Auto News 5

The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec today launched a new awareness campaign to remind people of the many serious legal and financial consequences of drinking and driving.

Called “It's All Tied to One Decision,” and inspired by the butterfly effect theory, the campaign includes a French TV commercial, an English radio message, a Web banner, and a print ad in daily and weekly newspapers across Quebec.

Source : SAAQ

As the official automotive partner of the 2014 World Cup, Kia released three sexy new ads featuring Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima... and promoting its 2015 Sorento and Optima.

Got the message, guys?

Source : blog.caranddriver.com

One of only 351 Toyota 2000GT sports cars ever built was recently destroyed when a 6' wide, 98' tall rotten tree fell on it. The incident took place in Gokoyama, Japan.

The 28-year-old driver came out with just a few cuts to his arms and legs, which is a miracle when you look at the scene.

But don't count it as a total loss just yet. Given that this baby can be worth more than $1 million, a restoration attempt remains a possibility.

Source : roadandtrack.com

Photo: Twitter

From press release

Western Canada's Erica Theiring will make her NASCAR Canadian Tire Series debut at Autodrome Chaudiere on June 14.

Thiering will be racing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Budweiser 300 at Autodrome Chaudiere, in a car sponsored by Alberta Has Energy 300 and Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin.

This will be the Canadian Tire Series debut appearance for the Sherwood Park, Alberta driver.

Erica has captured the Edmonton Int'l Raceway Track Champion and Alberta NASCAR Provincial Title five Times.

She took her NASCAR Late Model to New Smyrna Speedway to race in Speedweeks in February this year and finished eighth out of 40 competitors, the best finish ever for a Canadian racer.

Erica will also compete in the Alberta Has Energy 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Event at Edmonton Int'l Raceway in Wetaskiwin on July 11th.

From FIA press release

Reigning World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia powered to victory in Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship. It represents the duo's fourth win of the season and their 20th world rally victory giving them a 33 point advantage in the Championship.

Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson recorded their best result of the season with second position and Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were lucky to claim the final podium position after dropping time changing a wheel yesterday.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, Latvala continues to be Ogier's main rival and the Volkswagen team-mates are beginning to pull ahead of third-placed Østberg. In the Manufacturers' Championship, the German marque has once again extended its advantage and has a 118 point lead over the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

Italian podium (Photo: VW Motorsport)

The Polo R WRC has also now racked up 16 wins from 19 starts and the team has claimed 10 consecutive victories with the all-conquering car.

Today's route covered just four stages and it was Østberg who took the advantage in the first stage, extending his advantage over Latvala in the process. The Finn fought back in the following two stages but simply ran out of kilometres to fight for second. Behind the leading trio, Andreas Mikkelsen finished fourth for the third consecutive event and claimed his first-ever Power Stage victory ahead of both his team-mates.

Elfyn Evans had another solid rally and finished fifth ahead of Martin Prokop, who has been suffering back problems throughout the rally. Henning Solberg and Robert Kubica rounded off the top eight and local hero Lorenzo Bertelli finished ninth and took the FIA WRC 2 Championship victory, his first-ever win.

The seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders to Poland (26-29 June) where competition will be fought out over stages in both Poland and Lithuania.

Final results* - Rally Italia
1. Ogier-Ingrassia (VW Polo Wrc) in 4.02'37”8
2. Ostberg-Andersson (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 1'23”1
3. Latvala-Anttila (VW Polo Wrc) + 1'32”1
4. Mikkelsen-Floene (VW Polo Wrc) + 2'39”3
5. Evans-Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 4'41”8
6. Prokop-Tomanek (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 6'05”3
7. Solberg-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7'15”8
8. Kubica-Szczepaniak (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 12'19”0
9. Bertelli-Dotta (Ford Fiesta S2000) + 15'22”1
10. Al Qassimi-Pattersoni (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 16'49”3

Drivers' championship
1.Ogier 138; 2.Latvala 105; 3.Ostberg 66; 4.Mikkelsen 63; 5.Hirvonen 40, 6.Evans 36; 7.Meeke 32; 8. Neuville 31; 9.Prokop 30; 10.Solberg 22.

Constructors' championship
1.Volkswagen Motorsport 227; 2.Citroen Total Abu Dhabi 110; 3.M-Sport WRT 78; 4.Volkswagen Motorsport II 64; 5.Hyundai Motorsport 59; 6 Jipocar Czech NT 32; RK M-Sport 18.

