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From GMM

Mexican Sergio Perez has admitted he hopes Telmex becomes a major sponsor of the McLaren team.

Pérez has been a Telmex sponsored driver for years in the development series and for the two seasons he spent with Sauber. Now, he hopes to see his sponsor take over the lost Vodafone title sponsorship.

"Hopefully Telmex will be at my side again soon," Perez told the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

"I've been with them all through my career, practically since I started, so I'm a little sad they are not with me this year, because the team still has a contract with Vodafone. I would love to see the blue on my car again,” Perez added.

Perez insisted he is not bothered that some people think his Telmex connection is the only thing that got him into F1 with Sauber, and subsequently into a top car with McLaren.

"I don't want to prove anything to the people who think that," he insisted.

"If you think that, then you think that Fernando is only at Ferrari because of Santander.

"I don't think it influenced the decision to hire me; I don't think McLaren is desperate to find sponsors.

Sergio Perez, McLaren MP4-28. (Photo: McLaren)

“Take care of Fernando Alonso”

During that same interview Perez revealed that, whilst a Sauber driver, Ferrari often asked him to "take care" of Fernando Alonso.

Perez, formerly under Ferrari power at Sauber and also the cream of the Maranello marque's driver development 'academy', explained that he's been asked to help Alonso at times.

"Last year, when I was communicating with Ferrari, they often asked me to take care of Alonso, but I don't know if they asked just me or the whole grid."

Asked if he sees leaving the Ferrari family as a missed opportunity, the 23-year-old answered: "No, it's an experience that led me to a better place. I'm happy at McLaren; I hope to stay here for many years, maybe my entire career."

New high-tech products mean steel is now winning battles in a long war to defend its share of the auto market against lighter aluminum, as automakers have to shed weight to meet emissions standards.

Chrysler Group is warning about 2,500 owners of

Chrysler Group is warning about 2,500 owners of 2013 Dodge Challengers with V-6 engines built in December and January not to drive their cars because of a potential short-circuit that could lead to a fire.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: Perhaps my judgment was skewed by several days of driving larger Mercedes-Benz GL-class SUVS, but this little 2013

Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen scored the 20th win of his career in today's thrilling Australian Grand Prix from Fernando Alonso and a ‘disappointed' Sebastian Vettel.

The 2007 world champion capitalised on his fast starting E21 and used a two-stop strategy to overhaul Ferrari's three stopping Fernando Alonso to win his second Grand Prix for Enstone based team. On a side note, it was Lotus' first victory in a season opener since the 1970s, and Raikkonen's second victory in Melbourne since he drove for Ferrari in his championship year.

The start of the 2013 F1 season (Photo: WRi2)

The main surprise of the race was the lack of pace shown by both Red Bulls. Despite both cars locking out the front row in qualifying, Sebastian Vettel finished 22 seconds behind Raikkonen in third, and Mark Webber sixth after yet another poor getaway.

In the process, both fast starting Ferraris and Hamilton's Mercedes jumped Webber's bogged down car, with Massa leading his team mate and hustling Vettel's Red Bull for the lead in the opening stages of the race.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB9 (Photo: WRi2)

The leaders made their first round of pitstops early on due to the sharp degradation of the super soft Pirelli, but it was the kindness of Raikkonen's Lotus on its tyres and a two-stop strategy that pushed it into contention for the win.

Whilst Vettel and the Ferraris pitted, the Finn remained out on track until lap 34, taking advantage of his car's handling characteristics, which allowed him to work the two-stop strategy to his favour.

By the time Alonso had emerged from his third and final stop, the extra laps that Raikkonen had put in whilst his rivals pitted netted him a 7.7 second advantage over the Ferrari driver. Despite Alonso's best efforts on new tyres where for a short time it seemed he would carve the Finn's advantage, Raikkonen managed to stabilize the gap and cross the line to claim one of his ‘easiest victories yet' by 12.4 seconds.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138 (Photo: WRi2)

Felipe Massa finished fourth behind Vettel after a strong race and was followed by Hamilton. The Force Indias of Sutil and di Resta finished seventh and eighth after the German returnee put in a sprited performance that saw him make a reverse strategy to the leaders work, and lead a large portion of the race only for tyre wear to see him drop back in the later stages.

Button rounded off a difficult day for McLaren in ninth and Grosjean rounded out the top-10 after a quiet race ahead of Sergio Perez.

