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From GMM

Lotus could be set to move on from its disastrous 2014 season.

Fourth in the constructors' championship not only last year but also in 2012, the Enstone-based team has struggled with the newly V6-powered E22.

Engine supplier Renault, whose troubles with its premier partner Red Bull are well known, has taken much of the blame, particularly for many of the reliability problems.

But French driver Romain Grosjean is not pointing the finger.

"It's not just the engine, even if compared to Mercedes we do lack power," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"The problem is probably more aerodynamic in nature," said Grosjean.

"In the second part of the corner we lose grip suddenly. Anything gained in the fast corners, I am losing two or three times over in the slow ones," he added.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Even team trackside boss Alan Permane admits the problem.

"Our car does not like stop-and-go (circuits). We need sweeping corners," he confirmed.

That is why the E22 looked much more competitive at Barcelona, and so Lotus is looking forward to the fast corners this weekend at Silverstone.

"Our car is fast," said team owner Gerard Lopez, "but only under certain conditions."

It means Lotus has fallen from the grace of fourth to the depths of eighth in the constructors' standings, four points behind the Red Bull sister team of Toro Rosso.

"At least they have the same (Renault) engine," said German correspondent Michael Schmidt. "But maybe not for much longer. Lotus is said to have had contact with Mercedes."

Mercedes already supplies three teams in addition to its own works outfit, but long-time partner and customer McLaren is moving to works Honda power for 2015.

General Motors announced it will compensate families of those who died in accidents caused by a defective ignition switch that prevented airbag deployment with $1 million apiece.

It's a problem the automaker had been aware of for 10 years, yet waited until this past February to announce a recall, affecting 2.6 million vehicles.

Compensation claims will be processed starting August 1st. Any payment will come in the next 3-6 months.

According to GM attorney Kenneth Feinberg, each surviving spouse and dependent will receive $300,000. Those who suffered direct injuries will get a minimum amount of $20,000 that can go as high as $500,000 depending on the severity of the injuries.

GM also said that a driver's responsibility in a crash won't be taken into account when making the final decision in a compensation claim. There is no cap on the amount of money GM has agreed to spend on victims' payments, Feinberg said.

Victims or their families who've reached a mutual agreement with GM before finding out that their vehicle had a faulty ignition switch could receive extra compensation, too.


_{Source: New York Times}

From press release

Newly titled e.dams Renault has confirmed that Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost will join the team for the inaugural season of the FIA Formula E Championship.

The French team announced that Renault, also a Founding Technical Partner to the series, would become its title sponsor, renaming the team e.dams Renault. The new driver line-up sees the return of a ‘Prost vs Senna' battle following Mahindra Racing's signing of Bruno Senna, nephew of the great Ayrton.

Alain Prost, Sebastien Buemi, Jean-Paul Driot, Patrice Ratti and Nicolas Prost. (Photo: e.dams Renault)

Alain Prost, co-owner of e.dams-Renault and ambassador for the Renault brand, said: “Jean-Paul Driot and I are delighted to be associated with Renault in this new adventure. The choice of Renault as a major partner was a natural step because of the exceptional record it has carved out in motorsport, as well as its unique expertise in the field of electric vehicles. Personally, I am thrilled by the idea of working with Renault on such an ambitious project again and by the prospect of writing a new chapter of our association.

“We are actively preparing for the first races of the season. This week's test at Donington Park is the next step in that process and it will be followed by a busy summer in order to be ready and competitive for the first ePrix in Beijing, on September 13. It's an enormous challenge because this championship is completely new, both in terms of the technology it features and also the race formats. These are very exciting times.”

Patrice Ratti, President of Renault Sport, said: “This partnership with e.dams-Renault will allow Renault Sport to have an even closer involvement with the FIA Formula E Championship. The series will be unique and takes motorsport into a new age. Renault is proud to be playing a part in the adventure which stands out as a new challenge. We know Alain and Jean-Paul very well and their experience and record make them high-quality partners. Our involvement with e.dams-Renault will play a core role in our participation and in our Formula E development work.”