*Unofficial scoring

GMC was the oddball when GM went through bankruptcy in 2009. With other brands easily cut from the portfolio, many believed GMC should have been ditched as well. General Motors is now proving the naysayers wrong.

The Sierra HD is the exact same trunk under the skin as its Chevrolet Silverado HD stablemate. There's virtually nothing mechanically differentiating the two models. Yet, this is one case where badge-engineering makes sense as it makes General Motors truckloads of cash.

Pickup customers, even in the HD market, are evolving. Their desire for a generic workhorse is virtually gone. Instead, consumers are looking for luxurious interiors, ingenious solutions, and comfort.

To find out everything there is to know about General Motors' updated 2500 and 3500 series Sierra, they sent us to Alberta's Waterton Lakes National Park to tow and haul some stuff around in blue-collar luxury.


What is the GMC Sierra HD?
The GMC Sierra HD is the more expensive of two offerings from General Motors with a choice of two engines and three cab configurations.

Think of the Sierra (in both light- and heavy-duty form) as the Silverado+. Mostly everything is the same; mechanicals, interior, and other features are identical. But, the Sierra looks better and can be had with some quite luxurious amenities.

Designed for professionals looking for a high-end heavy-duty, the GMC Sierra offers up comfort and technology in a clever package. Styling also takes on the same design language as the light-duty Sierra, which is definitely a massive positive.

The Sierra HD is offered in 2500 and 3500 series, with either a single rear axle or dually configuration, and a multitude of trims, including the top flight Denali trim that brings unique styling bits and technology to the cockpit.

2015 GMC Sierra HD Price and Specs
Two engines are available on the Sierra HD: a 6.0-litre gasoline-burning Vortec V8 (those hoping for the new 6.2-litre EcoTec3 V8 will be disappointed) or a 6.6-litre Duramax turbodiesel V8.

The 6.0-litre gas engine develops 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque in 2500 models while 3500 models make do with 322 hp. This engine is E85 FlexFuel capable while also having the option of factory-approved CNG fitment.

Those looking to tow and haul will want the Duramax, which produces 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque, to the tune of an extra $9,670. The available Allison 1000 transmission adds an additional $1,445.

Three different cab configurations - Regular, Double, and Crew - are also available, as are three different box setups - Short, Long, and Chassis cab.

These trucks don't come cheap. The Sierra 2500 HD 2WD Regular Cab, equipped with long box and in base trim, starts at $37,430. Those looking for the Denali treatment will see a $68,645 for the Sierra 3500 HD Dually 4WD Crew Cab, equipped with long box.

It must be said, with additional options, these trucks can easily reach close to, if not past, $100,000 when all is said and done.

Driving the 2015 GMC Sierra HD
The initial leg of our trip, from Calgary airport to our first coffee shop stop in a very stereotypical Corner Gas looking town, we were accompanied by a Sierra HD in Denali trim. I'm actually happy to say we didn't pay much attention to the truck.

Yes, we are reviewers. I even had my work boots on. But, the Sierra HD was very transparent to the overall journey. Everything from the steering wheel mounted controls and 8-inch Denali-specific instrument panel screen to the basic (but quite clever) switchgear was incredibly intuitive and worked as expected.

The 6.6-litre Duramax was quiet as any heavy-duty diesel lump can be on the highway, only bellowing when given some motivation with a heavy right foot.

Smooth, comfortable, and incredibly quiet would also describe the next day perfectly in the Sierra HD LTZ. With less equipment, it still didn't lack convenience, featuring GMC IntelliLink front and centre in the redesigned console. New inlaid doors and improved aerodynamics also make this the quietest truck in the class.

The day after our Waterton Lakes visit, our activities took us to Bar-U Ranch where General Motors laid out a comparison test between mechanically similar Ford Super Duty and RAM Heavy Duty models.

While the other trucks were slightly heavier, the Sierra seemed better at hauling at speeds above 80 km/h, eventually pulling away from its competitors.

Inside and Out of the 2015 GMC Sierra HD
While the frame remains relatively the same in GM's new big boy toys, exterior and interior designs are all-new and highlight some fantastic features.