Jules Bianchi once again stamped his authority as the best of the backmarkers in the Marussia by finishing 15th. The young Frenchman was the only backmarker to finish on the same lap as the leaders ahead of his compatriot Charles Pic, team-mate Chilton and the other Caterham of Giedo van der Garde.

The top 3 finishers (Photo: WRi2)

Race results* - Australian Grand Prix (Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne)
1 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 58 laps in 1.30'03"225
2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 12"451
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 22"346
4 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 33"577
5 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 45"561
6 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 46"800
7 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'05"068
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'08"449
9 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'21"630
10 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'22"579
11 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'23"267
12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'23"857
13 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1 lap
14 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1 lap
15 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps
17 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 2 laps
18 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps

Fastest lap of the race: 1'29"274 by Kimi Räikkönen

*Unofficial

Retirements
Lap 1 - Nico Hulkenberg
Lap 25 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 26 - Nico Rosberg
Lap 40 - Daniel Ricciardo

Drivers' championship
1.Raikkonen 25; 2.Alonso 18; 3.Vettel 15; 4.Massa 12; 5.Hamilton 10; 6.Webber 8; 7.Sutil 6; 8.Di Resta 4; 9.Button 2; 10.Grosjean 1.

Constructors' championship
1.Ferrari 30; 2.Lotus-Renault 26; 3.Red Bull-Renault 23; 4.Mercedes, Force India-Mercedes 10; 6.McLaren-Mercedes 2.

Press release

It was always going to be a steep hill to climb for DeltaWing Racing; building a team from scratch a month out from its first race competition.

Despite the fledgling team's efforts and preparations for the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fuelled by “Fresh from Florida” today, the revolutionary car was forced to retire with engine failure after completing 10 laps in the second hour of the race.

The DeltaWing, with its new elements and powered by an Elan Motorsports Technologies engine, had completed more than 50 laps over two days of testing at Road Atlanta on March 6-7 before the crew arrived in Sebring on Saturday.

The 2013-spec DeltaWing racing at Sebring (Photo: ALMS)

Andy Meyrick drove the entirety of testing on Monday at the Sebring International Raceway, with the team feeling as though it had made daily improvements in advance of its debut in the LMP1 class by qualifying on Friday.

During its entire test and practice track time, the DeltaWing completed more than 100 laps of running and improved more than seven seconds from its fastest time on Monday to the car's fastest lap of the week set in Qualifying by Olivier Pla - a 1:53.866.

The honour of starting the DeltaWing's inaugural LMP1 race was given to Andy, from 15th position on the iconic endurance grid.

"We can see potential in the car and the team has done a fantastic job in a very short period of time," said Meyrick. "There were flashes of a potentially strong performance in warm up and so no doubt, given time, the car will be a competitive package."

The DeltaWing will race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May 2013.

From GMM

Yet another new name could be looking seriously at F1's radical engine rules for 2014.

It is already a poorly-guarded paddock secret that McLaren is likely to team up with the Japanese giant Honda, probably in 2015.

But with Marussia supplier Cosworth looking set to depart the sport at the end of the current season, the only confirmed engine manufacturers for the new turbo V6 era beginning next year are Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari.

However, another one could be Zytek, a British engineering company.

A leader in the hybrid field, Zytek currently works in the Auto GP, Le Mans and Renault World Series categories, and helped Mercedes to develop its KERS in 2009.

On Twitter, the company hinted it was looking closely at F1's 2014 rules, "but (we) can't say too much about that at this stage".

"Maybe we will do a whole power unit ourselves," Zytek added.

"Certainly we have all the elements needed for it in our skills/experience plus the (regulations) reset gives newcomers a chance.

"(It's) certainly a big job and needs serious money to turn the basic engineering concept into a competitive package."

Audi scored its 11th overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring this weekend, in 61st running of the event.

The start of the 61st 12 Hours of Sebring (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Oliver Jarvis drove the No. 1 R18 e-tron quattro to the top step of the podium, followed by Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Lucas di Grassi in the sister car, scoring an eighth - and maybe last 1-2 finish for Audi.

LMP1 prototypes will disappear at the end of the year, when the ALMS changes rules to become the Unified SportsCar Racing championship.

The winning Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Neel Jani, Nick Heidfeld and Nico Prost rounded out the top 3 in Rebellion Racing's No. 12 Lola-Toyota.

Corvette led Ferrari in GT. Tommy Milner, Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook celebrated a dramatic win over Risi Competizione. In the No. 4 ZR1 Corvette, Westbrook overtook Matteo Malucelli's F458 Italia for the lead with only 13 minutes to spare.

