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Audette brothers Rémy and Mathieu complete the sweep of all Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) races for the month of July, as they bagged two more wins at the famous Mont-Tremblant race track.

Earlier this month, the pair had won both rounds of the CTCC raced at ICAR.

Saturday, Mathieu (Acura RSX) proved cleverer than Rémy (Honda Civic Si), who had to settle for second. But come Sunday, engine issues forced Mathieu to surrender. His retirement open the door wide open for Rémy's win.

Scott Nicol (Honda Civic Si), both days, and Roger Ledoux (Subaru STI) on Sunday, shared the podium with the undefeated Audette brothers. In Touring class, Jocelyn Hébert (Honda Civic Si) went home with a two-win tally.

However, it was bad weekend for Auto123.com's Nigel Heron, who was sidelined by a crash during qualifying.

Mathieu devant Rémy (Photo: Marie-Claude Nolin/poleposition.ca)

From GMM

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton went into Sunday's Hungarian grand prix having written off his title chances and insisting victory would require a "miracle".

When the chequered flag dropped, the 'miracle' had been in the form of a dominant display, leaving Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda to deny the team had spent the weekend bluffing.

Briton Hamilton also insisted: "I'm baffled. Honestly, we really didn't expect this. We bolted the tires on and they worked for us."

He had said just before the race at the Hungaroring that if Mercedes had struggled with tires in milder temperatures, then hot Budapest would leave the W04 nowhere.

Lewis Hamilton, winner in Hungary. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

So, Lauda is now sounding hopeful Hamilton, 48 points behind, can track down Sebastian Vettel's championship lead.

"Vettel is the absolute favourite," he told German broadcaster RTL, "without question. But I can tell you that Spa and then Monza will suit us."

Indeed, with some teams now starting to switch off developments of the 2013 cars, team boss Ross Brawn told Auto Motor und Sort there will be upgrades at both of those forthcoming high-speed circuits.

"After that we will decide on our priorities for the rest of the season," he added.

For the moment, then, Hamilton is "very much" in the title fight, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner insists.

Lewis Hamilton agreed: "You never know what the tires are going to do elsewhere, but if we came here and made our tires last then we should be able to do it anywhere. I hope this is not the last time the tires work for me."

2008 world champion Hamilton also admitted to feeling melancholy throughout the Hungaroring weekend, and devoted the win to his former girlfriend Nicole.

"It's been the toughest couple of months of my life," the emotional former McLaren driver, his voice trembling, told British television Sky.

Lauda joked to Bild newspaper: "As long as he drives as he did in Hungary, long may his heartache live!"

From GMM

F1 appears headed to Dubai for pre-season testing early next year.

But the local The National newspaper said that, following team boss meetings in Hungary at the weekend, Abu Dhabi is also still in the running to host the guaranteed dry-weather running of the new V6-powered cars.

And according to Pirelli's Paul Hembery, Bahrain should be yet another contender.

"We have agreed that some of the (winter) tests will be in the Middle East, in hot weather, which from our point of view is progress even though we are talking about before the start of the season," he said.

Paul Hembery is quoted by Russia's f1news.ru as admitting that Dubai is the frontrunner.

"We (Pirelli) have been there before, for many kinds of different races, but the problem is that the circuit is used rarely and there's a lot of sand on the asphalt. I would regard Bahrain as the best option for testing," he added.

The National said next season's three-test winter period will begin in late January at Jerez, Spain.

Photo: Pirelli

Ford said it was recalling 33,021 C-Max hybrid cars because a roof component did not meet requirements for protecting against head injuries.

Toyota is facing a Japan problem. The company was outsold by GM for the first time in six quarters, as sales in Japan extended their decline after government incentives for fuel-efficient models expired last year. Japan's largest automaker sold 8.

Costly gamble or in tune with the public mood? BMW is set to launch its first all-electric car, hoping to stir demand for a pricey luxury model just as some other producers hit hurdles in selling electric propulsion.

British driver Lewis Hamilton finally won a grand prix for his new team, Mercedes, having started the Hungarian Grand Prix from a fourth pole position this season.