The Sierra HD comes with a rear bumper step, inherited from its little brother, for those looking to climb into the cargo box. Movable anchors, also available on the light-duty trucks, are now available on the heavy-duty models as well. Double cab Sierra HDs no longer feature a suicide rear door, now offering a traditional front-hinged setup.

To finish things off, the interiors coming from GM's truck division are now second to none. Materials are much improved along with a renewed focus on design, providing a pleasant place to live and work.

Gone are button blanks - those spots where push-button options could be but aren't - replaced with a toggle-switch bar at the bottom of the centre stack consisting of switches that vary in length depending on the number of options equipped. And, to top it all off, everything is easy to use with a pair of thick work gloves.

Up front, the Sierra HD wears the same corporate sheetmetal as the light-duty truck with a chunkier, stronger design.

Overall, and even with the carryover frame, the Sierra HD is a worktruck with the ability to haul family and friends in comfort - at least until the next-generation trucks come along from Ford and RAM.

Comparing the 2015 GMC Sierra HD
There are only four choices in the heavy-duty segment in Canada, with General Motors providing half of them. The Silverado and Sierra HD models, available in both 2500 and 3500 series, compete for construction jobs with the Ford F-250/F-350 and RAM 2500/3500.

Lafayette, IN -- I like a company that tells it like it is. Sure, you can spout high sales numbers and swing stats to put yourself on top for the likes of us auto journalists, but we know your tricks. So, when a company pulls up a slide openly admitting the general public, when polled, don't actually know about or consider their vehicles, it's eye-opening.

Subaru did just that with the Legacy. They admit that when a controlled group was questioned about their midsize sedan, the Legacy, that most didn't even know what it was, and for those who knew they had skewed perceptions about high prices and bad fuel economy due to AWD. However, they also associated the brand, Subaru, with reliability, longevity, all-weather capability, and rally heritage.

So, how is Subaru to overcome these perceptions with their brand new 2015 Subaru Legacy and leverage their vehicle in a highly competitive segment loaded with cars the general public readily identifies and remembers? I was sent to sunny Lafayette, Indiana to find out.


What is a Subaru Legacy?
The Legacy has been in North America for six generations now, first appearing in the mid-‘80s. Always all-wheel drive, the Subaru Legacy offered the buying public a practical all-weather vehicle that wasn't a big SUV. Of the Subaru Legacys sold over the past 10 years, 96% are still on the road today.

For 25 years the Subaru Legacy has traversed all types of roads in all sorts of weather, and Subaru is extremely proud to usher this particular vehicle into its quarter-century birthday year.

2015 Subaru Legacy Price and Specs
First and foremost: the Canadian market will get a 6-speed manual transmission option that the Americans will not. Said transmission will only be available on the base 175 horsepower 2.5i model (up 2 hp). That particular model will start at just $23,495.

The 256 horsepower 3.6R 6-cylinder comes only with the remapped and reworked CVT, and in Touring trim starts at $30,795. At the very top of Legacy ladder sits the 3.6 Limited with a Technology Package (that includes EyeSight) with a CVT for a starting price of $35,395.

Of note, the CVT will “shift” since Subaru recognized the public's need for familiarity and the desire to avoid the drone of a CVT. It will row through a fake six gears or ramp up to eight if it feels you're driving more aggressively.

All-wheel drive is, of course, standard on all 2015 Subaru Legacy models.

Driving the 2015 Subaru Legacy
Here's where it comes down to the old adage: You'll never know if you like it till you give it a go. For those who don't know about Subaru as a brand or more precisely the Legacy as a car, I implore you to get behind the wheel of this new model.

My time behind the wheel of the 2015 Subaru Legacy began at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. testing grounds complete with an oval speed track and slalom course for handling. Jumping from the 2.5i to the 3.6R proved one very clear thing to me: You'll be plenty satisfied with the 2.5i.

Sure, the 3.6R is peppier and “sportier” but the fake CVT shifts are a bit too harsh for my liking -- even though I did appreciate the illusion of gears. In the 2.5i the “gear changes” are much more subtle, and smooth; ideal for this segment.

The beauty with the 2.5i is that it is powerful enough for what the 2015 Subaru Legacy is all about: everyday driving. Steering is light but still felt connected, and the ride is supple and comfortable even over severely uneven surfaces at the test facilities.

