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From GMM

Red Bull's new alternator supplier is actually McLaren, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports.

We reported last week that, after being dogged by recurring reliability faults with its Magneti Marelli units last year, Red Bull had instructed engine supplier Renault to seek a new supplier.

Italian reports identified that new supplier as 'Tag'.

It seems those reports were actually referring to Techniques d'Avant Garde, or TAG -- the well-known McLaren-affiliated company.

The Auto Motor und Sport headline reads: "Red Bull reliable, thanks to McLaren".

The report said Renault confirmed the news, insisting that - no matter the supplier of components - Red Bull's French engine supplier remains responsible for the adaptation and installation of the alternator.

Photo: WRi2

While Penske Racing didn't get a reversal of some of the severest penalties ever imposed by NASCAR it could claim a partial victory as Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook reduced seven team members' suspensions from six to two (points) races.

In his official ruling, Middlebrook said “After looking at all the facts and data and interpretations from the rule book, I have decided to uphold the original fines and points penalties,” said John Middlebrook, Chief Appellate Officer.

Photo: NASCAR

“However, I have decided to reduce the suspensions of the seven team members involved from six points races and the all-star race to two points races and the all-star race.”

Thus the remaining points penalties (25) against drivers, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, and $100,000 fines against their crew chiefs remain in force. Still replacing key crew members (crew chiefs, car chiefs and the competition director) is a serious penalty and they will miss this week's race at Darlington and the May 26th 600 miler at the team's home track the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Suspension in NASCAR means not being able to be at the race track.

All-in-all Roger Penske was pleased with the decision. According to the 76-year old “the key thing” was getting his crewmen back to work.

"I think it was fair and equitable," Penske said. "After consideration by John Middlebrook, he felt the fines and penalties were overreaching and made the decision to reduce it.

"It was a good outcome for everyone. We're going to move on."

The penalties were issued after both Keselowski's and Logano's failed pre-race inspection in Texas for the mounting of the rear end suspension. During the appeal Penske said it was clear that his teams were working in "undefined" areas of the rulebook, and not necessarily "breaking" rules.”

The NASCAR appellate process, where suspensions were held in abeyance, also has allowed Penske Racing to start to put a strategy in place to provide interim crewman. Penske said the replacements would be named shortly.

Middlebrook, a retired General Motors Executive, has heard six appeals in his three-year tenure and has reduced penalties in five of those instances.

From GMM

Niki Lauda has played down reports Mercedes is making a serious bid to secure the services of world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko revealed on Sunday that Lauda, Mercedes shareholder and chairman, "should absolutely be trying to get Vettel".

Lauda replied to Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "I continued what (former motor sport director Norbert) Haug began."

But speaking to Austria's Osterreich newspaper, 64-year-old Lauda played down suggestions his bid for Vettel is serious.

"Forget it," the outspoken triple world champion insisted. "We're not trying to get him, as he has signed a contract with Red Bull until forever."

Sebastian Vettel in Texas. (Photo: WRi2)

Niki Lauda said Mercedes is very happy with its current driver lineup, comprising Nico Rosberg alongside new signing Lewis Hamilton.

"With Hamilton and Rosberg we have the best pairing (in F1)," he insisted. "The two push each other forward positively, and the driver change has motivated the whole team."

Lauda also confirmed reports that Mercedes has engaged former BMW and Renault racer Robert Kubica as a driver for the team's sophisticated simulator at Brackley.

"He brings a lot of experience. Due to the limited testing, the simulators are becoming very important," said Lauda, referring to the Pole, who is bidding to return to F1 in the future following his near-fatal rally crash in 2011.

Since it is quite difficult to overtake at Circuit de Catalunya, the FIA has decided to use two DRS (Drag Reduction System) zones for this weekend's Grand Prix of Spain.

The first detection point has been located before the entry to Campsa (Turn 9), with the activation area following along the back straight until the braking zone for Turn 10.

Drivers will get a second opportunity to use the DRS on the start-finish straight, with the detection sensor being positioned alongside the entry to the pit lane.

Hopefully, this will generate more passing opportunities. Nine out of the last 10 races at the track have been won from pole position, and last year was no exception.

Image: FIA

Canadian, Gilles Villeneuve has undoubtedly been one of the most popular Formula 1 drivers of all time, despite a short career that saw him win just six of the 67 Grands Prix he contested between 1977 and 1982.

More than for his victories, Villeneuve's acclaim around the globe was for his great human qualities, his honesty and his stunning determination. His driving style and passing manoeuvres were incredibly spectacular, and he never, ever gave up despite the mechanical gremlins or the bad luck. He always gave his very best, whatever his starting position on the grid happened to be.

Here is a collection of the features, photos and videos we posted during the 2012 season to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his tragic death that took place Saturday May 8, 1982, during the second qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.


The early days
At a young age, Gilles Villeneuve fulfilled his need for speed in a very unusual manner, competing in drag racing and in snowmobile racing on icy ovals.

He then followed his first road-racing course before he went on to win the Quebec Formula Ford 1600 championship and the North American Formula Atlantic series.

Breaking the ice (+photos and video)

His first driving course

His stunning Formula Ford 1600 debuts (+photos)

Making his mark in Formula Atlantic (+photos)


His maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix
Beaten by Villeneuve in the Formula Atlantic race held in the streets of Trois-Rivieres in 1976, British F1 driver, James Hunt, was so impressed that he spoke very highly of the young Villeneuve to his McLaren boss, Teddy Mayer.

