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From GMM

Pat Fry is the next major Ferrari name set to depart.

Amid a tumultuous time for the fabled Maranello marque, 2014 has already seen a host of major names including Stefano Domenicali, Luca Marmorini, Luca di Montezemolo, Marco Mattiacci, Fernando Alonso and Andrea Stella all leave.

Reports suggest that as Ferrari faltered so badly at the start of the new turbo V6 era, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis has become the next major scalp.

And Italian reports now suggest that, ahead of former Mercedes chief Bob Bell's apparent arrival, the highly-rated British engineer Pat Fry is also leaving.

Pat Fry and Nikolas Tombazis, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

The reports, also mentioned by Spain's El Mundo Deportivo, said that while the Greek Tombazis and former McLaren engineer Fry have not yet been officially ousted, they have been sent "on vacation".

"As this is the critical period in the development of the car for next season," the report surmised, "there is no doubt they will be made redundant".

Alongside the leader of the 2015 car project, James Allison, it means the leading technical protagonists at Ferrari in 2015 will be Bell and the newly-promoted Simone Resta.

From GMM

Once a race winner and title contender, Heinz-Harald Frentzen today drives a hearse and is recovering from knee surgery.

Driving a Jordan, the German was a standout of the 1999 season, winning races against the odds and remaining a championship dark horse until the final stages.

Now 47, the former Williams driver Frentzen has most recently been racing a Mercedes in Germany's GT Masters series.

But Kolner Express newspaper reports that he might be forced to sit out the 2015 season as he is recovering from a serious knee operation.

The publication said the long-term injury dates all the way back to 1999, when he crashed his Jordan at high speed in Canada.

"My knee is still swollen and tender and I have to be careful," said Frentzen. "It's my braking leg and in GT Masters you need to brake very hard."

Heinz-Harald Frentzen. (Photo: WRi2)

While he recovers, it is reported that Frentzen has returned to his native Moenchengladbach to help with the running of the family business -- a funeral home.

"It's true," he confirmed. "Even in my formula one career from time to time I helped my father with the business and now I'm helping my sister Nadine-Nicole."

Their father, Harald, died in 2014.

Express said one of Frentzen's new roles is to drive the hearse -- a converted E-Class Mercedes.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen said: "I'm actually retired and at the moment I don't mind not racing in 2015. But one should never say never."

From GMM

The new team boss, is the former Marlboro branding executive Maurizio Arrivabene, who this week has given one of his first interviews to the Ferrari media insider Leo Turrini.

He told Turrini's Quotidiano blog: "When people ask me when things will change on the track, I reply that I do not have a magic wand.

"In 2015 it would be enough to win a couple of races -- one with Vettel, one with Raikkonen.

"Seb is beginning to understand what Ferrari is. Kimi knows already and, incidentally, Kimi has the advantage of being a normal guy in a world - formula one - where many, but fortunately not Vettel, are quick to lose touch with reality," Arrivabene added.

"None of us are here to regret the past. We are all here to build the future. I have no doubts about our president (Sergio) Marchionne's dedication to our battle. You'll see with time the concerns of those who do not know him will vanish," he predicted.

Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. (Photo: WRi2)

Maurizio Arrivabene also spoke more broadly about the state of today's F1, saying: "At the political level, Ferrari asks not what is right for our company, but what is right for anyone who loves the sport.

"Whoever runs the racing world has to realise there is an audience to regain. I'm not interested in speeches about Rolex, I want a formula one that is as popular as the Olympics and the World Cup.

"It once was so, and we have to go back to those levels," he insisted.

From GMM

F1's youngest ever driver Max Verstappen is expecting controversy about his age and experience to continue for now.

At just over 17 years of age, the young Dutchman raised eyebrows when backer Red Bull announced that after just a single year of single-seater racing, he would debut for Toro Rosso in 2015.

Less than a year out of karts, Verstappen already made history in 2014 when he began to appear in Friday morning practice sessions, smashing the former record held by Sebastian Vettel who began practicing for BMW in 2007 at the age of 19.

