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The Marussia F1 Team ask everyone for patience and unstanding with regard to further medical updates.

Press release:

Following the accident involving Jules Bianchi during yesterday's 2014 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, the Marussia F1 Team would like to acknowledge the huge outpouring of support and affection for Jules and the Team at this very difficult time.

With regard to the communication of information concerning Jules' medical condition, we will respect, and be guided by, the wishes of the Bianchi family. Together with Jules' care, they will remain our highest priority. Therefore, we would ask for patience and understanding with regard to further medical updates, which will be communicated in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, where Jules is being treated, when they feel it is appropriate.

Representatives of the Marussia F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari will remain at the hospital to support Jules and the Bianchi family.

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

From GMM

With the extent of Jules Bianchi's injuries still unclear, F1 is already turning its attention to the controversial circumstances surrounding his accident that stopped the wet Japanese grand prix on Sunday.

After days of speculation about typhoon Phanfone, multiple questions are now being asked about the Suzuka race that was interrupted by rain, safety car periods and eventually fading light.

"For me personally it wasn't (that bad)," winner Lewis Hamilton said.

However, after crashing his Sauber that ultimately was being carried away by the recovery vehicle that Bianchi hit, Adrian Sutil said the fading light was making it harder to pick out the most treacherous parts of the circuit.

"The light was low and the track was slippery and that's why I was caught out," said the German.

"Jules had exactly the same situation, just a lap later. The light was low and there were numerous rivers running across the track," added Sutil.

Doctors around Jules Bianchi, after the crash at Suzuka. (Photo: WRi2)

Felipe Massa, a friend of Bianchi's, revealed before leaving the track to visit the Frenchman in hospital that he was "screaming" on the radio "for the race to stop".

"It was dangerous," said the Brazilian.

"In my opinion they started the race too early because it was undriveable at the beginning," Massa added, "and they finished it too late."

But Kimi Raikkonen was among those who think Bianchi's crash was just a freak accident.

"We have competed in more difficult circumstances than that," the Finn is quoted by MTV3 broadcaster.

"I can't say if the track was safe or not, but everything was going ok before the race was stopped.

"Was it safe? Is it ever safe?

"It is always difficult in the wet and you can easily spin, especially on worn tyres. I think there was a lot of bad luck in this situation.

"I think we should learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen again," the Ferrari driver added.

Actually, an incident eerily similar happened at the very same corner 20 years ago, when Martin Brundle badly injured a marshal who was attending to another crashed car in the similarly wet 1994 race.

"It is unfortunate that these cranes are on the track during a grand prix," said former F1 driver Olivier Panis.

"For years we have talked about it -- that we don't want to see them on the track.

"It's a shame that we always have to wait for something serious to happen before we take these things seriously."

Bianchi's countryman said the incident on Sunday should at least now trigger a rule change.

"No tractors on the track unless there is a safety car or red flags," said Panis.

Brundle admitted Sunday's incident reminded him vividly of 1994.

"Some will say there are yellow or double yellows flags but that doesn't stop you spinning off," he said. "My concern is those things (vehicles) on track. They are just too high and you are sitting down low."

Rain at Suzuka. (Photo: WRi2)

Another former F1 driver, Patrick Tambay, told RMC: "We have made progress with the cars. We have made progress with the circuits. But then there was a tractor on the track and that is unacceptable."

Others are less severe. World champion Sebastian Vettel said every driver knows "that our sport is dangerous". Niki Lauda referred to a "chain of unfortunate circumstances".

"You cannot say that today something was (done) wrong," the F1 legend told Germany's Welt newspaper.

Wurz, representing the F1 drivers, added: "There are clearly many questions and hindsight is always smarter.

"It is clear however that the priority of the FIA over the years was the drivers when it comes to safety. I have to emphasise this.

"All the decisions taken by Charlie Whiting were absolutely fine. For many years the FIA has done a good job with safety and up until the accident everything was in order.

"If a car is out of control at high speed, it becomes a projectile. There is always risk. Everyone is aware of this."

Rob Smedley, the engineering boss at Williams, said the issue of cockpit protection has been discussed by F1 boffins ever since Felipe Massa's near-fatal 2009 crash.

"The chapter is not yet complete," he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "I have no idea if an enclosed cockpit would have changed something for Jules, but at the moment I wish he had had one."

Rob Smedley, however, also agrees that Bianchi is the victim of a "freak accident".