Free of the typical high tire wear Mercedes usually as to put up with, Hamilton piped championship leader Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) to victory on Sunday. At the finish line, the mighty German actually had to settle for third, as he also lost a position to former world champion Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus) during the race.

Vettel's less than perfect race was also highlighted by a contact with Jenson Button (McLaren), which damaged his front wing.

Another driver who had a run-in with Button was Romain Grosjean (Lotus), who clipped the Brit while chasing down Vettel. On top of that, the stewards penalized the Frenchman with a drive-through penalty for gaining an advantage for using a run-off area while passing Felipe Massa (Ferrari).

Despite the clash with Grosjean, Button went on to finish a decent seventh, two places ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez, also in the points in ninth.

From 10th on the grid because of KERS problems, Mark Webber climbed back up to fourth, in the coveted second Red Bull seat, ahead of Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), and Grosjean.

Williams' Pastor Maldonado picked up the last point available by rounding out the top 10.

Jean-Éric Vergne (Toro Rosso) managed to beat his higher-rated teammate Daniel Ricciardo, as the pair took 12th and 13th place finishes respectively.

Retirements included both Force India's and Nico Rosberg's, whose Mercedes broke down on lap 65. The German's engine failure put an end to a difficult race that started on the wrong foot with a collision with Massa.

Race results* - Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 70 laps in 1.42'29"445
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 10"938
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 12"459
4 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 18"044
5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 31”411
6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 32"295
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 53"819
8 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 56”447
9 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1 lap
10 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1 lap
11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1 lap
12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
13 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
14 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps
15 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps
16 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 3 laps
17 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 3 laps
18 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 4 laps
19 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 6 laps

Fastest lap of the race by Mark Webber (1'24”069)

Retirements
Lap 42 - Valtteri Bottas
Lap 28 - Esteban Gutierrez
Lap 19 - Adrian Sutil

Drivers' standings
1. Vettel 172; 2. Raikkonen 136; 3. Alonso 133; 4.Hamilton 122; 5. Webber 105; 6. Rosberg 84; 7. Massa 61; 8. Grosjean 49; 9. Button 39; 10. Di Resta 36; 11. Sutil 23; 12. Perez 18; 13. Vergne 13; 14. Ricciardo 11; 15. Hulkenberg 7; 16. Maldonado 1.

Constructors' standings
1. Red Bull 277; 2. Mercedes 206; 3. Ferrari 194; 4. Lotus 185; 5. Force India 59; 6. McLaren 57; 7. Toro Rosso 24; 8. Sauber 7; 9. Williams 1.

*Unofficial

From GMM

Michelin has scheduled an announcement for the middle of next week, according to a report on Sunday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

The report suggested the French supplier, last on the grid in 2006 as its tire war with Bridgestone ended, could announce its interest in bidding for an F1 tender.

The news might explain the long delay over news of Pirelli's continued participation as the sport's controversial official tire supplier, even though Paul Hembery insists plans for the 2014 season are well advanced.

Indeed, talks between the teams and Pirelli over 2014 have been speeding ahead this weekend in Hungary.

Pirelli have said they need to make the rear tires wider to cope with the higher torque of the turbo V6s, and Mercedes strongly agrees, but teams like Ferrari and Red Bull are fighting hard for the dimensions to remain essentially the same in 2014.

"We will decide alone," Hembery insisted, "no matter what the teams want.  They just need to give us their data."

A big spanner in the works, however, could be the new Michelin factor.

But correspondent Michael Schmidt wondered: "Can they (Michelin) be ready for 2014?  Surely not -- it would be a very late call."

That is because the teams are scheduled to know the precise specification of the 2014 tires by 1 September this year.

Much more likely is that Michelin might announce F1 intentions for 2015.

Hembery is quoted as saying: "We want clarity this year.

"Our contracts with the rights holder and some of the teams are for the next five years.

"If we are confronted next year with a tender for 2015, we'll be gone."

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino (Ford Fiesta) narrowly won the New England Forest Rally, round five of the Rally America series, over Dave Higgins in Craig Drew (Subaru Impreza), despite mechanical problems on stage 11.

The pair actually had to be towed back to the service park by rivals Rifat Sungkar and Steve Lancaster in order to carry on with the rally, when their alternator let them down.

