual transmission as standard kit. Shoppers could opt for an up-level V10 engine, which bumped displacement to 5.2L and horsepower to 525. An R-Tronic auto-clutch gearbox was available for drivers who didn't wish to shift gears themselves.

Feature content included navigation, a Bang & Olufsen stereo system, Bluetooth, MMI Interface, driver computer, heated leather, and plenty more. A backup camera with distance sensors was available, too.

In the used market, “R8 4.2” indicates a model with the V8 engine, which should be sufficient for most drivers. An “R8 5.2” gets the V10. If “R-Tronic” shows up in the seller's description, it indicates that the model has the “automatic” transmission. A convertible or Spyder model was available with either engine.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Common Issues: Low sales volumes and the low-mileage nature of the R8 mean reliability information is difficult to track down, though several potential issues and general guidelines should be considered by shoppers.

Start your test drive with a full check of the vehicle's tires and brakes. Ensure the seller isn't passing off a set of rubber or brake pads and rotors that are in imminent need of replacement. A tire-tread depth gauge can help. Squealing brakes are a sign of wear, and a mechanical inspection at an Audi dealer can help, too.

When shifting an Audi R8 with manual transmission, ensure the clutch bites hard and works without slippage. Some owners report electronic dialing-back of engine power when shifting quickly if the clutch is slipping, which is intended to increase durability.

Check all interior electronics twice, paying special attention to the MMI system and ensuring it activates, boots up and manipulates its various functions properly. Some owners reported that the system, from time to time, doesn't boot up. Ensure no “check engine” or “service vehicle” notifications are present in the instrument cluster, either.

Finally, inspect the Audi R8's paint for signs of blotchiness, “running” or repainting, which could indicate the model was in an accident.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Audi broke ground on a $1.3 billion assembly plant southeast of Mexico City, marking a push into North American production that will put the Q5 crossover closer to customers in the United States.

Audi broke ground on a $1.3 billion assembly plant southeast of Mexico City, marking a push into North American production that will put the Q5 crossover closer to customers in the United States.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: If I had to choose between this and the Subaru BRZ, I would take the Subie.

An emerging generation of tech-savvy consumers has changed the way GM and its rivals approach in-car entertainment and navigation systems.

From GMM

The latest cream of Red Bull's junior driver programme insists he is ready to step up to formula one.

With Mark Webber's contract at Red Bull Racing set to expire, it is now strongly rumoured that fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo is in pole position to replace him.

That would leave a vacancy at Red Bull's second F1 team, Toro Rosso.

The obvious favourite for that seat is Antonio Felix da Costa, a 21-year-old from Portugal.

Da Costa drove for Red Bull at a previous "Young Driver" day (Photo: WRi2)

Currently a frontrunner in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, da Costa has already been drafted into Red Bull's F1 programme, replacing Sebastien Buemi as reserve driver in China while the Swiss was racing sports cars in the UK.

And it seems likely da Costa will be the Red Bull and Toro Rosso reserve once again in Singapore, when Buemi will be racing in the US.

"I am very happy with this strategy," the Portuguese told APA news agency.

"This is a key year -- we're very close to formula one now and my goal is clearly to be there next year.

"For this I want to win the (Renault) world series. The timing is perfect and I feel very well prepared."

Da Costa is, however, already trailing three drivers in the points standings, including McLaren youngster Kevin Magnussen and Caterham driver Charles Pic's brother Arthur.

As ever with Red Bull's junior programme, then, the pressure is on.

"After a weak season (with a junior driver)," Dr Helmut Marko warned this week, "we end the cooperation."

Da Costa said: "I have had to deal with pressure from day one. It only makes me faster."

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 prototypes set a 1-2-3 in qualifying ahead of the Spa Six Hours, second round of the World Endurance Championship.

The pole position was set by Lotterer-Treluyer-Fässler, with an average of 1'59''961 from the two best lap times set by both Lotterer and Fässler, who were nominated by the team for qualifying. They lead their team mates Di Grassi-Gene-Jarvis and Kristensen-Duval-McNish. Both Toyota TS030 classified 4th and 5th ahead of both Lola-Toyota Rebellion, first of the private teams.

Photo: Audi Motorsport

In LMP2, the best performance was set by the Pecom Racing's Oreca 03-Nissan driven by Perez Companc, Minassian and Kaffer.

In GTE Pro, the pole was set by the works Aston Martin Vantage V8 driven by Senna-Makowiecki-Bell, which was quickest ahead of the AF Corse Ferrari F458 of Bruni and Fisichella. Aston was also dominant in the GTE Am qualifying, with the pole set by the Vantage driven by Nygaard-Poulsen-Simonsen.

Photo: Aston Martin Racing