"There are certain crash tests but an impact with a tractor is not among them," he said. "It was simply a freak accident."

In a further tragic twist to a sad Sunday, it emerged that F1 veteran Andrea de Cesaris, 55, was killed in a motorcycle accident on a road near Rome.

From GMM

The collective world of formula one had a sleepless night after the Japanese grand prix as it worries about critically injured Jules Bianchi.

After the likeable and talented Frenchman had brain surgery in the Mie hospital after his Suzuka collision with a recovery vehicle, specialist media reports claimed his condition was stabilising and he was breathing unaided.

The Marussia driver's father Philippe told French television: "Jules is in a bad state.

"Emergency surgery was performed because of a hematoma in his head. It will take 24 hours until we know more."

But French radio RMC reported that 25-year-old Bianchi's condition subsequently deteriorated after the four-hour surgery, requiring a second operation in the middle of the night to stop bleeding.

The report also claimed Jules Bianchi is now being artificially ventilated.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia, Japan. (Photo: WRi2)

Former F1 driver Alex Wurz, the newly-appointed president of the safety-oriented grand prix drivers' association GPDA, told Austrian television ORF he has limited information about Bianchi's condition.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims the impact was so strong it caused the recovery vehicle to drop Sutil's Sauber.

"We have heard he crashed into this towing vehicle and that the roll-bar was destroyed," said Austrian Wurz.

"Very shortly after the collision he was still conscious but then he became unconscious. All the time he was breathing alone and it was not necessary to resuscitate him.

"Whether this is good or bad news, I cannot judge because I'm not an expert," said Wurz.

Gary Hartstein, F1's former doctor and now an outspoken blogger, said that if it is true that Bianchi is breathing unaided, that is "really superb news".

"What is significant in the absence of other specific medical information is that this indicates how confident his surgeons and intensivists are that his neurological status is sufficiently stable to allow him that 'luxury', said Hartstein.

French media report that Bianchi's family has requested that no further official information be issued for the time being.

The L'Equipe daily quoted a French neurosurgeon as saying: "It is impossible at the moment to make a diagnosis. It is too early.

"In the coming days there will be a process of monitoring in order to make a reliable forecast."

Jules Bianchi is under contract to Ferrari's driver 'academy', and a spokesman for the Italian team said at the Mie hospital late on Sunday: "There will be no official statement tonight in order to respect the wishes of the family."

Jules Bianchi's fans at Suzuka. (Photo: WRi2)

Málaga, Spain -- Audi's PR folks promised us that the all-new, third-generation TT is just as awesome as the location for the media launch. We wasted no time finding out if they were telling the truth.


Where's the centre screen?
Ironically, the first change the company talked about was the new multifunction display behind the steering wheel, which replaces the traditional centre screen. Front passengers will no longer be able to play with the navigation system and browse through the menus, but drivers will and they won't have to take their eyes off the road in the process.

Developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, Audi's so-called “virtual cockpit” puts everything in view, directly in front of the driver, combining the functions of MMI (navigation, satellite radio, rearview camera, vehicle settings, etc.) with the conventional instrument cluster (speedometer, tachometer, etc.) in one unique monitor. All of this can be accessed using the steering wheel buttons or the rotary dial near the shifter.

The Google Earth maps are definitely the most impressive aspect of the new display, especially in Infotainment mode. However, at the time of writing, only customers in the U.S. will be able to take advantage of it. The good people at Audi insist they're working hard to clear all the administrative hurdles necessary to make Google available in Canadian-spec models.

While the virtual cockpit serves as one more trick to blow your neighbour's mind, the rest of the new Audi TT cabin isn't too shabby, either. The steering wheel is a joy to grab -- even more so in S-line trim -- and the driving position in the sport seats is simply perfect. There's adequate room up front and obviously a whole lot less in the rear (read: none at all).

Where are the changes?
It's hard to revamp an iconic car such as the Audi TT -- just ask the designers at MINI or Porsche. Nevertheless, the third generation of the stylish coupe marks enough of an evolution to deserve one or two paragraphs. The large grille still dominates the front end, but it now looks more chiselled. The four rings have been downsized and moved to the tip of the hood, while the sharper headlights have a new signature look thanks to LED daytime running lights that are inspired by the R18 e-tron quattro, or so we've been told.