Level 5 Motorsports scored another 1-2 finish, with team owner Scott Tucker earning his fourth consecutive class win at Sebring. Greaves Motorsports fell short in third.

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports bagged its first PC win thanks to the late pass of driver David Ostella over Canadian Kyle Marcelli (BAR1). Alex Job completed the winner's board in GTC.

The podium (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Race results - 12 Hours of Sebring (Sebring International Raceway)
1 Fässler/Jarvis/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) 364 laps in 12h 00m11.638s
2 di Grassi/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) + 7.679s
3 Prost/Heidfeld/Jani (Lola-Toyota) - 5 laps
4 Graf/Luhr/Dumas (HPD-Honda) - 6 laps
5 Beche/Cheng/Belicchi (Lola-Toyota) - 10 laps
6 Tucker/Franchitti/Briscoe (HPD-Honda) - 18 laps
7 Tucker/Hunter-Reay/Pagenaud (HPD-Honda) - 19 laps
8 Kimber-Smith/Zugel/Lux (Zytek) - 22 laps
9 Cheng/Guasch/Ostella (ORECA) - 28 laps
10 Marcelli/Cumming/Johansson (ORECA) - 28 laps

From GMM

It has been a nightmare start to Williams' 2013 season.

The deaths of Hugo Chavez and Ginny Williams were big commercial and personal blows for the famous British team, and now its new car has been denounced by Pastor Maldonado.

"It is undriveable at the moment," said the Venezuelan.

"I think we're back to two years ago with conditions in the team," added Maldonado, referring to 2011, when the Grove based team finished a woeful ninth before a marked improvement last year.

The Melbourne-spec Williams FW35 (Photo: WRi2)

Unlike Maldonado, his rookie teammate Valtteri Bottas just squeezed into Sunday morning's Q2 segment at Albert Park.

Maldonado is quoted by Brazil's Globo: "Perhaps, with less traffic, we would have entered Q2, but that's not the goal.

"The goal is to be among the top ten.  Now, we are nowhere."

"There's nothing else to say," he is quoted by Spanish television Antena 3.  "It's going very badly."

Adapted from GMM

Former world champion turned commentator Jacques Villeneuve is positive that, of last year's two title contenders, Fernando Alonso is the better.

The French Canadian said he has no doubt Spaniard Alonso will be in the championship hunt this year as well.

Fernando Alonso in Melbourne (Photo: WRi2)

"Ferrari will probably be better than last year, and Fernando always brings out something even more.  He is definitely the best driver," he told AS newspaper.

Told that Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is arguably the best, because he is the reigning triple world champion, French Canadian Villeneuve shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'so what?'.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB9 (Photo: WRi2)

"Vettel is nothing like Alonso or Hamilton.  He is a product of the team, and it is the team (Red Bull) that is the best."

Asked if he thinks Alonso deserved the 2012 title, Villeneuve answered: "It's obvious isn't it?

"He has two titles but Schumacher should have ten.  This is a very complicated sport and there are many factors in play."

Model: 2003 to 2009 Land Rover Range Rover

Vehicle Type: 4x4

The Verdict: If you're considering a used Range Rover from this generation, keep in mind that it's not a vehicle bought for reliability or affordable repair bills. If you're after a cheap-to-run sport ute, this isn't the model for you. Opting against a supercharged model will reduce your fuel bill -- slightly.

Price: Earlier models in this generation with higher mileage can be had for under $15,000, while a newer, low-mileage unit will relieve owners of $45,000 or more.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

What Owners Like: Luxury, go-anywhere capability, exclusivity and a great deal of “presence” are noted by owners. Smooth performance and an ultra-posh cabin are also noted.

What Owners Dislike: As it goes with expensive premium models, most owners don't report any “complaints” about their Range Rovers; though, almost all wish for better gas mileage.

History/Description: Capable, luxurious and packing world-class comfort features, the last-generation Land Rover Range Rover hit the road with V8 (or supercharged V8) power, four-wheel drive and a long list of goodies when it launched as a 2003 model.

Feature content included dual-zone climate control, a sunroof, navigation, and plenty more. Air suspension, a CD changer and xenon lights were on board, too.

Depending on the year and model in question, this posh off-roader could be kitted up via numerous trim levels and option packages to suit a variety of tastes and budgets.

Common Issues: Wiring. Sensors. Modules. The Range Rover (like all new cars) is full of electronic stuff that can experience issues, so approach a used model looking for signs of trouble. Be sure all electrically operated accessories function as expected, and check for any warning lights or messages.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Have the air suspension checked out by a mechanic after you toggle it through its various settings to confirm it operates without any warning lights illuminating. This is an expensive-to-repair system that will eventually wear out and fail.

