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From GMM

Pirelli has clamped down on enforcing the operating guidelines of its tires, amid rumours some teams were not playing along.

After the tire-exploding British grand prix this year, the FIA backed Pirelli's move to force teams to stay within certain operating guidelines.

The guidelines set strict limits on things like tire camber and pressures, but also pre-session tire heating, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

The report said teams were not allowed to 'boost' temperatures in their respective heating systems beyond 110 degrees for one hour.

But a Sahara Force India team member is quoted as saying: "The heating systems are easily manipulated. If you boost more than allowed, you have an advantage."

Auto Motor und Sport said Pirelli has reacted by checking pre-running tire temperatures not only via the heating systems, but also with their own probes.

Photo: Pirelli

Car2go autopartage, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America, will launch its unique point-to-point carsharing model in Montreal on November 2nd, after successful debuts in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.

An initial fleet of 250 car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles will be available for shared use in the metropolitan Montreal area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They will cost $0.38 per minute.

Members can pick up and drop off any Car2go anywhere within the car2go Home Area (Plateau-Mont-Royal/Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie/Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and reserved parking spaces in Ville-Marie). They don't need to drive the car back to its original location nor commit to a predetermined amount of time.

Car2go. (Photo: Daimler)

Registration for membership has already begun. For a limited time only, Car2go offers free membership and 30 free driving minutes via the promotional code "PATINS."

Car2go currently has more than 500,000 registered members worldwide. Members in Canada have the ability to use the program in all four car2go locations across the country.

Source: Car2go

Sebastian Vettel leads Mark Webber in the afternoon, however the two Mercedes were on top in the morning.

The two free practice sessions were held on a dry track and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was the fastest in the morning ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg. Followed respectively the two Red Bulls, the two Ferraris and the two Lotuses.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W04. (Photo: WRi2)

Jules Bianchi had a big crash. The French driver is unhurt but his Marussia was heavily damaged and couldn't be repaired for the second free practice session.

Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham) ended in the gravel as well and Pastor Maldonado lost the left rear wheel of his Williams.

Sebastian Vettel has quickly gained the upper hand during the afternoon. He set the fastest time ahead of Mark Webber, in the other Red Bull. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) is third. Kimi Raikkonen set the fourth time before putting his Lotus in the gravel.

Many runway excursions without damage during the afternoon, with Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Chilton. Sergio Perez damaged his McLaren into the wall and Pastor Maldonado also hit the wall of tires. Bad day for the Venezuelan driver.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

2013 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka - Friday, October 11 2013

Free practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'34"157 - 19 laps
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'34"487 - 19
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'34"768 - 24
4 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'34"787 - 20
5 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'35"126 - 14
6 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'35"154 - 16
7 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'35"179 - 15
8 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'35"364 - 17
9 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes) - 1'35"450 - 27
10 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'35"635 - 19
11 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes) - 1'35"868 - 22
12 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'35"900 - 18
13 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'36"066 - 20
14 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'36"165 - 19
15 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'36"178 - 12
16 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'36"340 - 23
17 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'36"399 - 18
18 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'36"760 - 22
19 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'37"595 - 22
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'37"629 - 8
21 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'38"025 - 15
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'38"763 - 18

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB9-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Free practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'33"852 - 35 laps
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'34"020 - 35
3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'34"114 - 36
4 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'34"202 - 17
5 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'34"411 - 30
6 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'34"442 - 36
7 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'34"473 - 30
8 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'34"698 - 35
9 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes) - 1'34"912 - 34
10 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'35"087 - 32
11 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'35"089 - 36
12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'35"109 - 34
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'35"182 - 34
14 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'35"275 - 35
15 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'35"341 - 25
16 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes) - 1'35"709 - 8
17 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'36"136 - 41
18 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'36"722 - 6
19 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'37"630 - 31
20 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'37"905 - 36
21 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'38"121 - 33
22 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - no time

*Unofficials timings

As reported last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is now putting the Fisker Automotive loan on the auction block in an effort to recoup some of the $168 million the struggling luxury plug-in hybrid car maker still owes.

Potential buyers had until October 7th to make a formal offer of at least $30 million (with 10% down). Despite the government being shut down, the auction will still take place as planned, according to the latest reports.

Photo: Fisker Automotive

DoE officials could pick a winner as early as next week.

Fisker, which hasn't built a car in about 15 months, does not have enough money to pay millions in outstanding bills. Restarting the company will apparently cost up to $500 million, people familiar with Fisker's finances told Automotive News.

Back in March, company founder Henrik Fisker resigned due to major disagreements with the executive management on the business strategy. A month later, 75% of the workforce was laid off.

Source: Automotive News

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen has answered "we'll see" to speculation he will have to work with a new race engineer in 2014.

