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On this day, October 8, 1978 Canadian Gilles Villeneuve won his maiden Grand Prix in front of a home crowd here in Montreal.

I was there, frozen like a Popsicle like the other tens of thousands of race fans. I was sitting in the “gold” grandstands located right in front of the pits of the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari.

Heavy rain caused chaos during the two days of practice and qualifying. At the end of each day, the old garages, located at the far end of Ile Notre-Dame, were transformed into a big car wash as the F1 cars returned covered with mud!

Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari 312 T3 (Photo: WRI2)

We later found out that Villeneuve made a hazardous Michelin tire choice for the race. The cold temperature would give him reason if he could drive fast yet carefully without damaging them.

We all followed his progress during the race. We all cheered for Gilles when he passed Alan Jones (Williams) and then Jody Scheckter (Wolf), before race leader Jean-Pierre Jarier in the second Lotus dived into the pits with terminal rear brake problems. Villeneuve was leading the race!

From that moment on, no one was cold despite the very light snow that began to fall.

At the conclusion of his 70th lap, Gilles Villeneuve, in his Ferrari 312 T3, passed the finish line in triumph, saluted by Michel Hanson waving the checkered flag.

The Villeneuve legend had just begun.

Gilles Villeneuve son the podium, wearing his agent Gaston Parent's coat. (Photo: WRI2)

From GMM

Ferrari could be looking for yet another new president in a few years time.

Sergio Marchionne, also the Fiat-Chrysler chief, is officially taking over from Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo next Monday.

But the 62-year-old has now told Bloomberg that he will "undoubtedly do something else" after the end of 2018.

"I am not going to do any more turnarounds. I'm done; let some of the young punks do it," he said.

The new president Sergio Marchionne and the departing one Luca di Montezemolo. (Photo: Ferrari)

Marussia Formula 1 team is going to run just one car at the maiden Russian Grand Prix this weekend, RMC announced Wednesday.

The French speaking RMC explained that mechanics, technicians and engineers who normally worked on Jules Bianchi's car are still deeply shocked following the Frenchman's nasty crash at Suzuka last Sunday in which he received life-threatening head injuries.

RMC explained that at first Marussia did not want to race at all in Sotchi.

After going it a serious thought, it was decided to run just one MR03-Ferrari for Briton Max Chilton.

Needless to say that Bianchi's tub was completely destroyed in the accident.

Jules Bianchi remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury* and is in a critical but stable condition.

Jules Bianchi's terrible crash at the recent Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix suddenly reminded us that motorsport racing is still dangerous.

Despite all the recent developments and innovations in safety technology, driving at 350km/h -- even on a closed course -- remains a hazardous activity. You never know what might happen.

Since the introduction of composite materials and carbon fibre in the making of Formula 1 cars, the type of injuries to F1 drivers has evolved.

During the ‘60s, ‘70s and early ‘80s, drivers involved in accidents mostly received devastating leg injuries.

Alain Prost, Renault RE30B, 1982. (Photo: WRi2)

The monocoque chassis were made of sheets of aluminum that were glued and riveted together. That generation of wing car was designed with the driver sitting as far forward as possible, with his feet located ahead of the front axle.

In case of a head-on impact, the driver's feet, ankles and legs were crushed.

Remember the accidents of:

David Purley at Silverstone in 1977
Ronnie Peterson at Monza in 1978 (deceased)
Marc Surer at Kyalami in 1980
Jean-Pierre Jabouille in Montreal in 1980
Clay Regazzoni in Long Beach in 1980
Didier Pironi at Hockenheim in 1982
Riccardo Paletti in Montréal in 1982 (deceased)
Jacques Laffite at Brands Hatch in 1986

The full carbon chassis were introduced in F1 back in the early ‘80s. The technical regulations were also changed to save the legs of drivers.

Today, just the top of the helmet emerges from the cockpit. A U-shape collar of high-density foam protects the head of the driver and the HANS device limits head movement.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05, 2014. (Photo: WRi2)

Nowadays, driver's legs are very well protected in case of a crash, while his head remains highly vulnerable.

