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From GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne says he was a contender to replace the Ferrari-bound Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull.

But the Frenchman, who has instead been dropped from the energy drink company's F1 roster altogether, explained that circumstances simply conspired against him in 2014.

When Mark Webber retired at the end of 2013, 24-year-old Vergne was disappointed to lose out on the seat to his Toro Rosso teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

A similar story unfolded this year: when Vettel made his shock decision to go to Ferrari for 2015, Red Bull once again chose Vergne's Toro Rosso teammate - now the Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat - as the successor.

Daniil Kvyat and Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

Jean-Eric Vergne, who now appears likely to rescue his F1 career with the Williams reserve role next year, told the French broadcaster Canal Plus: "What really didn't help me is that Red Bull had no idea that Vettel was going to go.

"They had had to sign and announce (Max) Verstappen very quickly, so obviously they were going to replace him with the older driver, because it made no sense to replace Daniil Kvyat after just half a season at Toro Rosso," he explained.

"Although the people at Red Bull had told me that if Vettel left the team it would be me who would replace him, I think it was difficult to reverse a decision that was made in August when they said I would not be with Toro Rosso or Red Bull in 2015.

"But at that time they had no idea that Vettel was going," Jean-Eric Vergne added.

Scuderia Toro Rosso Friday announced that Carlos Sainz junior will join the team with immediate effect.

It means that Toro Rosso's driver line-up for the 2015 season is now established as Max Verstappen and Carlo Sainz.

The 20-year-old Spaniard took the standard route into motorsport, winning the Asia-Pacific KF3 karting title in 2008 and two years later he made his single-seater debut in Formula BMW, before moving up the ranks through Formula Renault 2.0, British Formula 3, then GP3 in 2013.

This year has seen Sainz become the youngest ever winner of the World Series by Renault 3.5 Championship.

Last week, Carlos drove in the Abu Dhabi test for Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

“I am really happy to have landed the drive with Scuderia Toro Rosso. Ever since I have been part of Red Bull's Young Driver Programme, this has been my aim and I want to thank Red Bull for putting their faith in me," Sainz declared.

“I have had a very successful season in World Series by Renault this year and now I am looking forward to taking the step up to Formula 1. I tested for a day with Toro Rosso last year and I liked the atmosphere in the team. In the next few months I will be working hard on my preparation, ready to get in the cockpit in Jerez for the first test of next year. It will be nice to make my “official” debut as a Formula 1 driver in my home country!”

“With Carlos Sainz joining Max Verstappen in our driver line-up next year, we continue the Toro Rosso tradition of providing youngsters from the Red Bull Junior Driver Programme with their first steps in Formula 1,” Toro Rosso' director, Franzk Tost declared.

“I have watched Carlos progress through the junior categories, always improving as he moved higher up the ladder, culminating in a well-deserved win in this year's World Series. However, I also remember the day's testing he did with us at Silverstone in 2013 in the STR8. He really surprised me and his engineers that day, with his mature approach and his speed.”

From GMM

The F1 Commission this week failed to act on the issue of the sport's struggling small teams.

A report at Italy's specialist Autosprint described the Geneva meeting as a "fiasco", as 29 items were on the agenda "but only six were actually discussed".

It added: "The idea to give the customer teams a discount on the supply of their engines was rejected.

"Bernie Ecclestone was ready to make a contribution if the biggest teams also did, but instead the 'status quo' was maintained," said Autosprint.

According to the rumours, Ferrari new recruit Sebastian Vettel will be spending the next few days in Maranello.

Several Italian web sites claim that Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will be at the factory Friday to meet their new boss, Maurizio Arrivabene.

The two drivers will also meet with Ferrari's technical director, James Allison to talk about the 2015 F1 car.

Following that, it is said that Vettel will visit the racing department, meet the staff and spend some time in the team's driving simulator.

As part of a filming day, the former Red Bull driver should also take the wheel of two-year old, V8-powered Ferrari F1 car, the F2012, for a few laps around the Fiorano circuit in Maranello.

Fernando Alonso aboard the Ferrari F2012. (Photo: WRi2)

From press release

Williams is pleased to announce that Susie Wolff will be stepping up to the position of Official Test Driver for Williams Martini Racing for the 2015 Formula 1 season.

In this role Susie will be driving the Williams Mercedes FW37 in two FP1 sessions and two test days during the 2015 Formula One season. She will also be conducting extensive simulator testing to help in the ongoing development of the FW37 and FW38. This new role builds on Susie's three seasons as Development Driver for Williams which culminated in driving the FW36 during FP1 at the 2014 British and German Grands Prix. This saw her become the first female driver to drive in a Grand Prix weekend for two decades. The team is currently evaluating a number of drivers to replace Susie as Development Driver.

