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Frenchman Jules Bianchi will replace Luis Razzia at Marussia in Formula 1 this season, after the sponsors of the Brazilian failed to fulful their obligations.

Bianchi, a member of the Ferrari development programme failed to get the second drive at Sahara Force India just days ago.

A former GP2 series' driver, Razia was announced as a Marussia race driver during the first pre-season Formula 1 test at Jerez after his backer made an initial payment for the seat. Apparently, the second scheduled payment deadline was missed.

Ferrari, which has nurtured Bianchi's career, was known to be keen on him racing this year. Marussia and Ferrari apparently agreed on the conditions that will allow the Frenchman to make his debuts in Formula 1.

With Max Chilton and Bianchi, Marussia will be running two rookie drivers this season.

Did Danica Patrick manage to impress you with her driving skills at the Daytona 500?

Following a 2012 season spent learning the ropes of stock car racing in NASCAR's Nationwide series, along with a few starts in the Sprint Cup, Patrick made her real major league debut last weekend. And she did it on the iconic, yet intimidating, 2.5-mile long Daytona International Speedway, with up to 31-degree banking!

This year, she is racing for Stewart Haas. As it turns out, the gruff and grumpy Tony Stewart seems like a good mentor, providing useful advice and sincerely wishing her success. In fact, some would say that Stewart has taken Patrick under his wing and given her the tools to become a fearsome driver, starting with a fast car.

Heck, she shocked everyone by winning the pole position a week earlier. Any other rookie would likely have been crushed by all the pressure and media attention, but Patrick kept her cool and remained totally focused, ignoring the buzz and the hype we now know as “Danicamania.”

As for the race, I thought her performance was pretty solid. Patrick stayed in the top 3 until a long pit stop pushed her down the grid. However, she persevered and made it back to 3rd place with fewer than 10 laps remaining.

With just over two miles to go, Patrick must have listened to her inner voice (or the crew chief's over the radio), because she played it safe instead of risking a bold move and jeopardizing her chances of finishing the race. She eventually crossed the line in 8th place.

If you ask me, Patrick has cleared any shadow of a doubt left, and proven that she can go neck and neck with the best NASCAR drivers. She became the first woman to win the pole position at the Daytona 500, lead a Sprint Cup race for at least one lap, and finish this close to the podium.

Patrick has made a believer out of me with her flawless driving -- much like when she avoided all the traps and flagrant mistakes in Montreal last summer, returning to the pits after the race with one of the rare, undamaged cars.

If Patrick feels confident on oval speedways, she's bound to also make her mark on road courses later this year. Will she ever win a race? Based on what I've seen recently, she most certainly can.

Photo: Getty Images/NASCAR

Highlights
A comfortable driving position, good ride quality, and generous cargo room make the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze a desirable compact sedan.

Lowlights
Unlike the Honda Civic and Ford Focus (two of its biggest competitors), the Cruze makes do with a semi-independent rear suspension. Meanwhile, the standard 1.8L 4-cylinder engine under the hood proves quite thirsty around town: 9.2L/100km with the automatic transmission, and 8.2L/100km with the manual gearbox.


Pricing
The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze ranges from $16,795 to $28,345 (including freight and delivery charges). The more fuel-efficient Turbo model starts at $21,235.

Fuel consumption
The base 1.8L engine achieves a combined 6.9L/100km with the manual transmission, and 7.6L/100km with the autobox.

The 1.4L turbocharged variant burns an average of 6.6L/100km. In Eco trim, this number drops to 6.0L/100km (manual) or 6.5L/100km (automatic).

Model-year info
The Cruze was launched in 2011, and returns with no major changes for 2013 other than the available MyLink infotainment system.

Styling
The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has a friendly face that proudly displays the brand's signature split grille. It definitely boasts modern flare with looks that will likely age well.

Cargo capacity
The trunk can swallow up to 425 litres of stuff. Among all compact sedans, only the Volkswagen Jetta offers more cargo room (440 litres).

Powertrains
Buyers have a choice of two 4-cylinder engines including a 138-horsepower 1.8L mill, and an equally powerful 1.4L turbocharged unit that produces 148 lb-ft of torque instead of just 125.

Safety
With class-leading 10 standard airbags and many additional safety features, the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze has received the NHTSA's highest safety rating.

Advice
The turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze Eco stands out with a lighter overall weight, low-rolling resistance tires, an Aero package, and specific programming for the manual transmission that contribute to a 10% gain in fuel economy, making this model attractive for many customers.

Competitors
Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta.

Photo: Chevrolet

References
* Testimonies
Bouchard Jean-Pierre, L'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions La Presse, 2012, p.178

Aubé Vincent, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.174

** Insurance: ‘'L'Annuel de l'automobile''. Typical case: Three age groups (25, 40, 60). The insured driver lives in the Greater Montreal area, and travels 20-30 kilometres a day. No accident to report in the past five years. Deductible: $250. Civil liability: $1 million. Taxes included.

From GMM

Italian tire manufacturer, Pirelli is pushing hard for an early decision about whether it will remain Formula 1's official supplier beyond 2013.