Quite a few drivers have suffered from several head injuries in the past few years, such as:

Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994 (deceased)
Roland Ratzenberger at Imola in 1994 (deceased)
Karl Wendlinger at Monaco in 1994
Felipe Massa in Hungary in 2009
Henry Surtees (a formula 2 driver who was killed by a bouncing wheel that hit his head in 2009)
Maria de Villota in Duxford in 2012 (she died last year resulting from her head injuries)
Jules Bianchi at Suzuka in 2014

Let's just hope that the FIA will continue to invest time and money to make motor racing safer in every category.

The tire choices for this season are now complete, with Pirelli having announced the compounds that will be used for the final three Grands Prix of the 2014 season.

United States
For the Circuit of the Americas, the P Zero White medium and Yellow soft tires will be nominated. This has been the most frequent nomination this year, and is well suited to circuits with a wide-ranging series of demands, such as Austin with its combination of fast corners and more technical sections.

Brazil
The two hardest compounds in the range have been nominated for Brazil: P Zero Orange hard and White medium. While Interlagos is the shortest lap of the year, the energy demands are high as the anti-clockwise track essentially consists of a series of non-stop corners, with a high level of asphalt roughness.

Abu Dhabi
By contrast, Abu Dhabi is one of the smoothest tracks of the year, and well-known territory for Pirelli, with a lot of the company's testing carried out there prior to its arrival in Formula 1. The race takes place into the evening, with ambient and track temperatures dropping, The most suitable tire choice is the P Zero Yellow soft and Red supersoft, which will put the accent on strategy.

Photo: Pirelli

GKN has developed the world's first Disconnect All-Wheel Drive System for A-, B- and C-segment vehicle platforms, which improves fuel economy at cruising speed by up to 4%.

The system responds to driver inputs and road conditions, connecting and disengaging drive to the rear axle on demand. By eliminating rotating losses from the driveline, fuel efficiency can be improved.

As a tightly packaged AWD system, it replaces features such as the standard power transfer unit (PTU) with a monoblock housing that fully integrates the propeller shaft's constant-velocity joint. The clutch system at the heart of the disconnect system is an evolution of the one used in the Range Rover Evoque.

Moreover, a dedicated driveline control unit continuously monitors vehicle dynamics and environmental conditions, disconnecting the AWD system during steady-state driving speeds when the AWD function is not needed. If the driver or conditions require more traction, the AWD system reconnects within 300 milliseconds.

Source : GKN

Photo: GKN

DS-branded cars may enter the U.S. market as early as 2020 according to the company's president and CEO, Yves Bonnefont.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, which owns DS, left America in 1991.

This return is part of a global strategy to sell DS vehicles in 200 large cities worldwide, including 30 in North America (20 in the U.S.), Bonnefont told Automotive News Europe.

How many Canadian cities will welcome the DS brand? It remains a mystery for now.

None of the five DS models currently sold in Europe meets U.S. regulations and standards, so modifications will be necessary before they start being shipped overseas.

They all take their name from Citroen's iconic lineup produced from 1955-1975. Today's versions compete with premium vehicles such as the MINI Cooper and Audi A3.

Source : europe.autonews.com

A winner of three Verizon IndyCar Series races, Canadian James Hinchcliffe has signed a multi-year contract with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) to drive the team's No. 77 Dallara, beginning with the 2015 race season.

Sam Schmidt team has finished fifth or better in the series championship for the past three years, and Hinchcliffe, 27, will join the team immediately for off-season testing.

Schmidt ran Simon Pagenaud for the past seasons, but Penske signed the Frenchman last month.

In 2009, Toronto-area native Hinchcliffe drove for SPM in Indy Lights, finishing fifth in the championship. He entered IndyCar in 2011, earning Rookie of the Year honors.

His highest championship finish has been eighth, where he finished in 2012 and 2013, and his three wins came in 2013 on street courses at the Streets of St. Petersburg and Sao Paulo, as well as on the short oval at Iowa Speedway, driving for Andretti Autosport.