Similar to Audi's latest models, the new 2016 TT appears more muscular -- maybe not to the untrained eye, but still. Naturally, the team in Ingolstadt revised the various wheel designs, and boy, what a selection there is! True to form, the angular, wraparound taillights remain, while a small spoiler lifts up from the trunk at highway speeds to increase downforce.

Where's the TDI?
Sadly, the TDI option won't be available this side of the Atlantic. Canadians will instead welcome the return of the good ol' 2.0L turbocharged engine with direct injection. The great news is that engineers managed to extract an additional 19 hp and 14 lb-ft of torque, bringing total output to 230 hp and 272 lb-ft.

As for transmissions, the lone unit is the ever-amazing, 6-speed, dual-clutch S tronic. Forget about a manual gearbox; it's so 2010, apparently.

Where's the fun?
Behind the wheel, that's where! The Málaga area is renowned for its exceptionally clement weather, with about 320 sunny days per year. In these ideal conditions, the 2016 Audi TT literally shone on the mountain pass and many switchbacks that lead to Ronda. Needless to say, I left my tester in Dynamic mode, which made the car tighter and sharper in all the right ways.

More powerful and more agile, the new TT is also more comfortable. Despite the S-line package, the upgraded suspension does a better job of soaking up road imperfections, and I'm thankful for it. Adaptive steering allows aggressive driving on demand, and even when you attack corners with too much zest the car remains easy to control. Of course, Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system also deserves credit. While it's true that the S tronic gearbox tries too hard at times, I felt it performed almost flawlessly overall.

A sports car indeed!
Some enthusiasts will argue that the TT is not a pure sports car like the Porsche Boxster, for instance. Sure, the front-mounted engine somewhat affects performance in comparison, but in reality the new model is a fantastic athlete that underwent a more modern training regimen and can now star 365 days a year.

From the press release

Antoine L'Estage and Alan Ockwell of the Yokohama Canada Rally Team led from start to finish to win the Pacific Forest Rally, round four of the 2014 Canadian Rally Championship. The team started strongly, and built a lead they maintained through the second day.

“Thanks to Yokohama Canada, my main sponsor,” said L'Estage. “The victory here was my seventh, and I've been able to do so well thanks to the support of my sponsors.”

The victory at the rally means L'Estage has mathematically clinched the 2014 driver's championship. However, Ockwell still needs strong results at the final two rallies of the year to join his teammate as the Canadian champion co-driver.

Antoine L'Estage, Mitsubishi Lancer. (Photo: Asron Kathman)

Martin Rowe and Nathalie Richard hoped to challenge for overall victory in the rally that is closest to home for the Squamish, B.C. based team. The Pacific Forest Rally is the second event for the new 2015 WRX STI, and the team continued to improve their pace in the new car.

By the midpoint of the rally, a three-way battle had taken shape for third place. Derik Nelson and Adam Newell flew up the order after starting the rally 36th. Heading into the final loop of stages, the pair was leading the battle for third in their BMW M3.

Just behind the Americans, Boris Djordjevic and Leanne Junnila were the top ranked Production All Wheel Drive entry. In a close fifth place, Kenny Wahl and Aaron Neumann hoped the final section of stages would offer enough distance to make up ground on their rivals.

All three teams ran virtually the same pace on the last stage, with Nelson and Newell holding onto third place overall, easily winning the two wheel drive class.

Djordjevic and Junnila won the Production 4WD class. The team's focus remained on the class championship in which they earned maximum points.

Pacific Forest Rally Final Results
1. Antoine L'Estage - Alan Ockwell - one hour, 21 minutes, 46.0 seconds
2. Martin Rowe - Nathalie Richard - 1:25:48.9
3. Derik Nelson - Adam Newell - 1:31:49.9
4. Boris Djordjevic - Leanne Junnila - 1:32:10.6
5. Kenny Wahl - Aaron Neumann - 1:32:23.3
6. Roger Sieber - Garrett Mealing - 1:34:56.3
7. Matt Bincewski - Nic Bincewski - 1:36:17.2
8. Wim Van Der Poel - Bryan Lord - 1:36:22.3
9. Krystian Ostrowski - Chris Galecki - 1:36:39.6
10. Matt Bobyn - Dan Bobyn - 1:38:59.5

A new ad starring Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) hit the web on October 2nd to promote Volkswagen's electric vehicles in Germany.

A young Trekkie is thrilled to have Shatner as a new neighbour, so he goes over to see him and discovers a brand new e-Golf in the famous actor's garage. They go for a drive together -- with the Star Trek theme playing in the car, obviously -- and they happen to come across Nimoy, who is driving a diesel-powered XL1 plug-in hybrid.