Susie Wolff, Williams FW36-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

Speaking about her new role Susie Wolff said; “This is another step in the right direction for me. I am delighted Williams are recognising my progression, hard work and that it is performance that counts. Williams is at a very exciting stage in its history and we are moving into 2015 with fantastic momentum, I'm proud to be part of the team. I'll be using my position to work closely with Felipe and Valtteri to make sure that the FW37 builds on the strong performance shown by the FW36.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal of WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING added; “We are delighted to have Susie continuing with the team next season in this new role. She continues to impress us with her strong technical knowledge, the feedback she delivers and the performance when she drives the car both on the track and in the simulator. She has steadily increased her time behind the wheel since she joined us in April 2012 and her appointment as Official Test Driver was a natural progression. We have a very strong and stable driver line-up for 2015 and this will be a key asset as we look to build on a positive 2014 season.”

From GMM

Red Bull's illegal front wing in Abu Dhabi may have been grounds for a race ban.

That is the claim of Andy Green, the technical boss of Force India, who thinks a team with a lower status in pitlane might have been punished very harshly by the governing FIA for a similar infraction.

After qualifying for the 2014 finale last Saturday, stewards disqualified both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo when their wing was found to be overly flexible.

The Red Bull RB10-Renault in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims it was not just the degree of flex that alarmed the FIA, but the fact that the wing was designed specifically to control the bending by way of a strip with built-in springs.

Designer Adrian Newey, however, insisted: "With other cars it was even worse -- Williams for example."

Williams denied its Abu Dhabi wings were illegal.

Sahara Force India's technical boss Green, meanwhile, suggested that Red Bull had been pinged in a case of clear rule-breaking.

"If this had happened to us, we would have been excluded like BAR in 2005 with its hidden fuel tanks. But Red Bull only had to start from the pitlane. It was a less severe penalty for illegal wings than Lotus had for Romain Grosjean's legal engine change," he added.

On Twitter during the Abu Dhabi weekend, Sahara Force India supremo Vijay Mallya described Red Bull as "cheats".

From GMM

Marco Mattiacci has broken his silence to suggest Sebastian Vettel was his "parting gift" to Ferrari.

After just seven months in the job, the Italian has been replaced as Ferrari team boss by the Marlboro executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

"My best wishes to him are sincere," said Mattiacci, as he spoke for the first time since his ousting to the well-known Ferrari insider Leo Turrini.

"He (Arrivabene) is a very competent person and I am sure the fans - and I include myself - will get the results they expect."

Sebastian Vettel with Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

On his Quotidiano blog, however, Leo Turunni said the 43-year-old did not want to talk about the details of his departure from Maranello.

"No. And neither do I intend to talk about it in the future," he insisted.

But Marco Mattiacci denied that his short F1 adventure had been an unpleasant one.

"No, you're wrong," he said. "It was a period I lived with enthusiasm, in the midst of passionate employees.

"I do not feel like a failure. I feel like someone who has worked for Ferrari for 15 years, not seven months. And this is a great privilege in life. I am one of the few people lucky enough to have worked in the service of a special company, and no one can take that away from me."

Told, however, that the story did not end well for him, Marco Mattiacci insisted: "You know the motto -- what does not kill you makes you stronger."

As for what his personal achievements have been at Ferrari, he answered: "I am convinced that a series of small steps will pay off over time.

"I have seen pictures of Vettel in the Ferrari box for testing in Abu Dhabi and I can say I am happy to have brought him to Maranello where he already brings a new energy, a fresh enthusiasm," said Mattiacci.

Asked if Vettel wearing red is Mattiacci's parting gift to Ferrari, he said: "If you write that, I will not be sorry."

From press release

Double world champion Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso is the star driver who lined up to contest the Dubai Kartdrome 24 Hours, the final round of the 2014 Endurance Challenge driven by Mini.

The Spaniard entered a team under the name of Puntonas with himself, his Ferrari engineer Andrea Stella and McLaren test driver Stoffel Vandoorne all taking to the track where they came up against the UAE's best leisure kart drivers, along with a host of international teams.

Fernando Alonso with the Puntonas team before the start of the Dubai Kartdrome 24 Hours. (Photo: Dubai Autodrome)

The Puntonas drivers had very little track time, relative to their rivals, nevertheless Vandoorne qualified 14th, and then he managed to make his way into the top six within the first hour of the race.

At the sharp end, setting the pace throughout qualifying and the early stages of the race were championship contenders Batelco and CG Racing Pro, the Bahrain team with Alban Varutti on duty starting from pole with CG Racing Pro's David Terrien, starting from fifth, chasing hard and within the first half hour they were up to second.