Photo: IndyCar

Reports indicate that Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will retire four years from now after completing a five-year strategic plan to expand operations within all of the group's divisions.

“I'll undoubtedly do something else” after the end of 2018, Marchionne, 62, said last week in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek at the Balocco test track in northern Italy. “I am not going to do any more turnarounds. I'm done; let some of the young punks do it.”

Since Marchionne took over Fiat in 2004, the Italian automaker's revenue have tripled. Following the merger with Chrysler, his goal is to boost net income fivefold to about $6.3 billion in 2018.

Fiat-Chrysler has invested €48 billion to develop more upscale vehicles including new Alfa Romeo models, and plans to increase Jeep sales to 1.9 million units mainly through overseas expansion.

Who will become the new boss? No one knows, but Marchionne said his role may be split among more than one executive.

Source : bloomberg.com

From GMM

Fernando Alonso is locked in "tough negotiations" with McLaren, the F1 correspondent Luis Vasconcelos claims.

Although the Spanish driver insists Sebastian Vettel's switch to Ferrari is a mere symptom of his own plans for the future, there are sections of the media who think the German actually caught Alonso off guard.

Some well-placed Spanish correspondents, for instance, think Alonso expected to be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, therefore opening up the prime seat at dominant Mercedes.

That suspicion would tie in with the fact that, like the rest of F1, even Red Bull was apparently caught off guard by Vettel's news, which was revealed to the team mere hours before it was made globally public.

But when Red Bull made it official, the energy drink company simultaneously closed the door to Alonso, saying the junior Daniil Kvyat will be promoted instead.

"This is a better solution than to have a star in the final years of his career," Dr Helmut Marko insisted to Austrian broadcaster Servus TV on Monday.

Fernando Alonso and Ron Dennis, back in 2007. (Photo: WRi2)

Vasconcelos, reporting for the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, said Red Bull's Marko "told Kvyat the good news just half an hour before it was officially announced".

Arguably the best driver in F1 but also perhaps the most temperamental, the dramatic turn of events may have left Alonso with only two choices for the 2015 season.

Vasconcelos claims that taking a sabbatical next year, just as Alain Prost had to do when he left Ferrari acrimoniously in 1991, is now a very real possibility for Alonso.

His only other option appears to be McLaren-Honda.

But those negotiations, Vasconcelos claims, are "tough". Indeed, a McLaren source told us "no one" currently knows how the situation with the Woking team's 2015 driver lineup will ultimately turn out.

"The Spanish star wants only a one-year contract, while McLaren is insisting on a commitment of at least two years," said Vasconcelos.

A one-year deal would leave Alonso theoretically free to leave McLaren after earning up to an incredible EUR 40 million in 2015, and then jump into Hamilton's plum seat at Mercedes for 2016.

From GMM

Michael Schumacher still has "a long and hard road ahead of him," the F1 legend's friend Jean Todt said this week.

On Tuesday, we reported that the FIA president had told the Belgian broadcaster RTL after visiting Schumacher at home that the great German "can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time".

The quote was translated from print reports that appeared on Monday at the specialist Dutch website formule1.nl, and the Dutch-language Belgian newspaper HLN.

Subsequent investigations have revealed that Todt's comments were in fact made to French radio RTL, in which the 68-year-old did sound optimistic about the future of his former Ferrari colleague.

However, it was actually the reporter who had asked Todt if Schumacher will one day live a 'normal life' again, to which the former Ferrari boss answered: "One can only hope."

"We can say he will probably not be able to drive in formula one again. He has made progress in recent weeks and months, but there is still a long and hard road ahead of him.

"He needs time and rest. He fights and one can hope that things will improve quickly."

When pressed for details about Schumacher's current condition, including whether the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver can move and speak, Todt insisted: "I do not want to say because it is a very personal matter.

"What is important is that he is alive and his family is around him."

From GMM

The teams and drivers may have leapt 8,000 kilometres from Suzuka to Sochi, but Jules Bianchi remains in the minds of the entire F1 world.

As was and is still the case with F1 legend Michael Schumacher, protagonists and pundits are now turning to the opinions of external experts to know more about the predicament the talented 25-year-old Frenchman finds himself in.

