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From 2005 through 2007, a key period when General Motors fixed a defective ignition switch in the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion without recalling the old switch, GM sent five times as many early-warning reports of deaths and injuries to U.S.

The Tesla vs. dealers clash was already intense. Now the fight has escalated, with the addition of presidential politics and bidding for a battery factory.

Two years ago, suspecting deceit, Google deleted virtually all customers' reviews of auto dealerships that were sent from dealerships' computers. But the debate about in-store reviews continues to rage.

Every year, and for the last 10 years or so, I've made my way to the Canadian International Auto Show in my tester car of the week. This year was no different.

I typically try and get something that fits as many of the “road trip” criteria as possible. In other words, the car has to be fast, quiet, comfortable, decently economical and (at this particular time of the year) sport AWD. Enter Cadillac's flagship XTS sedan.

The 2014 XTS4 Vsport Platinum is at the absolute peak of Cadillac's lineup of cars, and after travelling over 1,500km with it, I can attest that this car is superb on nearly every conceivable level. Plenty powerful, smooth, and solid, the XTS faces only one minor flaw: the transmission. I loved the car, but read on.


What is a Cadillac XTS?
The 2014 Cadillac XTS was called upon to replace the old STS and DTS sedans. At one point in time, the STS was a hot product, but its appeal fizzled out and it was time for a strong replacement.

The XTS arrived in 2012 as a 2013 model year car. Its “large-midsize” stature lends itself well to limousine duty, and serves as the luxury poster boy of the re-emerging status symbol that once was Cadillac.

2014 Cadillac XTS Price and Specs
The basic FWD XTS Standard has a retail price of $48,940. At the top of the heap sits the XTS Vsport Platinum with AWD and its starting price is of $73,745.

My tester was the latter and included the White Diamond Tricoat paint job as well as the optional Entertainment System for a grand total of nearly $30,000 more than the base price or $77,035.

A 3.6L V6 does double duty for the XTS. In non-Vsport cars, it develops 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque. As such, FWD and AWD are offered. For more fun, Caddy will throw on two turbos that boost output to 410 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. In this guise, only AWD with an electronic limited-slip rear differential is standard. A 6-speed automatic transmission is equally standard across the board.

All XTS Cadillacs benefit from Magnetic Ride Control, and its continuously variable real-time suspension setup. Brembo provides the four-wheel disc brakes.

Driving the 2014 Cadillac XTS4 Vsport
Of my list of road-trip car criteria, you may have noticed that “fast” was the first element. For this, I was served a fancy American five-course meal. The V6 pounces on the opportunity to claw away at surfaces along with the AWD system, and once given the chance, blasts forward.

This chance only comes when the 6-cog slushbox finally picks a gear. Under calm and collected urban crawling, the XTS' transmission glides from one gear to another, displaying silky smoothness that is expected from the grand brand that is Cadillac.

Given that this is a Vsport, old-man cruising is out of the question when not necessary. From a standstill, the transmission pops from one gear to another, knocking at the 100 km/h in as little as 5.5 seconds. Passing manoeuvres are as blisteringly fast, once the transmission finally selects a gear, occasionally crashing into it, and then the XTS is off like a rocket. The V6 suffers no lag whereas the autobox does. Once sorted, I can only imagine how furious this luxury boat will feel.

In the 2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport, this is the only lacking element. The AWD XTS' hydraulic steering (electric with FWD) is light and not particularly sharp, however, in this application it is plenty sporty. The big Brembo brakes provide not only strong stopping power, but the pedal has better than decent feel.

The big Caddy's Magnetic Ride Control suspension is impressive. On the long highway stretches, the whole getup firms up for a taut and stable ride. A degree of suppleness and comfort level can be just as easily attained, all without input from the driver.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Cadillac XTS
The 2014 Cadillac XTS' styling is highly original and thus instantly recognizable. As the first to sport the now-signature vertical head and taillights, the XTS looks just as good sitting still as it does barrelling down the highway.