Sungar and Lancaster went on to finish third the event in third place.

Having completed the rally only 6.5 seconds behind Block, Higgins still leads in the championship standings. But Block's second consecutive win, narrowed the gap down to 27 points, which means mathematically the title fight is still alive.

Having been let down by their Hyundai Tiburon, Canadians Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard never saw the finish line. They were running third when their retirement put an end to a streak of three consecutive wins at NEFR.

Ken Block, Alex Gelsomino (Photo: Neil McDaid)

Subaru set a new Guinness World Record on July 13th by gathering 371 Subaru cars in Itasca, Illinois, beating the previous mark of 339 that dated back to 2009. Subaru owners from 9 U.S. states took part in the historic event.

In addition to breaking the record, Subaru and parade participants supported 2 charities including PAWS Chicago and Salute, Inc. Both organizations received a donation of $5,000.

“This year we had 371 Subaru vehicles and even more attendees join us on this special day. Attendees expressed that participating in a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record was one of the items on their 'life list' and they were thrilled to be able to check this item off of their lists,” said Tom Gehrke, regional manager for Subaru of America. “The best part of the event was being able to support the efforts of Salute, Inc. and PAWS Chicago.”

Photo: Subaru

Bryan Herta Autosport has announced that veteran Alex Tagliani will step down as regular driver for the team and could potentially be replaced by long-time GP2 frontrunner Luca Filippi.

According to a team statement issued Friday, Filippi will test an IndyCar for the squad at Mid-Ohio on Wednesday with a view to potentially replacing Alex Tagliani at the track's forthcoming race next week-end.

Tagliani has agreed to step out of the race seat following but, according to the same statement, will remain under contract to the team through to the end of the season.

As we had reported last year, the 27-year-old Italian was on the verge to make his debut in IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan last season but a sponsorship deal fell thru at the last moment.  

Luca Filippi in GP2 (Photo: lucafilippi.com)

The team has struggled this year as Tagliani currently lies 21st in the drivers' championship while the team is stranded in 23rd in the entrants' points.

The team has had its share of problems last year when it raced with Lotus engines. But, when it struck a deal with Honda, Tagliani and the team began to be at the forefront and had quite a few good results which left everyone optimistic about the 2013 season.  

Unfortunately, the Canadian best results so far is a pair of 10th places in St Petersburg and the second Toronto race.

Former Panther Racing driver JR Hildebrand is another mooted contender for a BHA appearance before the season is out.

Ryan Newman isn't dwelling on his lame duck status at Stewart Haas Racing. If fact he provided some extra drama knocking five time Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson off the provisional pole for Sunday's 20th running of the Brickyard 400.    

“No hard feelings,” Newman said of Kevin Harvick taking his ride. “They made a move, and that move makes me move, and there's no hard feelings.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  Obviously this is a good step in publicity for me on the positive side, so we'll see what we can do tomorrow.

"Today is over, and we've got to focus on getting our Chevrolet fast for tomorrow and still making the Chase.

Ryan Newman (Photo: ryannewman.org)

Newman won the pole, his 50th in Sprint Cup, at 187.531 mph as the last of 45 cars to make a qualifying run. He broke the previous record of 186.293 mph set by Casey Mears in 2004. Sprint Cup Series points leader, Johnson, was second fastest after being overtaken by Newman. Carl Edwards was third, Denny Hamlin fourth and Tony Stewart fifth.

"I guess I did my homework but the guys on this team did their homework, too. It's a good day for Stewart-Haas Racing," said Newman, who had not won a pole since September, 2011. "It was special because it was the Brickyard and I've won a lot of poles but never won one, here."

Johnson had a feeling that his lap would not hold up as the eventual polesitter. “For today's qualifying session, knowing Ryan was going last, and Ryan is so good at qualifying, that I knew he was going to be a bullet, a tough bullet to dodge.  And when the 14 (Tony Stewart) posted his lap time, I'm like, okay, this is going to be a tough final car to deal with.”