The controversy about Verstappen's age and inexperience even elicited a response from the governing FIA, who now intend to set a minimum age of 18 for new drivers from 2016 and a range of other tougher qualifying conditions for a super license.

Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, Japan. (Photo: WRi2)

Speaking to Italy's Autosprint, even Verstappen himself admitted he was surprised by just how quickly he graduated from karts in 2013 to the F1 paddock less than a year later.

"Last winter, the plan was to stay for two years in Formula 3 and then decide what to do" he admitted.

"Then I started getting very good results immediately and from there many things happened very quickly," said Max Verstappen. "I definitely didn't expect it to happen as it did. At first I wondered if I have what it takes to do it. I analysed it and realised that I did."

Nevertheless, he says he understands the controversy surrounding his meteoric rise and expects it to continue for some time yet.

"Honestly I don't have any problem with what has been said," Verstappen explained, "and those sorts of things will probably continue for a while still.

"So far I've had the chance to get on track in formula one for three free practice sessions and I have not got involved in accidents, unlike some other drivers," he added.

"I'm adapting gradually, without rushing, but the laptimes I have done have already been positive," said Max Verstappen.

From press release

kartSTART presented by Toyota is celebrating its fifth year in 2015, and to kick off the holiday season, they have a great Christmas special!

Give children (ages 10 and up) the gift of driving. For a limited time, order Christmas vouchers for a kartSTART day in 2015.

kartSTART presented by Toyota is a unique family driving education program that is designed to give teenagers and their families a true - real-world - understanding of the physics behind driving a motorized vehicle.

The 2015 kartSTART schedule includes sessions in: Chilliwack BC, Edmonton AB, Saskatoon SK, London (Delaware) ON, Toronto (Innisfil) ON, Montreal (St. Eustache) QC, and Moncton NB.

Watch for dates to be announced in the new year!

When you purchase a voucher, let them know what session (city) you prefer so you can get priority booking for that venue. Plus, they're getting into the Christmas spirit by saving you $20 on each voucher purchased (regular price $79, now only $59).

Call 647-401-5153 or email sales@kartstart.ca to order your vouchers today.

Adapted from IndyCar.com

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams has confirmed it will run Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar series.

Brazilian Tony Kanaan, who closed his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams with a victory in the 2014 season finale at Auto Club Speedway, will return to the No. 10 car with NTT DATA as the primary sponsor.

NTT DATA, with its U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas, began its relationship in 2013 and played a role as an associate sponsor until it decided to jump in as title sponsor of Kanaan's car for 2015.

Earlier this week, it was announced that three-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon would return for his 14th season with the team. The New Zealander will drive the No. 9 Target car.

Dixon, who finished third in the 2014 championship standings, moved into a tie for fifth with Bobby Unser on the all-time Indy car wins list. All but one of his 35 victories have come as a member of Team Target.

From nascar.com

Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch underwent surgery on his left foot on Thursday morning and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2015 NASCAR season in February.

Kyle Busch (Photo: Twitter Kyle Busch)

The scheduled procedure to relieve inflammation was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina, according to a team release from Joe Gibbs Racing.

Busch is coming off a 2014 season when he finished 10th in the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. In 36 Cup starts, he posted one win (Fontana), nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and three Coors Light Pole Awards.

JGR shuffled its crew chief line-up for 2015, pairing Busch up with Adam Stevens, who is making the move up from the Nationwide Series.

Dave Rogers, who was Busch's previous crew chief, will work as Denny Hamlin's crew chief in 2015.

From GMM

Nico Rosberg insists he has already bounced back from the disappointment of not winning the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship.

As his Mercedes team utterly dominated this season, the German fought an intense title battle with teammate Lewis Hamilton until the Abu Dhabi finale two weeks ago.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rosberg told Austria's Sportwoche magazine that, initially gutted; he has now recovered from the defeat.

"The good thing is that sporting success is always short-lived," he said.

Rosberg also said he is confident Briton Hamilton, now a two-time world champion, will not enter the 2015 championship with a decisive upper hand.

"I've won races myself so I know that in sport these moments of happiness do not last," he insisted.