Now towards the end of its existing three-season deal, the Italian marque has made clear it wants to stay.

But "Time is pressing on," motor sport director Paul Hembery is quoted by Britain's Sky Sports.

And according to Italiaracing, the fluent Italian speaker added: "The negotiations are ongoing and there is progress, but nothing conclusive.

"For sure we should not be here in June or July, talking about how things are going," said Briton Hembery.

NASCAR took the severe route of indefinitely suspending Nationwide Series driver, Jeremy Clements for what the sanctioning body characterized as “an intolerable and insensitive remark.”

In a brief statement the penalty was characterized as “Jeremy Clements, a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's Code of Conduct. On Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway, Clements was found to have violated Sections 7-5 (NASCAR's Code of Conduct) and 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing).

“During the course of an interview, Jeremy Clements made an intolerable and insensitive remark,” said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations.

“NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that's explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. We fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code.”

On Thursday Clements appeared on an ESPN interview admitting a racial slur was involved.

“When you say 'racial' remark, it wasn't used to describe anybody or anything," Clements told ESPN.

“So that's all I'm going to say to that. And it really wasn't. I was describing racing, and the word I used was incorrect and I shouldn't have said it. It shouldn't be used at all."

How it happened
The statement came about following the Nationwide Series pre-race drivers' meeting. A NASCAR official was escorting an MTV reporter who asked Clements how to find another driver.

"While we're walking they started, he [MTV] started, asking me questions," Clements told ESPN. "And it wasn't recorded. We were just talking. So I said one remark about how I wouldn't ..." and then he stopped. He also said he only said the offending word one time. That's pretty much how it happened," he told ESPN. "And even after I said what I said, they still kept asking me questions. It didn't seem like it was a big deal at all. I didn't even think twice about it, like, after.

“I know I shouldn't have said it. Even when I did say it, I shouldn't have said it. But I didn't think it was going to be a big deal."

Clement said he would be suspended for a minimum of two races and must undergo some sort of speech training.

Clement told ESPN that the interview was not recorded and that he later admitted saying the word. He said a NASCAR official called him on Sunday and asked him if he had used the word.

"There was just three people standing there when I said this,” Clement told ESPN. “And it was me, a girl that works for NASCAR and the MTV guy. There was no cameras. No recording. No nothing.

"(A NASCAR official) asked me point-blank: 'Hey, did you say this word?' And I said, 'Yes, I did.' I was being honest. I did. I messed up. It was just one word and it wasn't about anybody. It wasn't even used as that."

Facebook
On Clement's Facebook page there was a post attributed to him: “I apologize and regret what I said to the NASCAR writer and to NASCAR, my sponsors, my fans, and my team. NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that everyone must follow and I unintentionally violated that code. I will not get into specifics of what I said but my comment to the writer was in no way meant to be disrespectful or insensitive to anyone or to be detrimental to NASCAR or the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I will do what I need to do in order to atone for my error in judgment. “

The Deep Dive: New Luxury, Small Packages

Germans embrace small front-wheel-drive sedans.

Even as Americans embrace more expensive compact cars, they remain immune to the charms of the premium hatchbacks that sell so well in Europe. In the United States -- and, just as important, in China -- the sedan remains king. That's why the German premium brands are working on front-wheel-drive compacts with four doors and proper trunks.

Photo Gallery: The Deep Dive: New Luxury, Small Packages - Automobile Magazine

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What is it?

Ford of Europe's largest Belgian union is seeking a substantially improved redundancy package from the automaker as it looks to close its Genk plant with the direct loss of 4,300 jobs.

News 28 Feb, 2013

Ferrari F150 hypercar to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week

Chrysler said on Thursday (28 February) it would spend about US$374m to boost transmission production and add about 1,250 new jobs in north-central Indiana, making it the largest transmission installation in the world.

TRW's portfolio of forward-looking camera options can be scaled to the needs of vehicle makers - from lane-keeping and guidance systems to functions such as object- and traffic sign recognition and pedestrian protection. Its cameras can also be oriented for rear-facing for back-over and rear object proximity warnings and park assistance systems. In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked to TRW's executives about the market for certain camera and sensor based ADAS systems.

General Motors will almost certainly build non Opel/Vauxhall brand models in its European factories.

Multiple concepts and new models have made their global debuts at the bienniel Seoul motor show. The media day was 28 March.

Multiple concepts and new models have made their global debuts at the bienniel Seoul motor show. The media day was 28 March.

Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this biennial motor show, our preview list will be updated. The media day for the Seoul motor show is 28 March.

Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this biennial motor show, our preview list will be updated. The media day for the Seoul motor show is 28 March.

Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this biennial motor show, our preview list will be updated. The media day for the Seoul motor show is 28 March.

Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this biennial motor show, our preview list will be updated. The media day for the Seoul motor show is 28 March.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I like a lot of what Nissan and

The United Auto Workers (UAW) met with several hundred employees of Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee, plant on Tuesday, a sign the Detroit Free Press said the union was making progress in its latest campaign to 'organise' [unionise] a car factory in the south.