His family late on Tuesday confirmed that Bianchi suffered a "diffuse axonal injury" when he hit a recovery vehicle during the wet Japanese grand prix on Sunday.

"I hope they understand how grateful we are for their courage in talking to us through a simple, honest press release," former F1 doctor Gary Hartstein wrote in his blog.

Hartstein has been a critic of the manner in which Schumacher's family and management have kept his legions of fans essentially in the dark about his brain injury.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia. (Photo: WRi2)

Nonetheless, the Bianchi camp's news on Tuesday has triggered a frenzied round of speculation as to what it really means.

The health consultant for French news BFMTV, Alain Ducardonnet, said the fact the family named diffuse axonal injury is "Not what we had hoped for".

"So now we will have this seemingly endless wait for whether these lesions will heal, and especially if they are going to have irreversible consequences," he added.

Some of Bianchi's supporters have taken comfort in the news by the presence of Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, and also with Ferrari which despatched Professor Alessandro Frati, Neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, to the Mie hospital.

But when asked what he can do for Jules Bianchi, Gary Hartstein told 20minutes.fr: "Nothing. I think he is there much more for moral support, because he was also there in 2010 after his (Bianchi's) serious accident in GP2 in Hungary.

"He (Saillant) has not performed surgery for years and his specialty is in spinal injuries," Hartstein added.

Bianchi's situation has also triggered wild reports about the repercussions for formula one, including the need for rule changes and possibly even roof coverings or canopies over the drivers' heads.

Gary Hartstein said: "The fact that Bianchi is still alive shows how safe F1 is today. I think formula one has reached an extremely high safety standard. But it is clear that anything can always be better."

Mika Hakkinen, who almost died when he fractured his skull in a crash in Adelaide in 1995, said after Bianchi's accident that covering the cockpits should not be ruled out.

"If it can save lives, we should look at any option that further reduces the risks," the double world champion told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV.

Meanwhile, Speed Week reports that rumours Japanese authorities seized parts of Marussia's equipment before the team could travel to Russia are not true.

However, there remains no information about how the team will tackle this weekend's grand prix at Sochi mere days after the Bianchi crash.

When you hear the word “Jeep,” what image comes to mind? Probably a go-anywhere Wrangler hitting the Rubicon Trail and conquering everything in its path.

What you do not imagine is a derivative of the long-gone Dodge Caliber with a seven-slot grille touting fuel economy over capability.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what makes up the Compass. It's Jeep's redheaded stepchild with Trail Rated badging.

But, it's not as bad as you'd think.


What is the Jeep Compass?
Available solely with 4-cylinder engines measuring in at 2.0L and 2.4L, the Compass is the smallest of the Jeeps, and a twin to the much-boxier Jeep Patriot. Its bones were shared with the Dodge Caliber before that was killed off in favour of the new Dodge Dart.

The Compass can be had with front- or four-wheel drive, and a selection of transmissions ranging from a 5-speed manual to a 6-speed automatic or continuously variable unit used with the 2.4L engine and four-wheel drive.

While not as luxurious as a Grand Cherokee or as capable as a Wrangler, the Compass is one of the least expensive compact SUV options in the Canadian market. Prices for the base model Sport 4x2 trim start at $18,995. Adding the 4x4 option brings the price up to $22,295. Top-level Limited 4x4 models start at $30,690 without optional extras.

Driving the 2015 Jeep Compass
Heading into 2015, the Jeep Compass offers exactly the same mechanicals as the 2014 model. But, since you're here...

The Sport trim is given the base 2.0L 4-cylinder engine with 158 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque. Move up to the North Edition or Limited and you're greeted with a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine producing 172 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque.

While on location at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds, we jumped in a 2015 Jeep Compass Limited with the 2.4L 4-cylinder mill and drove it around one of the longer loop tracks pocked with potholes and bumps.

First, the Compass isn't fun to drive. The 2.4L mill has some poke, but it won't set your heart ablaze with lust.