Inside and Out of the 2015 Subaru Legacy
Changes to the outside of the Legacy are tasteful and just enough to make it stand out ever so slightly. The difficult thing about this segment is the fact that it wants to reach such a broad audience, and that means keeping designs in that comfortable box that everyone can agree on -- nothing drastic.

Inside, the interior is typically Subaru, and yet manages to feel upscale and even a bit on the lux side. Of note; Subaru widened and lengthened their front seats to accommodate more buyers and make them more comfortable. And heated seats are now available in the second row.

Blissfully, Subaru also upgraded and changed their HMI and entertainment system. Standard in the 2.5i is a 6.2” touchscreen, and with a Technology Package on higher trims a 7” touchscreen a la Apple (meaning pinch, slide, and scroll works) is available as well as a Harmon/Kardon speaker system.

Overall, the centre stack was nicely updated and looks sleek and sophisticated. Climate controls are well located, and the steering wheel is ergonomically sound and also a pleasure to hold.

Comparing the 2015 Subaru Legacy
The Legacy's biggest downfall is its inconspicuousness. If it had as much brand history as the Honda Accord or as much aesthetic class as the Mazda6 or even as much “Yeah, we've always had Toyotas so I'm gonna get one” as the Camry, then it would have a fighting chance.

Until model awareness grows, I'm not so sure the Legacy will beat out its Asian counterparts in terms of sales just yet, despite having a fantastic product well worth the money to drive.

Lincoln aims to reinvent itself as a brand attuned to the needs of 21st-century luxury customers -- And for those customers, smaller is often better.

Roughly 300 dealers in the New York and Los Angeles metro areas will offer no-haggle pricing below sticker on their new-vehicle inventory this week, in a promotion organized by Edmunds.com.

From GMM

The tension between the world champion team Red Bull and its engine supplier Renault remains high.

Before the Montreal weekend, the French marque's Remi Taffin announced that, in Canada, the Renault V6 would finally reach "100 per cent" of its potential.

Indeed, Sebastian Vettel had a solid qualifying on Saturday and will line up on the grid behind only the ultra-dominant Mercedes cars.

But when asked about the Renault improvements in Canada, the reigning world champion said: "Well, honestly I don't know where the Renault talk comes from.

"I think as far as we're concerned, we always obviously try to improve but we didn't have any major steps for here."

Also apparently playing down Renault's pre-race '100 per cent' claim was Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

He is quoted by Auto123.com as saying in Montreal: "We are down about 60 horse power compared to the Mercedes teams."

Renault engineers. (Photo: WRi2)

Renault is also expected to be right on the limit in terms of fuel consumption over the 70 laps of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.

"So when Mercedes goes through without problems and are not on the limit with fuel, then it's difficult," said Red Bull's always-blunt Dr Helmut Marko.

"It will also be very difficult to stay ahead of the two Williams. They have the fastest top speeds here, so if they go to overtake us, we have no chance," he added.

However, both Horner and Marko have now separately confirmed that Red Bull will continue to be Renault powered in 2015.

Perhaps that is because Renault's Taffin says the French marque will produce a substantially new engine next year.

"We will look at what our opponents have done and what is working for them," the Frenchman is quoted by Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

"Next year we will have a new power unit," he added.

Helmut Marko has already referred to some sort of deadline expiring at the Austrian grand prix in two weeks.

Referring to the engine development 'freeze' that is currently in place, he explained: "The necessary steps then need to be taken for the re-homologation for 2015.

"We will continue to work at least to stay within striking distance. But in 2015, we want to be able to win again," said Marko.

From GMM

Tension between arch F1 rivals Mercedes and Red Bull is ramping up ahead of the forthcoming Austrian grand prix.

Recently, Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda criticised Red Bull for axing the 'Niki Lauda Kurve' at the refurbished Red Bull-Ring and naming it after a sponsor instead.

And now, a spat has broken out over Mercedes' accommodation for the forthcoming Austrian grand prix, where the race promoter is Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz.

A rumour circulated in the Montreal paddock on Saturday that Mercedes had cancelled its bookings near the Red Bull-Ring because it discovered that the new owner of the hotel was none other than Mateschitz.

But Mercedes' Toto Wolff is quoted by Kleine Zeitung newspaper: "We were kicked out."

Mercedes team staff will instead stay in nearby Graz.