"I'm doing very well again," said Rosberg, referring to his attitude heading out of the 2014 calendar year and into the new opportunity posed by 2015.

"Everyone is happy," he continued. "The whole team is happy because it was a successful year and Lewis deserved to win."

Rosberg also told Auto Bild: "Of course at first I was extremely disappointed and depressed, but that passed relatively quickly in recognition of Lewis.

"He has once again become the worthy world champion," he insisted.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in Abu Dhabi, while Hamilton just became world champion. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

Rosberg, who at times during his battle with Hamilton was booed on the podium in 2014, has been praised by team boss Toto Wolff for the manner in which he handled defeat in and after Abu Dhabi.

"For me, it was more than sportsmanship," Wolff told Germany's Auto Bild.

"I don't believe any other top driver would have behaved as he did and I think that shows his character so well."

Wolff, however, said Rosberg's attitude should not be interpreted as a weakness, as the German driver is in fact "as hard as nails" and "ruthless".

Rosberg prefers to describe it as "positive optimism".

"I think it's important," he said. "A world championship fight is an incredible experience. I have learned a lot and I know what I have to work on.

"It's all about details and now I'm going to put them into play."

McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team has revealed that 2015 drivers, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, are in for ‘the long term'.

At the ages of 34 and 33 respectively, Button and new his teammate, two-time World Champion and former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso will be far the most experienced on the grid next year.

“To sum up, Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 Grands Prix between them - a mighty aggregate - and have won 47 of them,” said Ron Dennis, chairman and chief executive officer, McLaren.

During the press conference held at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, UK Button revealed he has signed a two-year deal.

“We [Button and Alonso] have both agreed that more than one year is a must,” said the Briton.

“This is a new project and an exciting project. To be part of the legendary partnership between McLaren and Honda is not a one-year thing. I'm looking forward to more than one year.”

Fernando Alonso at Woking. (Photo: McLaren F1 Team)

Moments later, Ron Dennis confirmed it.

“Fernando and Jenson have long-term contracts. Since you ask me, Jenson has signed for two years”, Dennis said.

“We signed Fernando a little while ago, but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed Jenson as his teammate,” Ron Dennis continued.

“For many reasons our negotiations with Jenson took quite a long time, but, now that they have been concluded, we are confident that our collaboration with him will continue to thrive in the future every bit as well as it has in the past. Make no mistake about it, Jenson is 100% committed to McLaren-Honda, to Formula 1, and to winning.”

McLaren supremo Ron Dennis said Thursday that Lewis Hamilton played a role in the implosion that shook the team in 2007.

Dennis talked to the medias during a press conference that to announce the team 2015 driver line-up which means a surprising return for Fernando Alonso.

Alonso left the team in spectacular fashion seven years ago after the proud Spaniard went head-to-head with a then rookie Hamilton and the British team became entangled in the famous Coughlan/Stepney spygate scandal.

“If you go back to that period, you look at the chemistry and we had Lewis, a young guy, understandably perceived by many people as the chosen one, but also someone who had immaturity,” Dennis said about Lewis Hamilton.

“If you go on the ‘who struck the first blow' route, actually I would say that Lewis had his role to play in starting this process which escalated.”

Ron Dennis is confident a similar confrontation will not happen again with Alonso and Jenson Button.

“By and large those challenges that you have between drivers - and I had them in previous championships with Alain [Prost] and Ayrton [Senna] several times - we've always managed to be able to diffuse,” Dennis explained.

“But this one got away from me and I look back on my contribution to that with exactly the same emotion that Fernando expressed, which is you regret the mistakes you make in your life and sometimes you can't change what's happened”.

Adapted from GMM

British newspapers say Jenson Button has been selected to be fellow champion Fernando Alonso's Honda-powered McLaren teammate in 2015.

Contrary to earlier speculation that after long deliberations the Woking team's in-house protege Kevin Magnussen would win the day, the news was reported by major publications including the Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail and Express.

The Daily Mail said it had learned of 34-year-old Button's looming new deal from "an impeccably-placed source within McLaren".

