Auto News 5

Bentley Motors has opened a dedicated training facility, a workshop and classroom-based institution, which is home for the Volkswagen-owned automaker's largest apprentice intake in a decade.

Nevada lawmakers convened a special legislative session in Carson City today to consider a package of tax breaks estimated at up to $1.3 billion aimed at cementing a deal with Tesla Motors for a $5 billion battery plant.

BMW Group booked record August sales last month, selling 145,902 vehicles last month, up 4.5% year on year. Though Mini sales were down because of a model change, the group still expects to pass 2m sales this year.

Daimler is "fundamentally open" to talks on deeper cooperation with Aston Martin's new boss, Andy Palmer, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

BMW board member Harald Krüger has told just-auto that Oxford will remain at the heart of MINI production plans in the future, but with the Dutch Nedcar plant at Born also an important addition for the long-term.

Mercedes is reorganizing its manufacturing operations away from a production network controlled by individual factories to a leaner system centered around vehicle architectures and model lines.

The South Korea government has agreed at a meeting of ministers earlier to delay the start of its low-carbon vehicle incentive programme from 2015 to 2020.

Pictures See all 5 pictures 10 Sep, 2014

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will take over as chairman of of Ferrari after Luca Cordero di Montezemolo quits next month.

BMW board member Peter Schwarzenbauer has told just-auto that China's regulatory clampdown of aftermarket parts and services prices is not having a big effect on the company's business there.

News 10 Sep, 2014

Ferrari chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, is to stand down after nearly 23 years at the helm

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo will step down as chairman of Ferrari as of October 13 and will be replaced by Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, Fiat said.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo will step down as chairman of Ferrari as of Oct. 13 and will be replaced by Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, Fiat said.

Denza, Daimler's 'made in China, for China' electric vehicle, is now production line at Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology (BDNT).

BMW's current German sales region chief Roland Krüger has been named president of Infiniti and SVP of parent company Nissan Motor.

Nissan has poached BMW veteran Roland Krueger to head Infiniti. The appointment comes a week after Andy Palmer, Nissan's Chief Planning Officer who oversaw Infiniti, resigned to lead Aston Martin.

BMW will begin sales of the 2-series convertible in February. The rear-wheel-drive model, which has a folding softtop, replaces the smaller 1-series convertible.

From GMM

Kamui Kobayashi could return to the wheel of his Caterham next weekend in Singapore.

At Monza, while the Japanese was drafted back in for the Italian grand prix, it was obvious that Caterham chiefs were looking ahead for a Singapore debut for Spaniard Roberto Merhi.

Merhi was not granted a full F1 super license for Monza, so instead he drove Kobayashi's car in Friday practice but fell well short of the FIA's required 300kms.

After the Monza race, where he performed strongly, Kobayashi told Japanese media that he intends to prepare as normal for Singapore.

Indeed, he said he would fly to the Asian city-state next Wednesday and await Caterham's decision -- just as he did when he was first stepped down at Spa.

"Monza is quite a unique track," Kobayashi said after Monza, "so let's see how we get on at other circuits."

Other reports from Japan suggest Andrea Caldarelli could be a candidate to race for Caterham at Suzuka.

The 24-year-old Italian was in the news recently when he was called up to race in the premier Japanese open-wheel series Super Formula when Andre Lotterer got his Caterham opportunity at Spa.

It is rumoured Caldarelli, who has tested F1 cars for Toyota and Ferrari, has the backing of Caterham's newly installed boss Manfredi Ravetto and strong ties within Japan.

Veteran British engineer Pat Symonds has worked alongside several champions-in-the-making such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso during his career.

Symonds, today's Williams' technical director fully agrees that Valtteri Bottas is a world champion of the future.

"I am completely convinced that he is a future world champion," the Briton told Finland's Turun Sanomat, "and I want to make sure he does it with us at Williams.

"I have been with two young guys, Fernando (Alonso) and Valtteri, as they started their careers and then developed. And I see a lot of similarities.

"But I think Valtteri as a total package has the potential to be even better than Fernando," Pat Symonds added.

Valtteri Bottas, Williams, at Monza. (Photo: WRi2)

Twenty-five-year-old Bottas' potential was reportedly spotted elsewhere in pit lane this year, including at McLaren who have been looking to freshen its driver line-up.

But Valtteri Bottas insists staying at "Williams was definitely always the priority".

"We have improved so much since last year and now it seems that the direction is correct.

"I believe we will be even better next season and that this is the best place for me at the moment," the 2011 GP3 series' champion said.

From GMM

Sauber's potential sale to a Canadian billionaire could have collapsed.

It has been strongly rumoured in past days that Lawrence Stroll, a fashion mogul with close links to Ferrari, could buy the financially struggling Swiss team.

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo claims Stroll, whose son Lance is a Ferrari 'academy' driver, has also tried to put together a consortium to buy F1's commercial rights.

"But mostly it was said in the Monza paddock that he is very close to buying Sauber," said the report. "If the deal is not done yet it is because it is said Peter Sauber is asking for too much money."

Particularly sceptical is the closely Sauber-linked F1 correspondent Roger Benoit, who writes in Blick newspaper that "All previous attempts to buy Sauber have failed for various reasons".

Sauber motorhome. (Photo: WRi2)

But Canada's French-language La Presse thinks Stroll could be the real deal.

A man who knows him well is former Montreal F1 chief Normand Legault, who like Stroll is closely aligned with the race circuit scene in Canada -- Stroll owns the Mont Tremblant track.

"He has been very close to Ferrari for years," Legault told La Presse. "He knows motor sport, the F1 paddock and Bernie Ecclestone very well."

Legault said the reports linking Sauber with Stroll "could be very credible".

But Roberto Chinchero, the correspondent for Italy's Autosprint, could be the bearer of bad news about the health of the Stroll bid.

"It seemed like the negotiations were coming to a successful conclusion," he said, "but instead everything collapsed on the eve of the Italian grand prix."