Le Mans style start of the Dubai Kartdrome 24 Hours. (Photo: Dubai Autodrome)

Forza Union Russia were best of the formidable international contingent, qualifying seventh and making their way to third and leading the Nations Cup early on, followed by Dubai-5 made up of all Emirati drivers.

CG Racing 1 were the early pace setters in the Corporate Category, with Lukoil Racing Team keeping them in their sights.

The first hour set the stage for what will be a titanic tussle across the field with the three titles - Pro Category, Corporate Category and Nations Cup - to be decided in this race, the final of the four rounds series.

The 29-strong field was flagged off at 12 noon on Friday at the Kartdrome, and the chequered flag will bring proceedings to an end at 12 noon on Saturday, local time.

Batelco driver Alban Varutti leads the field on the opening lap of the Dubai Kartdrome 24 Hours. (Photo: Dubai Autodrome)

The youngest man to win the drivers' crown in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Carlos Sainz Jr, drove the Red Bull-Renault RB10 earlier this week during the final in-season test at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The son of former FIA World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz is a member of the Red Bull Young driver programme.

As a prize for winning the Formula Renault title, the young Spaniard was invited to driver the RB10.

And which was the greater celebration of that championship? His private celebration of the title, or the post-season Formula 1 test?

“It's difficult to judge,” Sainz Jr told the FIA.com website.

“There are more emotions going on when you win a title like [Formula Renault] 3.5, but I've probably enjoyed the whole day here more. The RB10 is one of the best cars out there on track, so to be able to drive it - to do more than 100 laps in it - is simply amazing.”

Carlos Sainz Jr aboard the Red Bull RB10-Renault in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

Sainz was uniquely positioned to comment on the changes in downforce that resulted from the 2014 regulation changes - having driven the RB9 during the Silverstone test in 2013, Sainz Jr had not been behind the wheel of a Red Bull F1 car since, until he took to the track in Abu Dhabi.

With the memory of that experience, how did the RB10 feel at the end of its development curve, when the team had reclaimed as much of that lost downforce as possible over the course of the 2014 season?

“Obviously there was a big change [between the RB9 and RB10]; I could feel it particularly on power, on the exit of corners, in the torque,” Sainz Jr explained.

“I was surprised by it, as already last year's car had a good amount of power. Apart from that, everyone was speaking a lot about the car not having much downforce, but I thought the car felt great, actually. For me the car feels really, really good. It was a pleasure to drive it.”

Having spent more than a year away from an F1 cockpit - a year in which everything from the power delivery to the braking has changed - how does a driver adjust to unfamiliar machinery?

“I took my time [at the start of the day] to build up my confidence,” he explained. “Obviously there was a long day ahead, so I took my time and little by little I upped the pace. I had no issues at all, I didn't make any big mistakes, and I'm happy with that.”

Monday of next week, Red Bull should announce that Sainz Jr becomes a race driver at Toro Rosso F1 for 2015.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel's press office has denied claims the German driver reached mind-numbing speeds on the public roads of Abu Dhabi last week.

A video is doing the rounds on Youtube apparently depicting Vettel, who is switching from Red Bull to Ferrari next year, reaching a top speed of 350kph on an Abu Dhabi highway at the wheel of a F12 Berlinetta.

Bild newspaper said the claims have been repeated by Matthias Malmedie, a motoring presenter for the German broadcaster RTL2.

But Vettel's press office rejected the claims, insisting the driver of the car was "explicitly not" the quadruple world champion.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. (Photo: Ferrari)

Williams Martini Racing drivers Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Nasr and Susie Wolff compared Williams' cars from three eras of Formula 1.

They drive three iconic Williams F1 cars on Silverstone's Grand Prix circuit.

The first car is the FW08C, Keke Rosberg's car from 1983, powered by a Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine.

The second car is the FW18, Damon Hill's 1996 championship-winning car, powered by a V10 Renault engine.

The third car is the current FW36-Mercedes, sampled by the four drivers.

Takata's safety crisis linked to five fatal auto accidents threatens to shake confidence in Japanese manufacturing and the country's auto industry, the nation's transport minister said Friday.

Great Wall Motors' Haval division has begun selling the H9, the brand's largest model yet. Haval, once known as Hover, also makes China's best selling SUV, the H6.

With no fanfare whatsoever, Mercedes-Benz has slipped a partial image of a forthcoming BMW X6 rival onto its media website.

Lord Bhattacharyya, who was instrumental in helping to secure the sale of Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Motors, has written of his concern for the company's future in Britain. JLR is currently embroiled in a wage dispute with its UK workforce.

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