Edwards, looking for his first Cup Championship admitted “this track has been very difficult for us as a group.  I don't know that we've ever had a real dominant car here at a Roush-Fenway.  I think Greg has run well here once or twice.  I've led a couple of laps, but it seems that there maybe were one or two little things that were missing.

"We've brought the best that we can bring, and hopefully this will be our year to win it.”

Model: 2007 to 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Vehicle Type: Luxury Sedan

The Verdict: Transmission and timing-gear issues seem to have affected earlier Mercedes-Benz S-Class models in this generation, reinforcing the importance of opting for extended powertrain warranty coverage, if possible. For maximum confidence, seek out a used S-Class from a Mercedes Benz pre-owned program. Buying an S-Class privately is strictly advised against unless the model in question has full service records and is given a full mechanical and electronic inspection by a certified Mercedes-Benz technician.

Photo: Luc Gagné

Price: S-Class pricing in the used market varies largely depending on the model selected, the engine, options packages, and mileage. Pricing for a 2007 model with some mileage starts in the mid-twenties, and climbs well into six-figure territory for a newer model with low miles. Selection is abundant in the $50,000 to $80,000 range.

What Owners Like: No surprises here: Used Mercedes-Benz S-Class owners rate the style, comfort, presence, and exclusivity of their rides very highly. World-class comfort and a very quiet ride are also reported. The AWD system, wide range of safety features and a locked-on driving feel all add confidence.

What Owners Dislike: Owners of cars in this price range are typically reluctant to list any complaints, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is no exception. Other than issues with parking (because of its size), and a few gripes about windshield-wiper performance, complaints are hard to track down.

Photo: Luc Gagné

Continue reading 2007-2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Pre-Owned

From GMM

Ruled out of contention for the big move to Red Bull, Jean-Eric Vergne's seat at Toro Rosso for 2014 at least seems secure.

"I'm convinced that Jean-Eric Vergne will race next year for Toro Rosso," team boss Franz Tost said in Hungary.

Austrian Tost admitted Vergne's teammate Daniel Ricciardo has sped into contention to replace Mark Webber "simply because he is more experienced" than the similarly-aged Frenchman.

"As far as I'm thinking," Tost added, "next year he (Vergne) is with Toro Rosso."

Vergne, 23, agreed, telling RMC Sport: "Whether Daniel goes to Red Bull or not, my future will be at Toro Rosso and Red Bull.

"From that side I have no problem."

Jean-Éric Vergne, Toro Rosso STR8 (Photo: WRi2)

He also told Austria's Laola1: "It looks as if Red Bull believes he (Ricciardo) is the better driver.

"I can understand that if you're only looking at the results.  But I'm not going to go to Christian Horner and explain the reasons."

Vergne said he even thinks he might still have a chance of becoming Sebastian Vettel's next teammate.

"All I can do is show my true performance, and then we'll see if it's too late.  And I think it's never too late.

"In my opinion we're on a par."

Asked if he was disappointed when Red Bull called Ricciardo up to test at Silverstone and not him, Vergne insisted: "Not at all.

"It was logical, because Red Bull thought he is more consistent than I am.

"As I said, he is a year ahead of me, and the team knows him so very well.  Together with everything, it tipped the balance for him."

One of the oldest Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts in the world, a 1908 Silver Dawn, has just returned from continental Europe after completing 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometres) on the 2013 Centenary Alpine Trial. It's currently on display in the foyer of the company's Head Office at Goodwood, West Sussex, in England.

Proudly wearing the “Number 1” rally plaque, this Silver Dawn features original parts including chassis, engine, gearbox, as well as front and rear axles. All major components are stamped 1908, and the engine even retains its original cast iron pistons.

The car was restored by Rolls-Royce's authorized dealer, P&A Wood.

Photo: Rolls-Royce

Adapted from GMM

A shock new contender could have leapt into contention to become F1's newest Red Bull driver in 2014.

Germany's Sport Bild claims team boss Christian Horner met with Luis Garcia Abad in the Red Bull motor home in Hungary.

He is Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso's manager.

Sport Bild correspondents Bianca Garloff and Ralf Bach report that Red Bull confirmed the meeting took place, at the behest of Alonso's management.

Photos of the meeting were even published.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138 (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda, however, suspects the story has been planted to destabilize Ferrari.