The ride quality is so-so and handling is what you'd expect from a compact SUV first engineered almost 10 years ago. It's aging and isn't as crisp or smooth as other, newer offerings. However, if you are looking for dependability at least the folks at Chrysler have been refining this platform for quite some time, and the bugs have all been worked out.

For those shopping on a budget for a city runabout in the shape of a small SUV, the Compass might not be the most pleasant vehicle available from a driving standpoint, but there's definitely some value in what the Jeep-lette provides.

Inside and Out of the 2015 Jeep Compass
And this, folks, is where you're going to find all the value: content.

Consider, for a moment, that the Compass does have a starting price of $18,995. That's dirt cheap for a new car -- especially a compact SUV -- these days. Yet, somehow, Jeep still manages to add some decent touches.

16” aluminum wheels? It's got them.

Fog lamps? It's got two of them!

Tire pressure warning? Yup: the Compass has that in the base model, as well.

While the interior finishes may still be slightly on the cheap side, and you will have to do without air conditioning unless you select it on the order sheet for the base model, there's Hyundai-level content in the Compass.

Moving up to the North Edition, which will run you $26,140, air conditioning becomes standard along with keyless entry, power locks, and power windows.

Jeep is also happy to point out their “Altitude” and “High Altitude” packages for the Sport and North Edition models are available this year, adding even more content to their baby utility. If you are looking for a couple of particular options, this might be the way to go to save a little coin.

Comparing the 2015 Jeep Compass
There are so many compact SUVs and crossovers in the Canadian market, many brands compete with themselves, including Jeep.

The closest competitor to the Compass would be the Jeep Patriot. Another familial competitor is the Fiat 500L. GM offers the Chevrolet Trax and Orlando, slotting in above and below the Compass/Patriot twins. And, those with a bit more coin to spend can cross-shop with the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi RVR, Nissan Juke and Rogue, Subaru XV Crosstrek, and Toyota RAV4.

From GMM

F1 will court further controversy this weekend when Russian president Vladimir Putin oversees the inaugural grand prix at Sochi.

Amid the Ukraine crisis, the MH17 atrocity and tough anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Europe and the US, there had already been calls for formula one to cancel its first race in the country.

But mere days after the Japanese grand prix, F1 is now busily setting up at the new Sochi Autodrom, based around the central venue of the Winter Olympic Games earlier this year.

Having skipped Japan, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will be at Sochi this weekend, having travelled to the former Soviet state Azerbaijan on Tuesday to unveil the sport's next destination, the 2016 European grand prix at Baku.

As for controversial Russia this weekend, he insisted: "We are happy, the sponsors appear to be happy, so we carry on.

"No one has spoken to me about this race or told me that we cannot go," he told The Times. "The sanctions do not affect us and what we are doing is not illegal.

"The Russian people asked us to come here and that is what we are doing. We are putting on a grand prix. This is nothing to do with politics. As I have always said, we do not do politics.

"We are in Sochi to race," said Ecclestone.

Photo: Sochi Autodrom

Times correspondent Kevin Eason claims Putin, who is "a close friend" of Ecclestone's, will also be there.

"F1 should reflect on the lack of global support for Putin's behaviour in the Ukraine," said Dr Andrew Foxall, director of the Russia Studies Centre at London's Henry Jackson Society think-tank.

"If Putin appears to wave to the crowd, it will be on global television and F1 will forever be blighted by association with an authoritarian regime."

Porsche, feeling the heat from such cars as the redesigned Chevrolet Corvette, is giving the venerable 911 a tune-up for 2015.

Denso, an affiliate of Toyota and the automaker's biggest supplier, said it is considering expanding production in Japan.

Denso is giving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a reason to believe his weak yen policy will eventually boost investment by manufacturers.

Garmin International says Honda has selected it as the navigation provider for future Civic and CR-V models in Europe, Russia and South America.

General Motors is recalling 7,601 Chevrolet Caprice police vehicles from the 2011-13 model years for a problem with the gear shifter that could allow the car to roll away while in park.

Stanley Electric says it has developed an Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) headlamp that improves night-time driving safety and security.