His first Grand Prix with McLaren in 1977. (Photo: WRI2)

Villeneuve contested his first F1 race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1977.

His first Formula 1 contract with McLaren!

His first Grand Prix with McLaren at Silverstone (+video)

His first Grand Prix with McLaren in 1977


The Ferrari years
Against all odds, Enzo Ferrari himself chose Villeneuve at the end of 1977 to drive the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari. A teammate of Carlos Reutemann in 1978, Villeneuve captured his first F1 victory in front of his home crowd in Montreal in October 1978.

Video of his lap of Zandvoort circuit on three wheels!

A few stories from his business manager, Gaston Parent

Video of his first Formula 1 victory in Montreal

Ferrari F1 car driven by Gilles Villeneuve vs Italian jet fighter (+video)

1978 Long Beach Grand Prix (+videos)

Gilles Villeneuve behind the wheel of the 312T3 at Fiorano. (Photo: Ferrari)

Memories from his arch rivals
Gilles Villeneuve's rivals talk about the racecar driver, but also the great human being that Villeneuve was.

When Patrick Tambay took over the No. 27 Ferrari

Memories from Alan Jones

Memories from Jean-Pierre Jarier

Testimony from his friend René Arnoux (+video)

John Watson's words about the tragedy

Mario Andretti's testimony


May 8 commemoration

The 30th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's tragic death

Remembering Gilles Villeneuve's tragic death

The tragic loss of Gilles Villeneuve

Video of Jacques Villeneuve driving the Ferrari 312 T4 of his father Gilles (+video)

Jacques Villeneuve drives his father Gilles' Ferrari 312 T4 at Fiorano

Details of the Ferrari 312 T4 Jacques Villeneuve will drive at Fiorano (+photos, video)


Rare and never published photos

Rare photos of the career of the late Gilles Villeneuve (Part 1)

Rare photos of the career of Gilles Villeneuve (Part 2)

Gilles Villeneuve ready to fly Walter Wolf's helicopter. (Photo: Lucie St-Jacques)

Volkswagen has revealed a 496-hp version of the seventh-generation

In 2006, the Audi R8 rolled onto the stage in the La Defense business district of Paris.

The Best Car Movies Aren't About Cars

Let's be honest: automobiles rarely make for sophisticated movie stars, but they play spectacular supporting roles in plenty of well-crafted, enjoyable films.

To Catch A Thief 1955
Grace Kelly falls in love with a retired jewel thief, played by Cary Grant. Not attractive enough? High in the hills of Monaco, Kelly drives the wheels off of a Sunbeam Alpine before pulling over to eat cold chicken and drink beer in the front seat. That did it.

Photo Gallery: The Best Car Movies Aren't About Cars - Automobile Magazine

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The Porsche 918 Spyder first broke cover as a concept at the 2010 Geneva motor show. Since then,

In May 1988, we covered the 62nd Turin International Motor Show, and the focus was on the minivan.

Subaru, the only automaker to boost sales in the United States each of the past five years, plans to expand production capacity at its Indiana factory by about 30 percent and add output of the Impreza compact car by 2016.

Jaguar Land Rover has submitted two trademark applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a potential clue to the luxury brand's 2015 product plans.

and#8220;Madand#8221; Mike Whiddett is a Red Bull drifter and Metal Mulisha member from New Zealand.

2014 McLaren P1 - England’s Ferrari

P1 is the Halo Street Car McLaren Needs.

WOKING, England – The 2014 McLaren P1 is not about launching a new, hyper-exotic carbon-fiber supercar. It's not a Pagani, nor is it a Spyker or a Mosler. It's certainly not a Vencer, a Mazzanti, a Saker or any of those odd cars of questionable provenance that make it to the floor of the Geneva motor show. And it's not a Lamborghini, although like Lamborghini, the P1's maker has 50 years of building cars under its belt -- in this case, mostly for Formula 1 and CanAm.

Photo Gallery: 2014 McLaren P1 - England’s Ferrari - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2014 McLaren P1 - England’s Ferrari - Automobile Magazine

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Nearly nine of 10 parents admit to talking, texting or otherwise driving distracted while transporting their children in the past month, a new study by the University of Michigan reveals.

2013 Lexus LS460L

From the moment production began, the LS has always been conservatively styled, extremely refined, and utterly predictable.

In its 24th model year of production, the Lexus LS is a car we can easily take for granted, because it hasn't really changed that much over the years. From the moment production began in 1989 until now, the LS has always been conservatively styled, extremely refined, and utterly predictable. This mild refresh, including the introduction of a marginally sportier F Sport edition, is a stopgap measure until the next-generation LS, which will, I predict, herald the biggest changes in this model since its introduction.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Lexus LS460L - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Lexus LS460L - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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The Subaru WRX STI is known for fast lap times. It currently owns the Isle of Man record for quickest time around the island in a car at 19 minutes, 56.7 seconds.

There's lots of talk these days from auto industry executives about entering new segments or niches. From BMW - and arch-rival Audi - there's less talk and more action; we've seen a vast expansion of both luxury brands' offerings over the last three decades and, especially from BMW, there is more to come after this latest: the 3 Series GT.

General Motors which, through its local joint ventures, is the largest foreign automaker in China, announced it had won regulatory approval to build a new Cadillac factory to boost local sales.

Corvette says there is a substitute for Porsche.