"It's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard, a stupid rumour," he said.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali smiled: "The psychological games are just a part of this sport."

Curiously, when given the chance on Sunday, Red Bull's Horner did not deny the Alonso link, telling German broadcaster RTL that "there will always be speculation when we have a seat available".

Garcia also happens to be the manager of Formula 3 driver Carlos Sainz Jr, as Auto Motor und Sport pointed out. Sainz recently tested both the Toro Rosso and the Red Bull at Silverstone, and afterwards insisted he "would not say no" if an opportunity to move into F1 arose for 2014.

Fellow Spaniard Alonso is under firm contract to Ferrari for 2014, meaning that the two-time world champion or Red Bull would have to buy out the deal if he really jumps ship to become Sebastian Vettel's new teammate.

Jolyon Palmer and Nathanaël Berthon won both rounds presented at the Hungaroring in Budapest.

It was the Russian Time team that set an impressive performance in qualifying, with both drivers locking the front row of the grid with Tom Dillmann taking his maiden GP2 pole position ahead of team mate Sam Bird.

But clutch issues slowed Dillman down at the start in race 1, so it was Felipe Nasr who assumed the lead in the first lap. But it was Jolyon Palmer's turn to take benefit of a great tire strategy, starting in medium compound while his rivals made the choice to start with soft tires.

That allowed the Brit to have a longer first stint and, when back on track after his own pit stop, to make a move for the lead on Marcus Ericsson thanks to his fresh set of tires. Palmer maintained his lead despite Ericsson's pressure, and took win ahead of the Swede and Felipe Nasr.

Jolyon Palmer (Photo: GP2series.com)

Nathanael Berthon, who took 8th position in race 1, inherited the pole position thanks to the top 8 reverse grid regulation. The Frenchman was able to maintain his position at the start, and cruised to his maiden GP2 win ahead of Mitch Evans and Fabio Leimer.

Meanwhile, the weekend was tough for championship leader Stefano Coletti. The driver from Monaco was only 16th in race 1, before being forced to retirement on Sunday. He maintained his championship lead but Felipe Nasr closed the gap to only six points over his rival.

While drawing car buyers and praise from the likes of Consumer Reports, GM and Ford are getting a grip on pensions that will free up cash to develop future models.

From GMM

The news swept through the Hungaroring paddock like wind -- the 2013 Concorde Agreement is signed at last!

In the long absence of a current Concorde, F1's confidential agreement binding the three corners of the sport, Bernie Ecclestone already had new 'financial' agreements with the teams in place.

The missing piece of the puzzle was a deal between the F1 chief executive, representing the sport's commercial rights holders, and the governing FIA.

"There's obviously been lots of things we've had to sort out," said Ecclestone in Hungary.

The most recent speculation is that Ecclestone has been holding out on releasing more revenue to the FIA, in exchange for more control over the accreditation of print journalists.

Ecclestone and Todt (Photo: WRi2)

But, in a paddock motor home on Saturday, the 82-year-old sat down at a table with FIA president Jean Todt, they shook hands and smiled, and they signed the papers.

But as the joint press release admitted, a Concorde Agreement it was not.

Actually, what they signed on Saturday was a "framework for (the) implementation of the 2013 Concorde Agreement".

It will only become the Concorde "upon approval by the respective governing bodies" in the "coming weeks".

From GMM

Paul Hembery has denied the missed Silverstone test will continue to affect Mercedes.

As a result of the 'test-gate' scandal, Mercedes was ordered to sit out the young drivers test, at which every other team got an early taste of Pirelli's new Hungary-spec tire.

But Pirelli's Hembery told Auto Motor und Sport: "From now, I do not expect Mercedes will be disadvantaged.

"These tires are well known from last year, and Mercedes got all the (test) data.

"But unlike the other teams, they were unable to test any upgrades on their car.

"That was their disadvantage of not running at the young drivers test," he insisted.

Hembery also denied that some teams have been unfairly advantaged, while others disadvantaged, as a result of the latest change in Pirelli's 2013 tire specification.

"As far as we are concerned, it looks as though nothing has changed," the Briton said.

"The order is the same as before."