Be sure to toggle the 4x4 system between its various modes too, checking for signs of trouble along the way.

Numerous Range Rover owners on forums say that buying from a dealer and bargaining for an extended warranty is a good idea.

Ensure the seller was fond of regular maintenance, including fluid changes, and be sure to get two working remote key fobs, too. A model with full service records is ideal for added peace of mind.

Take the Range Rover in question to a Land Rover dealership and have it inspected in the air for signs of rust, leaks, suspension wear, and tire condition. While beneath the vehicle, a mechanic can help uncover any potentially hidden issues that could cost money down the line. Have the computer “scanned” for any trouble codes, which could indicate issues, as well.

Confirm proper operation of the air conditioner, all power windows, and the sunroof, too. Finally, a “grinding” sound from the rear end during tight, low-speed corners could be a sign of a differential that's wearing or worn out.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

ASSOCIATE EDITOR SHERRICE GILSBACH: What a well balanced SUV this

Pininfarina may produce a small number of its Sergio concept at a price tag of about 3 million euros each, the company's chief executive said. "We are considering a very limited run of five to six units," CEO Silvio Angori said.

Ford, moving to close a growing deficit in its pension funding, will shift more of its plan's assets to fixed income to shield against changes in interest rates.

Norway's market for pure electric cars has in its very success shown the severe drawbacks to a model that relies on public subsidies worth as much as $8,200 per car, every year.

Toyota, which last year overtook GM to become the world's largest automaker even as its profit margins lagged behind the industry, is riding a weakening yen that has Detroit executives concerned.

Norway's market for pure electric cars has in its very success shown the severe drawbacks to a model that relies on public subsidies worth as much as $8,200 per car, every year.

Ralf Schumacher announced he was bringing his racing career to an end, meaning he will not participate in the 2013 DTM championship.

Instead, the 37-year-old German will take on a managerial role at Mercedes' Mucke DTM team, and coach young drivers of the brand's fold.

His spot on Mercedes' drivers roster will be taken by 19-year-old Pascal Wehrlein, a former F3 Euroseries championship contender.

Ralf Schumacher (Photo: DTM)

Over the course of his career as a driver, the younger Schumacher amassed six wins in F1. His best result in the championship was fourth, in 2001 and 2002. Without a drive, he exited F1 at the end of 2007, and started racing in the DTM the next season.

After five years, he bows out of the German touring car series with only a second place and a pole position to his name.

Romain Grosjean set the fastest time in a rain soaked Free Practice 3 session before qualifying, putting his Lotus ahead of the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. The current world champion Sebastian Vettel, who topped yesterday's two free practice sessions finished down in 12th.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2)

The ‘monsoon like' conditions continued into qualifying, with first part of the session taking place after a delay of 10 minutes. However, whilst the first round of qualifying did take place, sessions two and three were cancelled after a 40-minute delay and will now be held tomorrow morning before the race.

Q1 was characterized by a lack of grip in the wet conditions. Both Caterham drivers made contact with the walls, as did Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez on the exit of turn 12. The higher end of the grid was not free from casualties either, with Hamilton, Perez and Webber spinning and Massa slamming his car into the wall where Gutierrez had his incident. However, unlike the Mexican rookie, the Brazilian was able to continue.

Felipe Massa before meeting with the wall (Photo: WRi2)

Nico Rosberg continued to highlight the impressive pace of the Mercedes, as he revelled in the cold and wet conditions that were similar to China last year where he scored his first win, and Mercedes' first since returning to the sport as a manufacturer in 2010.

The 27-year old German finished the session at the top of the time sheets with a 1min43.380s on intermediate tyres, almost half a second clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean in the Lotus. Vettel, who was on a personal best and on course to once again set the fastest time in his Red Bull when the session ended, finished his day in sixth.

Surprisingly, it was Pastor Maldonado who was the highest profile casualty of Q1 who after the session described his Williams as ‘undriveable' and that the team had taken a step backwards over the winter. The Venezuelan finished in 17th, one place in front of Gutierrez. Further down the grid, Marussia impressed again as both cars qualified ahead of the Caterhams with Bianchi 19th, one place ahead of teammate Chilton.

The rest of qualifying will now take place before the race tomorrow at 10:45 local time, or 23:45 GMT.

The damp Albert Park Circuit (Photo: WRi2)