The sharp body creases, large distinct wheels and unique “Twin-Turbo” grille have seriously grown on me, and with every new Caddy the effect is exponential. The white paint job helps quite a bit, too...

The cabin is equally fashionable. I would like for Cadillac to drop the capacitive-touch control, haptic feedback and gesture recognition CUE business because it seems to work whenever it feels like it -- it is incredibly frustrating at times. The same applies to Ford. The only interesting feature is proximity sensing...

As far as the remainder of the cabin goes, the seats are very comfortable, room abounds everywhere, the trunk is capacious, and fit and finish are very nice.

Comparing the 2014 Cadillac XTS
The 2014 XTS Vsport is next to impossible to match power-bang-for-the-buck wise. $65,575 will get you all of 410 hp. There are many alternatives here, such as the Audi A6, BMW 535i xDrive, Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC as well as some Japanese options. None will deliver the oomph factor this way.

However, my tester closes in on some serious players such as the Audi S6 ($85,500), the BMW 550i xDrive (443 hp and $76,750!), and the Merc E 550 4MATIC. Equipment levels are not on par with the XTS compared to the Germans. Fact is, if your dreams are made of Caddies, only one will do.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has ramped up his rivalry with teammate Nico Rosberg by claiming he "blew him away" at Sepang on Sunday.

The 2008 world champion comfortably won the Malaysian grand prix from pole, and although German Rosberg finished second in the sister Mercedes, Hamilton claimed it was one of the easiest triumphs of his eight-year career.

"It's massive. I don't remember the last time in my career I had a gap like that, particularly with a teammate driving the same car," said the Briton.

Lewis Hamilton said he had built his advantage from the very start of the practice sessions, and "it worked and that is why I blew him away".

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05, winner in Malaysia. (Photo: WRi2)

Nico Rosberg won the season opener in Melbourne but only after Hamilton - again from pole - retired with an engine problem.

"I'm pushing myself more than my teammate is pushing me. That's where the push is coming from," Hamilton said at Sepang late on Sunday.

"Nico is very quick, he's won the first race, he's always there, so naturally we are pushing each other. But this year I'm pushing myself that extra. I'm eking out more than I've ever been able to eke out."

Jenson Button, a former teammate of Hamilton's at McLaren, thinks Sepang on Sunday was a psychological as well as an actual victory for the 28-year-old.

"Looking at what Lewis did is going to hurt (Rosberg) a little bit. He was super-fast," he said.

"That is a lot to put between you and your teammate when you have both had a clear race. I am sure that is strike one to him," Button added.

Former F1 driver and BBC pundit David Coulthard agrees: "If that was a pure driver-to-driver battle, then Nico psychologically will have taken a bit of a hit."

Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda is quoted by Speed Week: "I have no idea why Nico could not drive at Lewis' level. But I am glad that they were not fighting with each other. Now we have to analyse what was the issue with Nico's car as it must be corrected and then we move to Bahrain."

From GMM

Mercedes' rivals have acknowledged the gap to the dominant championship leaders will not be easily overcome.

Reports on Sunday suggested Red Bull was quickly catching up with the silver clad team in the development race, after Sebastian Vettel finished within striking distance of the second-placed Nico Rosberg in Malaysia.

But Red Bull's Christian Horner said after Sepang: "It's a big gap. They have plenty up their sleeve."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, acknowledged the Italian team is not yet even in a position to beat the second force of 2014, Red Bull.

Two weeks after Nico Rosberg in Australia, Lewis Hamilton wins in Malaysia with Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

"For Bahrain we can't expect any miracles, because we are practicing again in just five days and so no teams are going to make any sudden, giant steps," said the Spaniard.

"Top speed is also important in Bahrain and so I expect Williams to be strong as well. I want to be in the top five again. We need to keep finishing as close as we can to the top, so that we can think about the championship later on if the car is more competitive," Alonso is quoted by Speed Week.

As for McLaren, racing boss Eric Boullier was forthright when asked if the British team can close the gap to Mercedes for the start of the European season, when the first major development steps will be made.

"No," he answered.

