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Nov
26th

F1: Denmark eyes F1 race for 2018

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From GMM

Denmark is the latest country in the queue to host a formula one race.

The Danish newspaper Herning Folkeblad said the Nordic country, already with a local driver on the grid in the form of Kevin Magnussen, is eyeing a grand prix debut for 2018.

The report said officials for the project were due to meet Bernie Ecclestone this week, but it has now been delayed until January.

"It doesn't matter if a little more time passes before this meeting takes place as we are working to get formula one to Denmark in 2018," said Helge Sander, Denmark's former minister for science, technology and development.

The newspaper said Sander is leading the project and trying to raise capital from major Danish corporations, possibly including Saxo Bank and the fashion brand Bestseller.

F1 McLaren Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen, Dannish driver at McLaren. (Photo: McLaren F1 Team)



Nov
26th

Endurance: Porsche confirms 3rd 919 Hybrid in 2015 Le Mans

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German car manufacturer Porsche confirmed Tuesday it would enter a third works Porsche 919 Hybrid for the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The race will be staged June 13 and 14.

As a dress rehearsal for the famed 24-hour race, the third 919 Hybrid LMP1 will be entered in the 6-hour World Endurance Championship race in Spa-Francorchamps on May 2nd.

Several Porsche factory GT drivers have been given a test in the 919 a few weeks ago in Spain and France with the objective of driving this third car.

Tested drivers included Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet, Richard Lietz, Frederic Makowiecki and Michael Christensen all drove the 919.

No drivers have been confirmed yet.



Nov
26th

Monza Rally Show to feature Busch, Rossi and Kubica

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Several great names of international motorsport will take part this weekend to the 2014 edition of the Monza Rally Show in Italy.

The event consists of nine special stages and a total of 166 kilometres, including a 44-kilometre stage.

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, American Kurt Busch will participate for the first time to the event sponsored by energy drink giant Monster.

The 36-year old native of Las Vegas driver will race for the team Monster Stars, driving a Ford Fiesta WRC.

Other Monster-sponsored drivers and riders are confirmed such as MotoGP star Valentino Rossi and gymkhana expert Ken Block.

Event organisers confirmed yesterday that World Rally driver and former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica would also participate.

Audi Le Mans driver Marco Bonanomi and former World Touring Car Championship driver Stefano D'Aste are among the other circuit racing names taking part in the event.


Nov
26th

F1: Ron Dennis insists Honda will be ”strong” despite troubled start

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From GMM

Ron Dennis has played down suggestions Honda's 2015 engine programme is running behind schedule.

After a recent filming day at Silverstone, the interim Honda-powered McLaren had its first true test day in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

With young tester Stoffel Vandoorne at the wheel, the day's programme did not go to plan.

The car - notably featuring extra cooling vents in the bodywork - spent the entire morning in the garage and then it broke down, eventually completing not a single timed lap.

But the British team said in a statement that the day was "positive".

"Running a modern formula one car is a very complicated procedure," said boss Eric Boullier, "and this week's test is all about how the departments at Sakura, Milton Keynes and Woking learn to work with the operational hub at the circuit."

F1 McLaren-Honda Abu Dhabi
McLaren-Honda in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren supremo Ron Dennis is also confident that, after two consecutive disappointing seasons for the Woking team, the McLaren-Honda next year will be strong.

He denied that the team's new works partner is running behind schedule.

"This year, teams only started testing their cars for the new regulations in February," the Briton said in an interview with Brazil's Globo Esporte.

"But we are running the Honda power unit already, before the winter testing. As a team and with Honda, we understand the challenges of these new power units and I am in a position to say that we will be strong," Dennis insisted.

Honda aside, he also said he is confident McLaren will produce a better car than it managed to do in 2013 and 2014.

"You have to realise something: the group that designed the 2015 car is completely different to the one that did the last two," said Ron Dennis.

He said 20 "very able" new engineers have joined McLaren, including Red Bull's aerodynamics chief Peter Prodromou, while 50 roles have been restructured.

"We believe we have set the direction that will allow us to start the next championship on a very high level," added Ron Dennis.


Nov
26th

F1: Jean-Eric Vergne confirms he is leaving Toro Rosso

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Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne confirmed Wednesday that he is leaving Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team.

Vergne got the news from the team's directors that they opted to replace him after three seasons.

"Despite a good season & 22 pts, I'll not drive anymore for Toro Rosso in 2015," Vergne wrote on his Twitter account. "Thanks for those years. Let's go for another big challenge."

