The first European Formula 1 race of the 2013 season will be held May 10-12 at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, and like most other teams Sauber will bring a series of updates.
Both Sauber drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez agree that, since winter testing in February and March, many things have changed. During the first four races, the C32 has been updated. For the fifth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship the team will bring further aero updates and a modified rear wing to the race.
Esteban Gutiérrez. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)
“Although Barcelona is a track we know well from winter testing, the higher temperatures do change how the tires perform, so we have to adapt to that,” said Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering at Sauber.
“The first two sectors are biased towards higher speed corners, whereas the third sector is dominated by a technical sequence of lower speed corners, hence the set-up is always a compromise. The option tire will be the medium compound and for the prime Pirelli are re-introducing the 2012 hard compound for this event. We have some further aero updates, including a modified rear wing, and we will be evaluating these during Friday practice. Qualifying is particularly important here as overtaking can be difficult in the race. Our target for the race is to finish with both cars in the points,” the engineer added.
Electric car maker CODA has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The small company sold fewer than 100 units of its namesake model (mostly in California) since it came to market last year.
A high price ($37,250 US), bland styling, and a recall to replace faulty seat belts and airbags doomed the Coda in spite of promising a range of 200 kilometres -- more than the Nissan LEAF.
This is another blow to the electric car market following the major setbacks at Fisker Automotive. Only Tesla Motors seems to be enjoying good momentum thanks to the Model S.
BMW Motorsport invited reigning DTM champion, Bruno Spengler and the 1989 champ,Roberto Ravaglia to a very special "Generation Game".
Both drivers brought with them the cars with which they won their DTM titles. Spengler triumphed last season with the current BMW M3 DTM, while Ravaglia was crowned DTM Champion at the wheel of the BMW M3 in 1989.
Photo BMW Motorsport
However, it was all change in Hockenheim. Ravaglia climbed into the driver's seat of the BMW M3 DTM, which was adorned with the livery of the 1989 BMW M3. Spengler, meanwhile, drove the historic BMW M3 with the Frozen Black design of his BMW Bank M3 DTM. And so, after a few warm-up laps, the duo began its unique race.
Spengler was given a head start of one second per year between the two DTM titles, amounting to a 23-second lead over Ravaglia in the new car. The race ended with Ravaglia overtaking Spengler in the Sachs corner. Just as he did in his last DTM outing in Hockenheim in 1992, the Italian crossed the finish line first.
Robert Ravaglia and Bruno Spengler. (Photo: BMW Motorsport)
Speaking afterwards, the two champions embraced the role reversal. “The first time I saw the 1989 BMW M3 in my design, with my name and the start number 1, it was an amazing feeling. Because the BMW M3 from back then is so light, it is almost like driving a go-kart. I had great fun - until Roberto passed me in the Sachs corner,” said Spengler with a grin.
Hourly workers at a Flex-N-Gate plant in Arlington, Texas, voted to join the UAW on Wednesday. Of the 73 employees eligible to vote, 51 voted in favor of union representation and 22 opposed, the National Labor Relations Board said today.
General Motors has agreed to buy the original Durant-Dort Carriage Company factory in Flint, Mich., a site GM North America President Mark Reuss calls "the birthplace of GM."
It was tempting to go off-road into the median on M-14 this morning, as snow squalls turned the highway into a parking lot. Though this is a stiffly sprung truck, it was actually fairly comfortable on my 2-hour commutes during rush hour. Roads were so slick that it was easy to slide the Raptor around a bit, and I did so as I drove into our office park.
General Motors (GM) has reported a 14% fall in net profits during the first three months of 2013, as its European operations were hit by the region's economic crisis.
New car sales in Italy, Europe's fourth-largest car market, fell 11 percent in April from the same month a year ago to 116,209 vehicles, Italy's Transport Ministry said on Thursday.
Higher new-vehicle sales and increased gross profits in all business segments drove Group 1 Automotive's operating income higher during the first quarter of 2012, but net income dropped 4 percent.
KAR Auction Services, parent company of vehicle-auction company ADESA, said its first-quarter net income rose 12 percent to $29 million on a 10 percent increase in revenue, to $558 million.
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