Who better than two official members of the Enterprise to usher in a new era of e-mobility at Volkswagen?

Infiniti is recalling a certain number of 2014 Q50 and 2014-2015 Q70 units in Canada due to various powertrain issues.

First, on 73 Q50 Hybrid sedans, the transmission housing may have been damaged during manufacturing. This could allow a crack in the housing to form, and could eventually result in a transmission housing fracture, which would result in debris being spread onto the roadway. Dealers will replace the transmission assembly if cracks are found during inspection.

Another 419 Q50 Hybrid units may suffer from bad communication between the electric motor inverter and the transmission control module, potentially causing a loss of motive power and illuminating the warning lamp. Dealers will update vehicle software to fix the problem.

Finally, a defect in ECU programming in 511 Q50 Hybrid and Q70 Hybrid models could cause a gradual throttle increase without driver input, so dealers will update vehicle software. Note: Applying the brake would allow the vehicle to be slowed or stopped.

Source : Transport Canada

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed that a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Chrysler Town & Country minivan will hit the market by the end of 2015, a year earlier than he predicted on May 6th.

In the future, Chrysler will give the hybrid treatment to other vehicles including a full-size crossover.

Chrysler brand director Al Gardner suggested that a plug-in hybrid minivan could achieve fuel economy that would rival the much smaller Toyota Prius.

Marchionne remains sceptical about the benefits of this technology, however, claiming it will never meet the needs of all drivers in terms of range, especially in North America where commutes are typically longer.

There's also the issue of pricing.

“I keep on running into this fundamental economic obstacle of overcoming the cost equation of electrification. You can't. You can't unless there is a wholesale change and a fundamental shift in the pricing structure of cars,” Marchionne said.

Source : autonews.com

From GMM

Frenchman Jules Bianchi is in a "critical but stable" condition at the Mie hospital, located some 15 kilometres from Suzuka where on Sunday he crashed into a recovery vehicle.

Earlier on Monday, a day after the Marussia driver's accident and following emergency brain surgery, 25-year-old Bianchi's parents arrived at the hospital.

There has been speculation about his condition, including widespread reports he is on life support, but Marussia announced that "the wishes of the Bianchi family" would take priority in the "communication of information concerning Jules' medical condition".

But a FIA spokesman said at the hospital in the city of Yokkaichi on Monday night that Bianchi is in a "critical, but stable" condition.

In French, L'Equipe quoted the same spokesman as saying the condition was "very serious, but stable".

At the same time, an amateur video shot from the grandstands in Sunday's increasing rain showed the violence with which Bianchi struck the vehicle, causing the Sauber it was carrying to strike the ground.

L'Equipe also wrote that Gerard Saillant, a respected doctor and friend of FIA president Jean Todt and who also attended to Michael Schumacher after the F1 legend's skiing crash, and the members of Jules' family are now Bianchi's bedside.

Four-time World Champion Alain Prost declared that Jules Bianchi's terrible crash during Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix was not just a freak accident, as some people tend to say.

Talking in French to TV broadcaster Canal+, Prost - who's never been comfortable racing in the rain - said the Formula 1 world needed to identify what did not work correctly in this accident.

The former owner of the Prost GP F1 team said he does not understand why a heavy tractor moved trackside when the Safety car was not deployed.

Red flag in Japan after Bianchi's crash. (Photo: WRi2)

“This is not what I would call a ‘normal' accident. A mistake has been made, and that's very sad”, said Prost.

“It's been a long time since we saw such a big accident on a Formula 1 circuit. For me, it's not a freak accident, and this makes me very angry”.

Prost explained that if the cars are a lot safer than ever before, it is not always the case with some track procedures.

“There's been fundamental mistake made. There's been great progress made to make the F1 cars and circuits as safe as possible. What happened here [in Japan] is just unbelievable. That problem needs to be addressed. I think we should have seen it coming. It was evident that the conditions were extremely difficult out there. We need to fix that issue once for all”, Prost added.

The Frenchman has himself witnessed several big crashes during his career, including those of Gilles Villeneuve, Didier Pironi, Riccardo Paletti and Elio de Angelis.

Jules Bianchi's crash at Suzuka. (Photo: WRi2)

“It's been 20 years since he had such a big crash in F1. It's not a racing accident. It was caused by something that has nothing to do with racing”, Prost continued.

