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Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is quite a busy man, but if you ask him, he can take even more load on his shoulders. To wit: He has just been named the new chairman of AVTOVAZ, Russia's largest automaker and owner of the LADA brand.

Details remain scarce, although Ghosn told AVTOVAZ shareholders that “the Alliance is committed to providing the resources and expertise necessary to transform AVTOVAZ into a world-class car manufacturer.”

The board of directors is now composed of 15 members (up from 12 previously), including eight people from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which last year formed with Russian Technologies a joint venture that will hold a majority stake of 74.5% in AVTOVAZ by mid-2014.

Photo: Renault

From GMM

Australia may retain the opening slot on the 2014 calendar.

Earlier, it was thought likely the sport's highly-controversial Bahrain race could steal Melbourne's thunder as the scene of next year's championship opener.

But Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker was in London last week for talks with Bernie Ecclestone.

"We will be the first race (in 2014). Everything is going to plan for that," Walker told the Australian Financial Review afterwards.

The situation was expected to be cleared up late last week, when the World Motor Sport Council met at Goodwood.

But, unusually, a provisional calendar was not published.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone, however, has backed his friend and ally Walker's claim that Australia will still host the opening race next March.

"No, we aren't making Bahrain the first race next year," the 82-year-old told F1 business journalist and Formula Money editor Christian Sylt last week.

"I think we will keep it as it is. It is just a rumour that it will change."

Start of the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

On 569 Lincoln MKS, Ford Explorer and Taurus models from 2013, the child safety lock actuation cam may have been manufactured incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may inadvertently disengage, which could allow the rear door to be opened using the inside door handle.

Consequently, dealers will inspect the child safety lock and, if necessary, replace the door latch assembly. In the meantime, drivers who need to use the child lock should ensure it is in the ON position before each use.

Source: Transports Canada

From Press release

Jon Lancaster dominated Sunday's sprint race in Silverstone, repeating countryman Sam Bird's victory on saturday with a crushing display of pace and guile to claim his first win in the series by 6.5 seconds from Rio Haryanto and James Calado.

Meanwhile, championship leader Stefano Coletti had a tough week end, being forced to retirement on Saturday, and only 10th on Sunday's race.

Jon Lancaster leading the race. (Photo: GP2 Series)

With the Silverstone weekend now complete, Stefano Coletti's points lead has been shrunk a little to Nasr, 120 points to 98, while Bird moves up to 89 points ahead of Leimer on 66 and Calado on 52.

Carlin maintain their lead in the team's championship with 137 points, while RUSSIAN TIME move up to second on 132 points from Rapax on 128, Racing Engineering on 88 and Hilmer Motorsport on 83. 

Race 2 classification:
1 - Jon Lancaster - Hilmer - 21 laps in 37'19"528
2 - Rio Haryanto - Addax - 6"513
3 - James Calado - ART - 7"922
4 - Julian Leal - Racing Engineering - 8"420
5 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 9"348
6 - Tom Dillmann - Russian Time - 14"563
7 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 14"671
8 - Marcus Ericsson - Dams - 15"321
Etc.

Championship:
1. Coletti 120 points ; 2. Nasr 98; 3. Bird 89; 4. Leimer 66; 5. Calado 52; 6. Lancaster 44; 7. Dillmann 43; 8. Palmer 39, etc.