The team is expected to announce its 2015 lineup, with Spaniard Alonso returning to the team in perhaps the most lucrative deal in F1 history, during a press conference at its UK headquarters on Thursday morning.

Jenson Button, a veteran of 15 seasons in F1 and previously a works Honda driver until 2008, ultimately "settled for a heavily reduced salary", the Daily Mail added.

McLaren's new lineup has worked together before, when Alonso was Button's test driver at Renault in 2002.

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, Renault, in 2000. (Photo: WRi2)

Press release

McLaren-Honda is delighted to announce its new driver line-up for 2015: Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen will remain an important part of the team, as test and reserve driver.

McLaren-Honda prepares for 2015: laying the foundations for future domination.

Yasuhisa Arai, Jenson Button, Kevin Magnussen, Fernando Alonso and Ron Dennis. (Photo: McLaren)

All three men will play crucial roles in re-establishing the ascendancy of one of global sport's most iconic unions, for McLaren and Honda have already formed one of the most dominant partnerships in motorsport history: Honda broke new ground in the 1980s by creating a turbocharged engine that was unparalleled in both its output and its efficiency, and, between 1988 and 1992, McLaren-Honda won eight world championships and 44 grands prix, and took 53 pole positions and set 30 fastest laps, all in just 80 grands prix.

In 1988, the partnership created arguably the single most successful Formula 1 car of all time: the all-conquering McLaren-Honda MP4/4, which was driven to victory by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in an amazing 15 of the season's 16 grands prix.

The lure presented by those same goals has once again brought the legendary Japanese corporation back to the pinnacle of global motor racing; and, again, that company, Honda, is developing its revolutionary new turbocharged engine at its all-new purpose-built state-of-the-art motorsport facility in Sakura, Japan.

It is against that backdrop that McLaren and Honda are now committing to rebuilding afresh the strongest possible partnership in Formula 1.

The aforementioned Ayrton Senna, in the opinion of many the greatest driver in the history of our sport, won 30 of the 44 grands prix that McLaren and Honda annexed together between 1988 and 1992. Ayrton once said: “We do not need myths. We need examples to be followed - examples of courage, determination and hope. We need to believe it is possible to win, and it is our duty to pursue that belief.”

Everyone at McLaren, and at Honda, agrees with every word of that inspirational remark, starting with our newly re-recruited driver, Fernando Alonso.


Fernando Alonso said: “I have never hidden my deep admiration for Ayrton Senna, my favourite driver, my idol on track, my reference.

“I still remember, as a kid, the posters in my wardrobe, my toy cars in which I dreamed I would one day emulate Ayrton, and the kart that my father built for my older sister, and that I ended up falling in love with. That kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of Formula 1, McLaren-Honda, the car that Ayrton drove, the same partnership to which I am now honoured to join, to take part in the next Formula 1 world championship.

“I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me.

“Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest. But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership - a partnership that dominated the Formula 1 scene for so long.

“McLaren-Honda's repeated and open desire, perseverance and determination in making it possible for me to join their exciting renewed partnership, have been some of the main factors that made me take this decision, not forgetting the most important factor of all: we share a common objective and expectations, and there is a very solid future, with confidence, ahead.

“I have had in-depth discussions with all the senior people at both McLaren and Honda, I have viewed their fantastic facilities in both the UK and Japan, and it is clear to me that, together, McLaren and Honda are in the process of beginning what is sure to be a long and successful partnership. And I intend to give 100% effort to help make it exactly that.

“Finally, I want to thank the persistence of those who have fought so hard for this to come true. I will do everything in my power to deliver for everyone and for our team, based on a formula that has always worked for me: effort, sacrifice, perseverance and faith.

“We have time, we have hopes and we have the necessary resources. Let the legend return: that is our challenge.”


Jenson Button said: “I am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in Formula 1 and my sixth season for McLaren.

“Like Fernando, I am certain that McLaren and Honda will achieve great things together, and I feel sure that, working together, all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team.

“I admired Ayrton Senna enormously, but, for me, it was the exploits of his McLaren-Honda team-mate Alain Prost that inspired me most as a boy. The way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion, and I have tried to emulate his driving style ever since.