“This [new] generation of F1 drivers is not used to seeing big accidents. Bianchi's accident makes me very angry, because I have the feeling of being back in the 80s when this type of accident happened every two or three races. This brings me back very bad memories”, Alain Prost ended.

From nascar.com

In a race that saw Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup favorites Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fall by the wayside, Joey Logano earned a ticket to the Eliminator Round of the Chase with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, leads Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet. (Photo: Getty Images/NASCAR)

Logano beat rookie Kyle Larson to the finish line by .480 seconds to notch his fifth victory of the season, tied with Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski for most in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year. The win was Logano's first at Kansas and the eighth of his career.

Kyle Busch ran third, posting his first-ever top-five at a track that has plagued him mercilessly in races past.

Martin Truex Jr. came home fourth, posting his first top-five of the season and his second consecutive top-10. Carl Edwards was fifth, with fellow Chase drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin right behind him in sixth and seventh, respectively.

Crew members for Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, work on the car after the crash. (Photo: Getty Images/NASCAR)

Jimmie Johnson was involved in a wreck and finished 40th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a flat right front tire sent him hard into the wall, and Brad Keselowski was running fifth when he blew a right front tire and slammed into the wall.

Logano can now enjoy the next two races at Charlotte and Talladega worry-free, assured of earning one of the eight spots in the Eliminator Round.

Point standings:
1. Joey Logano, 3048 points
2. Kyle Busch, 3042
3. Carl Edwards, 3039
4. Ryan Newman, 3039
5. Denny Hamlin, 3037
Etc.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion with Williams-Renault, said F1 must change its safety car protocol following the terrible crash of Jules Bianchi Sunday in Japan.

In pouring rain, Adrian Sutil lost control of his Sauber, and hit the tire barriers. A heavy tractor was sent out to recover the stricken Sauber, but Jules Bianchi lost control of his Marussia and hit the tractor.

The Canadian claims the safety car should have been deployed as soon as Sutil's car needed recovering.

"The rules have to be changed concerning the safety car," said the former winner of the Indy 500.

"When I was racing, and afterwards, I was always saying that any time there is an accident there should be a safety car.

"There should not be room for judgement. If someone has to go out to pick up a car stranded on the track, it's simple.

"Accident means safety car, and that's it. It should have been like that for years. America has had that forever."

Safety car at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

The son of the late Gilles Villeneuve thinks that critics who feel races are neutralised too often are wrong, and that the risk of another car colliding with a stationary vehicle is too high to cover such situations off with yellow flags.

"The problem now is every time the FIA send the safety car out all the media and fans complain, saying they destroyed the race," he added.

"So now they second-guess themselves. It's a lose-lose situation.

"Yes, sometimes it does slow the race down a bit, but at least you avoid cases like today, and you avoid the human aspect of having to make a decision.

"Whenever I was racing, if I had a crash I was always worried about another car crashing into me.

"I never really like just having yellow flags. You do slow down, but how much? And you could have a puncture, or a suspension failure.

"I'm amazed something like this has never happened before. I think we've just been lucky before.

"Quite often people spin when other cars have spun and they just miss them by inches."

Toyota plans to halt production on Monday morning at 12 plants in central Japan due to a typhoon that is hitting the area, spokesman Ryo Sakai said on Sunday.

The Fiat brand had little to display at the Paris auto show besides the 500X. Analysts are concerned that Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is neglecting the brand, which still accounts for a large chunk of sales.

The Fiat brand had little to display at the Paris auto show besides the 500X. Analysts are concerned that Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is neglecting the brand, which still accounts for a large chunk of sales.

Volkswagen keeps lavishing money on supercar maker Bugatti even as the company plans painful cuts in its core auto business. Bugatti is working on a successor to the Veyron that may deliver even more power than the current model.

Volkswagen keeps lavishing money on supercar maker Bugatti even as the company plans painful cuts in its core auto business. Bugatti is working on a successor to the Veyron that may deliver even more power than the current model.

Breaking a longstanding taboo, Mazda is finally opening up about its Hiroshima roots, its role in World War II and the atomic bombing of its hometown nearly 70 years ago.

Sales of Toyota's fuel cell sedan probably won't grow as quickly as those of the Prius hybrid.

Luxury-segment executives at last week's Paris auto show made it clear that they intend to attack new corners of the business as high-end customers emerge with nontraditional expectations.