Auto News 5

Lotus' Romain Grosjean set the pace during Friday morning's first free practice session, but newly crowned 2013 champion Sebastian Vettel put his Red Bull RB9 on top of the charts in the afternoon in Abu Dhabi.

Third place finisher in India a week ago, Grosjean clocked the fastest time in an opening session, setting a time of 1m44.241 in the closing stages to edge out Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton by 0.192s.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull (Photo: Red Bull)

Vettel finished the 90-minute session in third place with a 1m44.499 ahead of his Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber, with the second respective Mercedes and Lotus cars of Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen completing the top six.

Ferrari experienced some problems on the slippery Yas Marina circuit with Fernando Alonso down in 12th and Felipe Massa 17th. In fact, numerous drivers had small moments where they inadvertently cut chicanes or ran briefly off the road.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus (Photo: WRI2)

However, it was a slightly different story in the second free practice session.

Red Bull Racing set their seventh P2 one-two of the season as Vettel set the fastest time of the day with a 1m41.335, beating Webber by 0.155 second.

Hamilton led the chase in his Mercedes to set the third fastest time ahead of last year's surprise winner, Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus.

Yas Marina circuit (Photo: WRI2)

Both Lotuses proved to be quick in race trim and on medium Pirelli tires and they could provide Red Bull's sternest challenge this weekend.

Rosberg was fifth fastest in his Mercedes ahead of Sergio Pérez and Jenson Button of McLaren (the team trying low-drag rear wings), Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg in his Sauber and Massa.

Fastest in FP1, Grosjean was only 12th quickest. His E21-Renault suffered brake problems and then a vibration.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina circuit, Friday 1st practice session*
1 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'44"241 - 21 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'44"433 - 23
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'44"499 - 18
4 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'44"712 - 20
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'44"741 - 24
6 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'44"929 - 23
7 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'45"040 - 20
8 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'45"099 - 20
9 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'45"150 - 24
10 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'45"331 - 20
11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'45"378 - 23
12 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'45"440 - 18
13 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'45"823 - 22
14 - James Calado (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'45"924 - 20
15 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'46"068 - 18
16 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'46"114 - 22
17 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'46"124 - 18
18 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'46"126 - 21
19 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'47"600 - 22
20 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'47"670 - 22
21 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'47"723 - 23
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'49"565 - 22

Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina circuit, Friday 2nd practice session*
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'41"335 - 34 laps
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'41"490 - 32
3 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'41"690 - 37
4 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'41"726 - 42
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'41"758 - 41
6 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'42"006 - 36
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'42"010 - 31
8 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'42"171 - 31
9 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'42"324 - 41
10 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'42"440 - 36
11 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'42"509 - 39
12 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'42"607 - 18
13 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'42"806 - 27
14 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'42"952 - 36
15 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'42"998 - 27
16 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'43"152 - 29
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'42"271 - 36
18 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'43"565 - 36
19 - Giedo Van Der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'44"138 - 35
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'44"459 - 35
21 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'44"525 - 38
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'44"565 - 27
*Unofficial timing

Brendon Hartley has been evaluated at the wheel of the brand new Porsche LMP1 race car this week in Monza, with the possibility to join the German team next season.

The young New Zealander is now in line for a works seat with Porsche for its return in endurance racing next season in the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard, Neel Jani and Mark Webber have already been confirmed as Porsche drivers for 2014. Hartley and Marc Lieb are set to get the two remaining places for next year.

The 23-year-old made his racing debut in single seaters before moving to endurance racing. He set strong performances this season in Rolex Grand-Am, where he clinched one victory, driving a Starworks Motorsports' Riley Ford.

He also competed in several rounds of the World Endurance Championship, Le Mans 24 Hours and European Le Mans Series in a Murphy Prototypes' Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2.

From GMM

As Kimi Raikkonen finally turned up in Abu Dhabi to practice for Sunday's Abu Dhabi grand prix, Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez on Friday insisted the relationship with the taciturn Finn remains intact.

Some interpreted the Ferrari-bound Raikkonen's 'no show' on Thursday, mere days after an obscene radio spat with Alan Permane, as a sign his relationship with the Enstone based team is now irreparably broken with three races left to run.

But in an interview posted on the Lotus website early on Friday, team owner Lopez insists the relationship with Raikkonen is still "good".