Is Eric Boullier confident the gap can be closed at all in 2014? "That's the right question," he added. "Maybe by Europe next year, yes."

From GMM

The future of the F1 drivers' association appears in danger.

We reported after the season-opening Australian grand prix that current GPDA president Pedro de la Rosa wants to step down.

Speed Week said the Ferrari reserve driver informed his colleagues in Melbourne and scheduled a vote for his successor to take place in Malaysia.

But the same publication now reports that while the matter was put on the table at a meeting at Sepang, the drivers could not find a willing candidate.

The issue will reportedly be back on the agenda this weekend in Bahrain.

Alongside 43-year-old Spaniard de la Rosa, the other GPDA directors at present are Jenson Button and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

From GMM

Red Bull continued to grapple with fuel flow problems in Sunday's Malaysian grand prix.

While Sebastian Vettel finished third, it was his teammate Daniel Ricciardo's sister RB10 - disqualified in Melbourne over the very same issue - that was once again affected.

The sensor failed early on, but the team avoided disqualification this time around by simply following the FIA's advice about how to comply with the rules in the absence of the troublesome Gill device.

"Yes," Dr Helmut Marko told German television Sky, "this time the FIA asked us to check the correlation of our data and we did it."

Team boss Christian Horner suggested the continuing problems demonstrates that Red Bull has a strong argument to put forward at the forthcoming appeal hearing.

"I think it clearly demonstrates that there are issues with these sensors," he said.

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Christian Horner added that he has "no idea" why Red Bull is having more problems than any other rival.

A theory has been bouncing around the paddock that Red Bull's Total fuel might be a contributing factor.

"We are yet to understand why we always have problems when the others don't -- it could be something related to the fuel, but we are trying to understand," said Marko.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the Lotus driven by Pastor Maldonado in Malaysia also had a fuel sensor problem, so another theory is that the frequencies produced by Renault's turbo unit could be causing issues.

The publication also said it is possible that installation modifications made to the Gill unit by the Renault-powered teams could be damaging it.

Ricciardo's problems did not stop at the fuel sensor at Sepang, as he struggled with a pitstop problem and a subsequent stop-go penalty and a wing failure.

The 'unsafe release' from the pitstop will also cost him ten grid places in Bahrain this weekend, but boss Horner says he has been impressed with the Australian so far in 2014.

"Today didn't go his way but he gets out of the car and he's got a smile on his face," he said. "He knows that it will come right."

For nearly 17 years Richard Wagoner was either in command and control at GM or else part of a tiny klatch of executives running the company. Not since Alfred Sloan had one executive held so much power for so long at GM.

Chrysler was forced to delay the launch of its 2014 Jeep Cherokee by two months last fall as engineers struggled with a software flaw in the SUV's nine-speed automatic.

General Motors and its suppliers repeatedly botched a basic function of the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion #8212; the system that turns the cars on and off #8212; leading to multiple redesigns of the ignitions.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has been on a mission in Malaysia this weekend to turn up the volume in formula one.

Apparently alarmed that the sport's new, quieter tones will drive away promoters, sponsors and fans, the F1 chief executive has been hard at work trying to come up with a way to make the turbo V6s louder.

"We think there's a way," Ecclestone told the BBC late on Saturday.

"They're working on it and I think we're going to get it done."

However, not everyone likes the sound of all the bleating about F1's new 'power units'.

After Sebastian Vettel denounced the sound as "shit", McLaren's Jenson Button was quoted as telling the reigning world champion to "go and race somewhere else".

Jenson Button (Photo: McLaren/LAT Photographic)

"My criticism was not directed at Sebastian, but more generally," the 2009 world champion is quoted by Germany's Auto Bild.

"I think that if we (formula one) are criticising ourselves, that cannot be good for the sport and the sponsors," Button added.

"Of course we have to listen to the opinion of the fans, but at the moment we can't change the sound anyway. So there's no point for us to be saying bad things about F1," he said.

Similarly, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was quoted by Italy's La Repubblica as likening those who are complaining to "children".