Reports say Ferrari has decided against bringing engineer Mark Slade to Maranello next year, despite his successful relationship with Raikkonen over the past two years at Lotus.

Mark Slade also worked with Raikkonen at McLaren, but Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport said Ferrari will instead promote an Italian from within the team.

"I have enjoyed working with Mark, but I enjoy working with Ferrari people too," Raikkonen, who was teamed with Chris Dyer when he won his title in 2007, said.

"It was important to be with Mark at Lotus, as he had already worked with the team and it made my life easier," the Finn told Turun Sanomat newspaper at Suzuka.

"We have had two good seasons but we'll see what happens next year," correspondent Heikki Kulta quoted Raikkonen as saying.

Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Slade, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2)

Adapted from GMM

Jenson Button on Thursday said Ross Brawn is "for sure" not joining McLaren in 2014.

Amid reports Brawn has decided to step down at Mercedes, there has been speculation linking Button's former Honda boss with McLaren.

So with McLaren linking up with the returning Honda for 2015, Button at Suzuka handballed the question to his boss Martin Whitmarsh.

However, 2009 'Brawn GP' champion Button did say: "One thing is for sure -- Ross Brawn will not join the team next season," he told F1's official website.

Jenson Button, Brawn GP, 2009. (Photo: WRi2)

That leaves the door neatly open for 2015. Button, 33, said he could also be Honda-powered again the season after next.

"There's a chance, yes," Button told reporters on Thursday. "There's definitely a chance. I think it's very special for Japan to have a manufacturer in the sport, but obviously that's not for another year and a half. We've got a long time before that and hopefully a very good year next year with Mercedes-Benz."

On his end, Toto Wolff has described as "surprising" reports team boss Ross Brawn has decided to leave Mercedes.

Wolff, who is Mercedes' motor sport director, insisted in German-language Spox: "We are all involved. Ross Brawn has some ideas for his future, as we as a team want to develop together with him. We are in constant discussions. But there was no news in recent days -- not even internally. So it is somewhat surprising that something is coming out now."

Ross Brawn and Toto Wolff, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Toto Wolff denied the suggestion that the real story is that Brawn is pushing to exit because his successor Paddy Lowe is already looming.

Mercedes, on the other hand, is insisting Brawn respect his contract.

"No, not at all. There is no question of observing contracts or that Ross Brawn wants to change. There is a common discourse, all in the best interests of the team and the people involved," Wolff added.

Nonetheless, the rumours continue. Spain's sports newspaper AS said Brawn moving to Honda could be Fernando Alonso's trigger to finally accept McLaren's recent flirtations.

New Honda motor racing chief Yasuhisa Arai told British broadcaster Sky this week the Japanese carmaker wants "good drivers, (a) good team and good organisation" ready for its 2015 return.

"Those things have to be ready, have to be right, in order to have a good start," he added.

Toyota wasn't at fault in a fatal accident in which a 66-year-old woman crashed her 2006 Camry into a tree after it sped out of control in the wrong direction on a one-way road, a California jury said.

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 10,000 cars sold in the United States from model years 2013 and 2014, including its best-selling Camry sedan, to replace faulty wiper switches.

Volkswagen AG's top executives are divided over whether and how workers at the company's Tennessee assembly plant should be represented by a union, but ultimately will insist on a formal vote by those employees, a person with knowledge of the VW...

Toyota will introduce safety systems in about two years enabling cars to communicate with each other to avoid collision.

After trailing many of its competitors in the recent engine- and transmission-technology wars, Toyota will launch a swath of powertrains in the next several years, a top powertrain randd executive said.

High-end retailer Neiman Marcus is keeping with a holiday tradition by offering another special-edition luxury automobile as part of its annual fantasy gift guide.

Chrysler Group is investing $164 million in its Saltillo North engine plant in Mexico to build reengineered 2.0- and 2.4-liter I-4 engines for export, the automaker said today.

The Detroit auto show is partnering with The One Club, a nonprofit based in New York that conducts advertising award competitions, to create a contest honoring the auto industry's top advertisements.

It's been all but a foregone conclusion for some time now, but Land Rover has

It's not only domestic trucks that seem to be getting the attention of collectors. This week, there's a rather sharp-looking

Nancy Rae, one of the top four women within Chrysler Group's executive ranks, will retire after 35 years with the automaker. The company appointed Michael Keegan, 47, senior vice president for supply chain management, to succeed her.

For the 2014 model year the Toyota

Soon to clock up six months as head of SEAT, Jürgen Stackmann talks brand performance, plans for China and future products with just-auto.com. Glenn Brooks reports.

Aston Martin is dropping the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet city car following slow sales to focus on models more geared to their traditional customers.