"Of course, a lot was made about the comments between Alan Permane and Kimi during the course of a tense moment in a race, but this was just one exchange taking a matter of seconds in the course of a two-year relationship," he said.

Lopez said Raikkonen, despite his cold relationship with the media, is actually "friendly" and "talkative" behind closed doors, and is his "friend".

He admitted, however, that Raikkonen decided to switch to Ferrari for 2014 because Lotus has been waiting on a much-needed 35 per cent sale to a group called 'Quantum' to be finalised.

It has been rumoured the deal has fallen over, but Lopez said on Friday: "We have preliminary agreements with the company we want to partner with, and we're just waiting for this to be concluded.

"Deals like this do not move at the speed we're used to in formula one and we're hopeful that we'll conclude it in the near future," he added.

Meanwhile, after also sitting out Thursday's events at Yas Marina with a stomach complaint, Nico Hulkenberg was fit enough to take to the wheel of his Sauber for Friday practice.

From GMM

Red Bull Racing designer Adrian Newey this week said he didn't know if the team's alternator problems of 2012 have now resurfaced.

After Mark Webber's retirement in India, obvious questions were being asked about whether the same constant problems of last year had come back.

"The problem with Mark had nothing to do with the events of 2012," engine supplier Renault's Remi Taffin told Auto Motor und Sport.

He said the exact cause is not yet known.

Red Bull Racing changed supplier for 2013.

"Either the alternator came from a faulty series, or there was a problem with the installation," he added.

Taffin said Webber's Renault engine mercifully survived the problem, as was the V8 unit in Lotus driver Romain Grosjean's car.

Grosjean had a storming drive to the podium in India, but Auto Motor und Sport said that if the race had been two laps longer, the Frenchman would have retired as the engine was losing air.

Red Bull's Webber, meanwhile, laughed with resignation at his retirement last week in India, and shrugged on Thursday when contemplating his long run of bad luck.

"A lot of results have slipped through the net, but that's the way it's been, for whatever reason," he said.

On my way home the other day, I saw a driver ignoring a pedestrian crossing as a lady was about to step onto the road. While I stopped so she could make it safely to the other side, I wondered if the other driver simply missed the sign, didn't know what it meant or chose to ignore the law.

I'll never know because I was obviously not going to start chasing the guy to find out, but the fact is that road sign disobedience is not a rare sight. So, today I'll ask you this: Do you really know what the various signs and warnings mean?

Here are some of the more problematic ones:

The Pedestrian Crossing sign informs road users that they are approaching a crossing for pedestrians. They must show caution and yield to any pedestrian needing to cross. In Quebec, a violation of this traffic sign carries a fine of $100 for drivers and $37 for cyclists.

Everybody knows of the yield sign, but do they really know what it means? Judging by the sheer number of people who slow down to let others merge, my guess is no. Basically, this sign indicates that drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to vehicles on a priority highway.

You want to show courtesy by helping drivers in the on-ramp safely merge into traffic? Fine. But for God's sake, don't hammer the brake pedal when you have cars following you at more than 100 km/h!

What is that sign, you ask? Well, it's a hazard marker indicating the presence of an obstruction on the roadway or shoulders, as well as indicating where a public highway narrows. The diagonal bars point to the side you have to take to avoid said obstruction (in this case, the right side).

A Prepare to Stop sign indicates an intersection with traffic lights ahead. It displays flashing amber beacons when the lights are going to turn red before you reach the intersection. So, why do some drivers ignore the warning and brake at the last second, possibly encroaching on the intersection and risking a collision with other vehicles that do have a green light? I'm puzzled...

It's not just a red octagon; it also reads “Stop.” Get it? Stop! Not “Slow Down.” This can mean the difference between life and death if you ever hit a pedestrian or cyclist. Think about it...


If you'd like to test your knowledge, complete GM's Great Canadian Road Signs Quiz. I'd be curious to know your score.

On behalf of all road users, please know your signs and drive safely!


Sources: rsr.mtq.gouv.qc.ca
spvm.qc.ca

As it strives to expand its network of Supercharger stations across the U.S. and Canada, Tesla announced that it will connect Miami and Montreal in 2014 after recently doing the same with Vancouver and San Diego.

These 120 kW Superchargers can charge a Tesla Model S to 50% in about 20 minutes. They are currently the world's most powerful charging stations, but remain exclusive to Tesla owners -- for free.

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the short distance between Superchargers means that the vast majority of drivers (over 85%) can get to any of them with a single charge. The Model S has a range of up to 370 kilometres at 90 km/h.