Nico Rosberg (Photo: WRi2)

"Do they not understand that formula one has to be contemporary?" the German added.

"We're going into emerging markets and new economies and it's right that we are raising awareness about the issue of clean energy. As drivers we're responsible for that too," said Rosberg.

While working to make the V6 engines louder, Ecclestone has also been spotted in an hour-long meeting with Donald Mackenzie, the CVC chief who is rarely seen at grands prix. None other than Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was seen at the same meeting.

None of the parties would comment on the topic of their conversation, but Horner has often been mentioned as the ideal successor should CVC be forced to oust Ecclestone over the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair.

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen still thinks Ferrari will be his last team in formula one.

"I am glad to be here again and I am sure that I will not change again," the Finn told Germany's Sport Bild in Malaysia.

Raikkonen, now the oldest driver on the grid, made his debut for Sauber as a highly-inexperienced 21-year-old, going on to win races for McLaren and the title for Ferrari in 2007.

His mid-contract split from Ferrari at the end of 2009 was partly acrimonious, as he left F1 altogether and enjoyed a two-year sabbatical with rallying and Nascar exploits.

Kimi Raikkonen (Photo: Ferrari)

Raikkonen returned to the grid with Lotus in 2012 and, with his pace intact and achieving highly consistent results, he was re-signed by Ferrari to be Fernando Alonso's teammate in 2014 and beyond.

But, now 34, he told Sport Bild: "I will not drive in formula one for ever.

"I already said in my first time at Ferrari that this will be my last team," Raikkonen smiled. "As you can see, I have kept my word."

From GMM

Corinna Schumacher wants her husband Michael to continue his wake-up process from coma at home.

British newspapers the Daily Mail and the Sun are reporting that the F1 legend's wife is making arrangements for a $17 million medical suite so that Schumacher can continue his now three-month coma at their home on Lake Geneva.

The Daily Mail report, written by Sam Creighton and Allan Hall, said Mrs Schumacher is making the arrangements after she was "told it is unlikely he (Schumacher) will ever wake up".

The correspondents quoted a 25-year friend of the Schumacher family as saying: "All the money in the world cannot fix what has happened to him.

"The family are making arrangements for a future of permanent immobility."

Corinna and Michael Schumacher (Photo: WRi2)

From press release

Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix from pole, this Sunday, and was followed across the line by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who completed the German manufacturer's first 1-2 since 1955.

Malaysian Grand Prix podium (Photo: WRi2)

The weather in Sepang was hot and humid, but not has humid as the previous day's qualifying session, which had to be delayed by 50 minutes because of the rain.

This means Hamilton could start the race on medium tires. He stayed on the same compound through two stops, on lap 15 and 33 before switching to the harder tire on lap 51. German Rosberg used a similar strategy to claim his 13th F1 podium.

Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang International Circuit (Photo: WRi2)

"The race was tougher than it perhaps looked today and the conditions here always make it a great challenge. But I was able to look after the car, the tires and the fuel and still keep a bit of pace in hand which made my job that little bit easier," Hamilton said after the race.

"It's great to see Mercedes leading the championship but we know that we have to make these early races pay.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRi2)

"I would like to offer this victory in tribute to all those affected by the tragedy of MH370," he added.

Rosberg acknowledged Hamilton was simply out his reach: "I was able to control the pace and to defend my position against Seb but Lewis was out of my reach, so congratulations to him for his win."

Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg (Photo: WRi2)

In the race for the championship, Mercedes leads McLaren by 25 points in the manufacturers' standings, and Rosberg leads Hamilton by 18 points in the drivers' standings.