On his Facebook page, JEV wrote: "Hi. Despite a good season and 22 points, I will not drive anymore for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015. Thanks for those years. Let's go for another big and successful challenge."

Toro Rosso is yet to officially confirm the news.

Vergne is likely to be replaced by current Formula Renault 3.5 series' champion, Carlos Sainz junior.

F1 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso Renault
Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)



Nov
26th

F1: Jean Todt says Red Bull’s revised engine format ‘nonsense’

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From GMM

FIA president Jean Todt insists he does not have unlimited powers to force change within the seemingly crisis-struck world of formula one.

Two backmarkers collapsed in 2014 and three other outfits are furious about the concentration of power and income in the paddock.

Efforts to cut costs this year notably failed, and fingers of blame have been pointed in the direction of the sport's ultra low-profile Todt, who many are now contrasting with his dictatorial predecessor Max Mosley.

"What can I do?" Todt is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, after a meeting of the controversial Strategy Group in Geneva on Tuesday.

"We have certain decision-making processes that we cannot just change. That's democracy."

One thing the former Ferrari boss is promising to address is the huge cost of buying a turbo V6 engine from one of F1's three suppliers.

"I am going to fight about the price of the engines for the small teams," he said. "I will do the best but I cannot guarantee the result."

But Todt is much less confident about his plan to re-propose mandatory budget caps, revealing that last time around "even Lotus" argued against it.

He also expressed some sympathy for the plight of Renault and Ferrari, who want more freedom within the rules to catch up with dominant Mercedes.

Jean Todt agreed: "It only makes sense to freeze development if the individual engines are approximately level. On the other hand, we cannot now punish Mercedes because they did a good job."

As for Red Bull's proposal to modify the engine formula perhaps by standardising ERS and adding a twin-turbo, Todt said that is "nonsense".

"We do the sport no favours with these sorts of discussions," he insisted.

Meanwhile, Italy's Autosprint said the Strategy Group on Tuesday ruled to scrap plans for standing re-starts after safety car periods next year, while Todt played down the likelihood of three-car teams to boost fading grid numbers.

"If there are only nine teams next year," he said, "then there will be 18 cars at the start. We have seen periods in MotoGP when only 16 bikes were at the start."


Nov
26th

F1: Jolyon Palmer eyes Sahara Force India reserve role

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From GMM

New GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer is hoping for "a role" with Sahara Force India in 2015.

The Silverstone based team has now confirmed an unchanged race lineup for next year, but Sahara Force India gave Briton Palmer his F1 test debut in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

"Force India is a team that gives young drivers good chances and I would love to get a role with them," Palmer, whose father Jonathan was an F1 driver in the 80s, said afterwards.

In an official team statement, he added that Sahara Force India "generally do a really good job with their reserve drivers".

F1 Jolyon Palmer Sahara Force India
Jolyon Palmer, Sahara Force India. (Photo: WRi2)



Nov
26th

IndyCar: Former Lotus driver Davide Valsecchi confirms IndyCar test

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Former Lotus Formula 1 reserve driver and 2012 GP2 series' champion, Italian Davide Valsecchi will test an Indy car for the first time in December with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

The Italian confirmed he will have a seat fitting on December 11 and will be driving the Honda-powered Dallara at Sebring, Florida a few days later.

“On Dec 16th I will have the pleasure of testing for @SPMIndyCar on the legendary @sebringraceway. I will do my best to make the team happy!!!” Valsecchi wrote on Twitter.

After him and Lotus put an end to their relationship, the Italian, aged 27, competed in the International GT Open series with Lamborghini this season.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports confirmed Canadian James Hinchcliffe for 2015 a few weeks ago, and is set to announce its second driver after this test.


Nov
26th

F1: Top 10 beautiful Formula 1 cars

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Auto123.com brings you the most beautiful Formula 1 cars created by the most gifted designers.

We have placed them in chronological order, the oldest to the most recent.

1954 Mercedes W196 - We see here Nick Heidfeld driving the exquisite Mercedes W196 powered by an in-line, supercharged 8-cylinder engine. (Photo: WRI2)

Continue reading F1: Top 10 beautiful Formula 1 cars

Nov
26th

F1: Fernando Alonso mocks Ferrari’s ‘Marlboro Man’ shakeup

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From GMM

Fernando Alonso has wasted no time in strongly distancing himself from Ferrari, where he spent the past five seasons as the fabled team's 'number 1' driver.