Source : auto.lapresse.ca

Photo: Tesla

Furniture Row Racing and Martin Truex Jr confirmed one of the most obvious rumors of this year when the announced a multi-year deal for the Truex.

“Really proud I could pick myself up, dust myself off. Not everyone was so lucky. You always have something to prove in Cup,” said Truex referring to his roller coaster year. “I'm ready.”

Truex, who currently drives for Michael Waltrip Racing, was having one of the best years in his career when he broke a 218-race winless drought (at Sonoma), a multi-year contract with sponsor, NAPA, and made the NASCAR Chase on points - initially - after Richmond.

Then NASCAR officials ruled that teammate, Brian Vickers manipulated the outcome of the race by an unnecessarily long pit stop. That changed the final points and Vickers was out of the Chase. A few weeks later NAPA officials said that they would end their NASCAR involvement at the end of the year depriving Truex of a sponsor - and a job.

"I was terrified. It was like getting punched in the face," said Truex adding “"As unlucky as I got at Richmond, I got just as lucky when this deal turned up."

Meanwhile, over at Furniture Row Racing they needed a driver after Kurt Busch accepted a ride with Stewart-Haas Racing. They had a brief interview with Juan Pablo Montoya, but, the Colombian driver went back to IndyCar joining Penske Racing in 2014.

When Truex walked into the media center in Texas on Friday morning with the Furniture Row general manager, Joe Garone, no one was surprised.

“We couldn't be happier to have landed one of the top drivers in NASCAR,” said Garone. “Martin's talents - both on and off the track -- have been well documented and everyone at Furniture Row Racing feels that he is an excellent fit to continue the success that we have enjoyed this season."

MWR issued the following “Michael Waltrip Racing congratulates Martin on his announcement today. We are very happy to see him in a competitive ride next year and appreciate the professionalism everyone showed throughout this entire process.”

Garone also mentioned that Truex's current over-wall pit crew (not necessarily including his crew chief) will be joining Truex at FRR.

2014 Chevrolet Equinox

The Equinox may be a compact crossover, but it's a rather big feather in General Motors' cap.

New For 2014

The only changes in store for the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox are a few new exterior paint colors and standard eighteen-inch, chrome-clad aluminum wheels for the Equinox LTZ.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Chevrolet Equinox

2014 Chevrolet Equinox | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Imagine not having to actually plug in your electric car (assuming you have an electric car to plug in) and instead just parking it over a special parking spot. That's the promise of a new technology that

Mazda said its profits in the quarter ended Sept. 30 surged on exchange-rate gains and higher sales. Net income jumped 60 percent to 19.53 billion yen ($198.5 million) as revenue rose 24 percent to $6.5 billion.

2013 McLaren 12C Spider at Auto Club Speedway

Equally adept on road and track.

Somewhere in the Car Development chapter of the Automobile Product Planning Bible, it's written that small cars shall grow ever larger, that hulking SUVs shall grow ever manlier and that exotic cars shall grow ever more glamorous.

Photo Gallery: 2013 McLaren 12C Spider at Auto Club Speedway - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 McLaren 12C Spider at Auto Club Speedway - Automobile Magazine

2013 McLaren 12C Spider at Auto Club Speedway | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

If you thought that tire manufacturers will just have tires at their stands at SEMA... you probably haven't been to SEMA.

Ford, a laggard in the U.S. luxury-auto market, said its Lincoln brand sales rose about 30 percent this month as it introduced new advertising for the revamped MKZ sedan ahead of rivals' holiday promotions.

News 31 Oct, 2013

Porsche Macan leaked in new brochure shots on Twitter ahead of its LA debut next month

Daihatsu has posted group net profit for the April-September (fiscal H1) period came to 36.76 billion yen, down 17.3% on last year's record high.

Pictures 31 Oct, 2013

China's leading machinery maker, Weichai Power, plans to set up a passenger car production facility in Chongqing municipality, southwest China.

Dongfeng Motor Group, which is in capital injection talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen, has booked a 39% rise in third quarter profit on the back of China's auto market recovery.

Daimler would like to expand its cooperation with Tesla Motors, a top Daimler executive said today.

Daimler would like to expand its cooperation with Tesla Motors, Bodo Uebber, the automaker's chief financial officer said. Tesla currently supplies electric motors and batteries to Daimler.