Race results* - Malaysian Grand Prix (round 2 of 19)
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 56 laps 1.40'25"974
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 17"313
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 24"534
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 35"992
5 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 47"199
6 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'23"691
7 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'25"076
8 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'25"537
9 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1 lap
10 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1 lap
11 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1 lap
12 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - 1 lap
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1 lap
14 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 2 laps
15 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 2 laps

Fastest lap of the race: 1'43"086 by Lewis Hamilton

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-29 (Photo: WRi2)

Retirements
Lap 49 - Daniel Ricciardo
Lap 35 - Esteban Gutierrez
Lap 32 - Adrian Sutil
Lap 18 - Jean-Eric Vergne
Lap 8 - Jules Bianchi
Lap 7 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 1 - Sergio Perez

Drivers' championship
1.Rosberg 43; 2.Hamilton 25; 3.Alonso 24; 4.Button 23; 5.Magnussen 20; 6.Hulkenberg 18; 7.Vettel 15; 8.Bottas 14; 9.Raikkonen, Massa 6; 11.Vergne 4; 12.Kvyat 3; 13.Perez 1.

Constructors' championship
1.Mercedes 68; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 43; 3.Ferrari 30; 4.Williams-Mercedes 20; 5.Force India-Mercedes 19; 6.Red Bull-Renault 15; 7.Toro Rosso-Renault 7.

*Unofficial scoring

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22 (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

F1 drivers' extreme dieting in 2014 caused one racer to pass out in Malaysia, it emerges.

We reported on Saturday that some drivers are deliberately dehydrating, even at sweltering Sepang, in order to get the weight of their car below the legal 692kg limit.

Sepang International Circuit (Photo: WRi2)

"That is what I was going to do," admitted Jenson Button. "Go in a sauna, steam room, not drink or eat until after qualifying.

"It is a shame for the guys who have to do it."

It appears, in fact, that Button has been toying with dehydration 'strategies' in Malaysia.

"Morning run for Jenson," his trainer, Mikey Collier, said on Twitter on Saturday, "with pre and post weight measurements to guide hydration strategies, taking driver weight loss to the extreme."

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton agreed that he has also heard that some drivers' dieting has become "hardcore".

"I heard someone was doing that, exhausting themselves," said the Briton.

Now, The Times correspondent Kevin Eason has reported that one unnamed F1 driver "passed out at a function in Malaysia, underlining fears that some are starving themselves to meet new weight limits".

Martin Brundle, the commentator for British television Sky, said on Saturday that he has heard the very same story.

Among the very heaviest drivers on the grid is the tall Adrian Sutil, who reportedly weighs a whopping 12 kilograms more than his teammate Esteban Gutierrez.

Worse still, the Ferrari-powered C33 is believed to be well over the 692kg minimum weight, whether the featherweight Gutierrez or Sutil is at the wheel.

The Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Sauber is working on "a new lightweight chassis" to introduce at the Spanish grand prix in mid May.

"We are planning an ambitious weight loss programme," a team source confirmed.

From GMM

Mercedes' one-two in Malaysia was the first since Juan Manuel Fangio and Piero Taruffi dominated the 1955 Italian grand prix.

Almost six decades have passed since that day at Monza, but F1's twenty-first century force - Red Bull - made clear Mercedes' new advantage might not last long.

Sebastian Vettel was 24 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton at Sepang, but he was within shouting distance of the other W05, driven by Nico Rosberg.

"At some stage it looked like we are pretty similar, pretty evenly matched," said Vettel, "but then it's like he found another gear, he was pulling away."

German Rosberg, however, is worried F1's reigning quadruple world champion is making up ground at an astonishing rate.

Red Bull is closing in on Mercedes (Photo: WRi2)

"The last day of testing was a few weeks ago and they (Red Bull) were absolutely nowhere," he said, "and now he (Vettel) was right in the back of me.

"Ok, I had some pace in hand so I could beat him in the end clearly but still, the way they've ramped up their pace, very impressive, so we need to keep on it to keep our advantage."

Vettel told German television he thinks Red Bull is indeed making "bigger steps" than dominant Mercedes at present.

Even Mercedes' chairman Niki Lauda agrees with that.

"We need to really pay attention to how fast Red Bull is developing," he told RTL television.

"I can only advise Mercedes and everybody else to speed up, because in the end, there is only one who can be at the front," added Lauda.