On Tuesday, the Spaniard appeared to be openly laughing at the Maranello team's latest managerial shakeup, after Ferrari split with team boss Marco Mattiacci.

Alonso 'retweeted' a photo showing him grinning broadly as his friend Flavio Briatore posed with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and an open Marlboro packet as they dined in a restaurant.

F1 Flavio Briatore restaurant Fernando Alonso Marlboro
Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso. (Photo: Twitter/Fernando Alonso)

It was obviously a reference to the 'Marlboro Man', as Mattiacci's successor is Mauruzio Arrivabene, until now a branding executive for Philip Morris.

Not only that, it seems that at some point after the chequered flag waved in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, Alonso symbolically 'unfollowed' the Ferrari team on Twitter.

Meanwhile, although he was photographed in plain clothes in the Ferrari garage on Tuesday, Alonso's successor Sebastian Vettel was reportedly unhappy with the Italian team on his first day of work at the Abu Dhabi test.

That is because when asked by Germany's Sport Bild what he thought of Mattiacci's departure, Vettel appeared to have not been told the news first-hand.

"Is it true?" he asked the correspondent.

The report said Vettel reacted by telling Ferrari he was disappointed to have not been informed about the major shakeup.

F1 Mauruzio Arrivabene Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen Abu Dhabi
Mauruzio Arrivabene and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

Finally, when asked by Brazil's Globo if he will be accompanying Alonso from Ferrari to McLaren next year, the Spanish driver's race engineer Andrea Stella answered clearly: "Yes."

Former F1 driver David Coulthard admits he has some concerns about Ferrari's 2015 driver lineup, despite Vettel and Raikkonen's combined five career titles.

"Kimi Raikkonen's return to Ferrari was the worst season for one of their drivers since 1982," he told the Telegraph, adding that Vettel also "looked a shadow of himself" in 2014.

"The German did not like the new formula, he did not like the engines," Coulthard explained. "That is fair enough, but his mantra seemed to affect his ability to perform."


Nov
25th

Chrysler pressed by NHTSA to move faster on Takata airbag recall

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U.S. regulators told Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to speed up its recall of airbags with faulty inflators linked to at least five deaths. NHTSA said in a letter Tuesday to the company that it should begin its recall of cars with Takata airbags Dec.
Nov
25th

U.S. auto loan originations at highest level in 9 years, N.Y. Fed says

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Americans took out the most auto loans in nine years during the third quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's quarterly Household Debt and Credit Report.
Nov
25th

Discounts, falling gas prices driving Nov. sales higher

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The U.S. auto industry may post its highest November sales volume since 2001, and one forecaster says light-vehicle transaction prices are on pace to reach the highest level ever for a second consecutive month.
Nov
25th

Land Rover blasts Evoque look-alike from China

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Land Rover plans to complain to Chinese officials about a close copy of its Evoque SUV that broke cover at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China late last week.
Nov
25th

Canada helped bail out GM, Chrysler with incomplete information, auditor finds

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Canada had limited information about the restructuring plans of GM and Chrysler Group when the government approved a $12.1 billion bailout for the automakers in 2009, federal auditors said.
Nov
25th

Scion nixes convertible, turbocharged FR-S

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Toyota says there will be no convertible version of the Scion FR-S sports car and -- in a blow to power-seeking enthusiasts everywhere -- no turbocharged engine.
Nov
25th

NHTSA closes probes into 600,000 Ford, GM vehicles

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Safety regulators have closed investigations into about 500,000 Ford Motor and about 100,000 General Motors vehicles without calling for recalls, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today.
Nov
25th

100,000 Mazda6 sedans recalled for tire-monitoring systems

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Mazda is recalling about 100,000 of its Mazda6 sedans from the 2014 and 2015 model years because the tire monitoring system may not alert drivers to low tire pressure, U.S. regulators said today.
Nov
25th

SsangYong Tivoli set for 2015 launch

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SsangYong Tivoli front
News 25 Nov, 2014

A new crossover called the SsangYong Tivoli is on the way, expected to rival the Nissan Juke at about £13,000

Nov
25th

US: Honda failed to report 1,700 accidents in 11 years

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Honda has admitted that it failed to report 1,729 accidents involving death and injury in its vehicles to US safety regulators since 2003 blaming errors in data entry and an "overly narrow interpretation" of its legal reporting requirements.
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