Toto Wolff complained: "Those who work the most and the hardest on the cars will now have to commute 70 kilometres each day."

Red Bull Ring. (Photo: Red Bull)

From press release

Ma Qing Hua, driving a fourth works Citroën car, wrote history today by becoming the first-ever Chinese driver to win a race of an FIA World Championship.

On the opposite end of the scale of happiness, WTCC points leader José Maria López stalled on the grid and retired; the first time this season the Argentine driver does not score any points.

The works Honda cars, too, had a race to forget with both Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro retiring for technical reasons while fighting for podium positions. Honda privateer Mehdi Bennani saved the day for the Japanese manufacturer by finishing in third.

Franz Engstler encored his victory in the TC2T class.

Ma Qing Hua, Citroën, winner in Moscou. (Photo: FIA WTCC)

Ed Carpenter won the Firestone 600 Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring his first victory of 2014.

The race was a great battle between Ed Carpenter and Will Power following the final round of service stops in the Firestone 600.

Unfortunately, Power of Team Penske was penalised for a speeding violation with 35 laps left.

After gaining a 12-second lead over Juan Pablo Montoya on lap 242, Carpenter held on following a restart on lap 246 to win by 0.5247 of a second over Power.

Montoya, Power's teammate, finished a season-high third in the No. 2 car and Simon Pagenaud was fourth in the No. 77 dallara.

Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon placed fifth in the No. 9 Ganassi car, followed by teammate Tony Kanaan.

For Carpenter, it was his third Verizon IndyCar Series victory (his first since the 2012 season finale at Auto Club Speedway) and the second for Ed Carpenter Racing this season.

Ed Carpenter, winner in Texas. (Photo: IndyCar)

From GMM

Red Bull has come up with a cunning plan to keep Adrian Newey out of the clutches of its key rivals, according to the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

In the past weeks, there have been reports of audacious offers to woo F1's most highly rated designer.

Ferrari's offer reportedly topped $20 million per year, while it was also rumoured that Mercedes expressed interest.

"We made him no offer," team chairman Niki Lauda insists.

Nonetheless, Newey is understandably in high demand, given his astonishing title hit-rate.

But the 55-year-old is also unashamedly frustrated with the state of today's formula one, featuring ever-restrictive technical regulations.

"What you can do with the car to make the difference with good ideas is less and less," he said. "We're moving to more of a GP1 series."

Red Bull's factory at Milton-Keynes, UK. (Photo: Red Bull)

According to correspondent Michael Schmidt, Red Bull has come up with a clever plan to keep Newey inspired, and also firmly under contract, albeit on a long leash.

The team is apparently planning to build a new technology centre near its F1 factory in Milton-Keynes, where new and innovative technical projects will be born -- with none other than Newey in charge.

Reportedly, the projects will range from innovative road cars to aircraft, "with the secret hope that some day he will miss competition and crawl back to F1", said Schmidt.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing captured his maiden Formula 1 victory at the end of a wild, action packed Canadian Grand Prix Sunday.

From pole position, Nico Rosberg jumped into the lead. But moments later, both Marussias collided and were out of the race, bringing out the Safety Car. Every driver was asked to save fuel.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

Restart happened on lap 7. And Rosberg immediately started to pull away from Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. At the of lap 9, Hamilton used his DRS to pass Vettel.

Behind them, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were running a strong race.

Rosberg stopped for a set of soft tires on lap 18, long after most rivals did. His teammate Hamilton stopped one lap later.

Meanwhile, Sahara Force India drivers, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, stretched their stint and ran 3rd and 4th, respectively. Then, there was a great battle for 4th place between “Hulk” and Vettel.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

On lap 24, Rosberg and Hamilton ran together. At the end of lap 24, Rosberg locked up his right front wheel, missed the last chicane and came back in front of his teammate! This led the race stewards to investigate Rosberg's move. Eventually, Nico was just warned for doing so.

Perez stopped finally, having completed 35 laps on a set of super softs!!

On lap 36, both Mercedes started running slower, some two seconds slower than most other front runners! “Loss of power” was their problem.

Feipe Massa, Wiliams (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

On lap 40, Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) spun when exiting the hairpin, dropping him to 15th. Moments later Hulkenberg pitted from second place. The order was Rosberg, Hamilton, Massa, Fernando Alonso, Perez and Ricciardo.