"Right now I would say it is clearly Mercedes and then Red Bull. They are now the second force. Then there is a little gap and then comes Ferrari," he said.

Meanwhile, Vettel and Rosberg continued their spat on Sunday, after the world champion had accused his German countryman of holding him up in qualifying.

Now, it was Rosberg complaining about Vettel's tactics at the start of the Sepang race.

"I thought he (Vettel) was going to put me right into the wall, but he stopped just before -- so thank you for that," Rosberg told reporters and Vettel in Malaysia.

Vettel replied that he had "a similar experience last year", but Rosberg hit back: "That doesn't make it right to do it again".

From GMM

Christian Horner has reportedly split with his long-term partner six months after the birth of their first child.

We reported late last year that the 40-year-old Red Bull team boss and his partner Beverley were expecting to be parents.

"I'm very happy about it -- it's going to mix things up!" Horner said at the time.

On Saturday, publishing a paparazzi photo of Briton Horner on a walk with Geri Halliwell, the British tabloid The Sun said the pair is "dating".

Halliwell (left) was seen "walking arm-in-arm" with Horner (not pictured) (Photo: Facebook)

41-year-old Halliwell, better known as Ginger Spice of the former British pop supergroup Spice Girls, was seen "walking arm-in-arm" with Horner near her London home recently, the Daily Mail newspaper agreed.

If true, it would mean Horner has split with his partner of 14 years, Beverley Allen, just six months after their daughter Olivia was born.

From GMM

Sepang is fast becoming the 'team orders' capital of formula one.

Last year, not only did Red Bull's infamous 'Multi 21' affair make the headlines, Nico Rosberg was also controversially ordered to stay behind his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The same did not happen in 2014, as Hamilton easily dominated the grand prix ahead of Rosberg.

The new 'team orders' storm has been triggered by a tussle over mere seventh place, after Felipe Massa was asked by Williams to move over.

"Okay Felipe, Valtteri (Bottas) is faster than you, do not hold him up," the Brazilian was told by radio.

The order was eerily similar to the infamous 'Fernando (Alonso) is faster than you' issued by Ferrari some years ago, but this time Massa was not listening.

Valtteri Bottas only saw the back of Massa' FW36 (Photo: Williams)

Having ignored the order once, Massa was told again: "Valtteri has better tires, we need to let him go. Do not hold him up."

Massa again ignored the order, holding station ahead of his Finnish teammate and failing to pass McLaren's Jenson Button for sixth by the finish.

"I have nothing to say," Massa, breaking his silence, told the BBC afterwards. "I was just fighting to the end, that's the way I wanted to do it and I will fight for my career and for what is right.

"I don't regret what I did. I have very good respect for the team and I believe they respect me and that is very important," he added.

Speaking to Britain's Sky, deputy team boss Claire Williams refused to publicly rebuke Massa, saying only that it had been "a difficult situation".

Bottas suggested he thinks Massa should have obeyed.

"I think there was a really good chance for me to get Jenson. I was approaching really quickly but, like I said, we need to speak with the team," he said.

Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman and also a triple drivers' world champion, indicated he thinks Massa did nothing wrong.

"It is something that could be a problem for us (Mercedes) in the future," he said.

"Racing drivers are racing drivers -- they race for themselves. I would do exactly the same and my drivers would do the same," added Lauda.

From GMM

Jean Todt has named Williams as one of the teams "crying out" for a budget cap.

The FIA president was asked by Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper about the highly controversial cap, opposed by many top teams as unworkable in practice.

But Todt claims: "They all want this limit and it must be in writing. Then it will be binding.

"The teams came to me and Bernie Ecclestone and implored us to finally introduce a budget limit.

Felipe Massa, Williams FW36 (Photo: WRi2)

"Lotus has reportedly not paid its driver. I hear that Sauber and also Williams have problems. It can't go on," the Frenchman insisted.

"I am worried that we will lose teams. Many are crying out for help, and our job is to listen to these cries.

"Formula one is in intensive care and time is running out -- by the end of June, a solution to this problem must be found," said Todt.