Hamilton stopped for tires on lap 43. Hamilton pitted one lap later. He rejoined the track behind Massa and ahead of Rosberg!

Moments later, Hamilton's car began to smoke, having burned its rear brakes. He pitted and retired from the race. Rosberg was experiencing a similar problem.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

Lap 49, Massa pitted for new tires. Rosberg retook the lead ahead of Perez, Ricciardo and Vettel, just 2.8 seconds apart.

The top 8 cars were just 7.2 seconds apart!

With 10 laps to go, the flying Massa - running on newer tires - was catching up the four leaders at a great pace.

On lap 65, Ricciardo passed Perez and give a chase to the leading Rosberg.

At the end of lap 67, Ricciardo passed Rosberg for the lead!

One lap later, Massa tied to pass Perez on the start/finish straight but he hit the left rear wheel of the Sahara Force India. The two cars spun out of control and smashed hard against tire wall of the Senna corner. Massa's Williams came within inches from collecting Vettel's Red Bull.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo collected his first victory in F1. He finished first ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and his Red Bull Racing's teammate, Sebastian Vettel.

Amazingly, Jenson Button (McLaren) recovered well and finished fourth in front of Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso.

Jenson Button, McLaren (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

Race results*:
1. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1h39m12.830
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes +4.2s
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault +5.2s
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +11.7s
5. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes +12.8s
6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari +14.8s
7. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes +23.5s
8. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault +28.0s
9. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes +29.2s
10. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari +53.6s
11. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes -1 lap
12. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes -1 lap
13. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari -1 lap
14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari -6 laps

Retirements
Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 58 laps
Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 47 laps
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 45 laps
Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 22 laps
Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 21 laps
Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 6 laps
Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 0 laps
Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 0 laps
*Unofficial

Presented by Continental Tire, the CTCC held two races at the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit this weekend as part of the prestigious Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix. A doubleheader that was filled with plenty of action and a few surprises gave everyone involved something to talk about.

Mathieu Audette won the first race in Super Class before getting dethroned by Roger Ledoux during the second round. Michel Sallenbach and Jocelyn Hébert split the Touring Class honours while Normand Boyer won both times in the Spec-B Class.

Qualifying in pole position, the 2013 Super Class champion, Ontarian Scott Nicol (Honda Civic Si) had two very eventful races. During the first, he was quickly passed by Mathieu Audette, before the car's engine forced his retirement just after mid-race. Starting 3rd behind his older brother, Rémy Audette had an even shorter race, DNF' in during the first lap of the race after experiencing accelerator problems. In the lead, Mathieu Audette (Acura RSX) did not have it easy either. He took the chequered flag after holding off Roger Ledoux, who brilliantly finished second in his Subaru. The Lombardi Honda Racing Team completed the podium with third place going to Benjamin Distaulo who debuted a brand new Honda Civic Si and finished in front of teammate and series rookie, Valérie Chiasson. For his inaugural race, the young female driver was constantly improving while maintaining a “Top 8” placing despite gearbox problems during both races.

Rui Teixeira, Honda and Michel Sallenbach, MINI. (Photo: Phillip Sutherland/TouringCar.ca)

In Touring Class, the battle between Jocelyn Hébert (Honda) and Michel Sallenbach (Mini) was fairly intense before Hébert was forced to slow down towards the end of the race to prevent running out of gas.  Sallenbach eventually won ahead of Stuart Clark and rookie Samuel Laquerre.

With the B-Spec Class, the spectators that filled the stands at the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit got their money's worth! The top of the leaderboard changed several times, with the win eventually going to Normand Boyer, ahead of Rui Teixeira and Manuel Boyer.

Presented at the end of Saturday afternoon (the first took place just before the Formula 1 qualifying session), the second race was reduced to an action packed eleven minutes under a blazing sun after Stefan Yasin's big crash in his Mini Cooper, resulting in a broken wrist for the Mississauga driver. Leading until the penultimate lap, Mathieu Audette missed a gear change and was then passed by Roger Ledoux. Completing the podium behind the battling duo was Scott Nicol, ahead of Benjamin Distaulo and Valérie Chiasson who fought off Rémy Audette's push.

Valérie Chiasson. (Photo: Phillip Sutherland/TouringCar.ca)

In Touring Class, Jocelyn Hébert won by only one tenth of a second over Michel Sallenbach! Samuel Laquerre, Hébert's young teammate, finished third.

Normand Boyer is the only double winner this weekend after two very eventful races. Rui Teixeira and Manuel Boyer finished once again behind the veteran driver.

The next round of the CTCC presented by Continental Tire will take place on June 21 and 22 in Ontario, at the Calabogie Motorsports Park, a 5.5 km road track located southwest of Ottawa.

From GMM

The FIA is looking into what happened in Graz, Austria, between the final Bahrain test and the season opening Australian grand prix.

A whistleblower last week circulated letters to the governing body and some rival teams about an alleged illegal six-day test on Austrian automotive company AVL's 'rolling road' facility.

Red Bull have denied conducting the test, but it is believed sister team Toro Rosso was indeed in Graz, along with Red Bull development driver Antonio Felix da Costa.

Engine supplier Renault's Remi Taffin is quoted by APA news agency: "We just had to work with our partner AVL, because our own facilities were at full capacity."

The French marque argues that the 'test' was in fact just perfectly legal engine bench testing, amid reports the Toro Rosso car was not fitted with front or rear wings.

Nonetheless, an FIA spokesperson said: "We will look into the matter carefully and then answer any questions."

Remi Taffin, Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Red Bull has confirmed reports Adrian Newey is staying with the team beyond 2014.

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that the reigning champion team had devised a cunning plan to keep the highly sought-after engineer out of the clutches of its big-paying key rivals.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Red Bull is building a new technology centre near its F1 factory in Milton-Keynes, where new and innovative technical projects will be born -- with none other than Newey in charge.

Reportedly, the projects will range from innovative road cars to aircraft, "with the secret hope that someday he will miss competition and crawl back to F1", said correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Shortly after those reports emerged, Red Bull announced in Montreal that it has inked a new "multi-year agreement" with the Briton.

The team confirmed that Newey, 55, will work on "new Red Bull Technology projects", as well as "advising and mentoring" the F1 team "as it develops its formula one cars over the next few seasons".

"The details of the new projects will be announced in due course," a media statement added.

Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Carlos Sainz jr is well on the road to formula one.

After Daniil Kvyat made his impressive F1 debut in 2014, 19-year-old Spaniard Sainz, whose father is the world rallying legend, is now the cream of Red Bull's junior driver programme.

He is expected to step up to Toro Rosso next year.

But Sainz's father, who is in Montreal this weekend, told the Spanish sports daily AS: "There's no hurry -- the later the better.

"I have had no notice from Red Bull or anyone regarding anything other than the (Renault) World Series for Carlos," he added.

After four rounds of the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 series, Carlos Sainz jr is clearly leading the championship.

But his father Carlos Sainz continued: "We go step by step, with confidence, trying to do things right."

Carlos Sainz Jr, DAMS, Monaco. (Photo: WRi2)

However, Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost has acknowledged that Sainz does appear to have a future in F1 -- and logically one that starts with the Faenza team.

"Nothing is decided," he said, "but I think that sooner or later he will be on the track with us. I hope he drives with us on a Friday, but I cannot confirm this yet because we are still early in the season and trying to solve our reliability problems.

"Carlos will be in the car one Friday," Austrian Franz Tost then added.

From GMM

Ferrari sources have reacted swiftly to extinguish the latest big rumour as the 'silly season' steps up a gear in Montreal.

Swirling around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve paddock on Saturday were whispers that, having failed to match Fernando Alonso's pace in the first third of 2014, Kimi Raikkonen could be set to be axed by Ferrari.

However, that move would be an echo of Raikkonen's last Maranello exit, when the fabled Italian team had to pay the Finn millions to end his solid 2010 contract.

Likewise in 2014, Raikkonen is firmly under contract not only for this year, but also 2015, when he is expected to be paid some $30 million whether he races or not.

"Ferrari will not fire Kimi a second time," a Ferrari source told the German magazine Sport Bild.

Recalling the amount of money it cost Ferrari to oust Raikkonen in 2009, the source added: "Ferrari doesn't want to do that again."

A driver manager also told Sport Bild: "It would cost Ferrari up to $30 million because he has a contract until 2015 with an option for another year."

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14 T. (Photo: WRi2)