“Being a part of new-look McLaren-Honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us, and I am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit. In fact, I am absolutely raring to go.

“I am also very glad that Kevin will remain part of the team. He is a very quick driver and a really nice guy.

“Looking forward, I know the Honda guys well, having driven Formula 1 cars powered by their engines from 2003 to 2008. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for them, and promise to give 100% to make their partnership with McLaren a success.

“Last but far from least, I am very much looking forward to having a driver as fast and as experienced as Fernando as my team-mate. I am sure we will work extremely well together.”


Ron Dennis (Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, McLaren) said: “I am absolutely delighted to be on the threshold of leading McLaren-Honda to a new era of partnership, and I speak on behalf of all at McLaren when I say that. I am equally confident that our colleagues at Honda share that determination and passion to win.

“As regards drivers, McLaren's policy has always been to assemble the strongest line-up possible, and in Fernando and Jenson I firmly believe that is exactly what we have.

“We signed Fernando a little while ago, but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed Jenson as his team-mate. For many reasons our negotiations with Jenson took quite a long time, but, now that they have been concluded, we are confident that our collaboration with him will continue to thrive in the future every bit as well as it has in the past. Make no mistake about it, Jenson is 100% committed to McLaren-Honda, to Formula 1, and to winning.

“As a pair, he and Fernando are supremely experienced. Fernando has started 234 grands prix, has converted 32 of those starts to victories, has stood on a grand prix podium 97 times, and has won the drivers' world championship not once but twice. He is a class act.

“He is 33 - which, for an athlete as physically fit as he is, constitutes a Formula 1 driver's professional prime of life. Moreover, he is old enough to be experienced and expert, yet young enough to be enthusiastic and energetic. I therefore firmly believe he will deploy those four e's - experience, expertise, enthusiasm and energy - to drive forward McLaren-Honda's on-track success next season and for quite a few seasons to come. 

“As for Jenson, at 34, he is every bit as fit as Fernando but even more experienced: he has started 266 grands prix, has won 15 of them, and has stood on a grand prix podium 50 times. He, too, is an ex-world champion, and is one of the smoothest and fastest guys out there.

“To sum up, Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 grands prix between them - a mighty aggregate - and have won 47 of them.

“I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula 1 team.

“Finally, I want to thank and pay tribute to Kevin, who has done a great job this season and will continue to be an integral part of our team. He will be our test, reserve and third driver, and remains an excellent prospect for the future.”


Yasuhisa Arai (Senior Managing Officer, Honda R&D Co Ltd; Chief Officer of Motorsport, Honda) said: “Our partnership with McLaren goes from strength to strength, and I am very excited to welcome as part of our Formula 1 team two great world champions, Fernando and Jenson. Yet the magnitude of the announcement is quickly bringing me back down to earth to focus harder and stronger on the seasons ahead.

“Kevin has shown remarkable growth in the 2014 season, and we are delighted to continue working with him throughout 2015 and beyond; we are certain there is much more to come.

“Honda is dedicated to speeding up the development of the power unit based on the learnings of the recent Abu Dhabi test.

“Working together with these very experienced drivers, we will fine-tune and complete the power units to competitive perfection towards the new season.”

With today's unveiling of next year's McLaren-Honda driver line-up, the 2015 Formula 1 grid is almost complete.

All teams now have their race drivers under contracts.

Two question marks remain with Manor F1 Team (né Marussia) and Caterham (1Malaysia Racing Team). Both teams are in administration and their future is still very unclear.

Here is the state of the F1 starting grid as of today, December 11:

Mercedes
44 Lewis Hamilton (as reigning World Champion, Hamilton can choose No. 1, but he will likely keep No. 44)
6 Nico Rosberg
Reserve driver: Pascal Wehrlein

Red Bull-Renault
3 Daniel Ricciardo
26 Daniil Kvyat

Williams-Mercedes
19 Felipe Massa
77 Valtteri Bottas
Reserve driver: Susie Wolff

Ferrari
5 Sebastian Vettel
7 Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren-Honda
14 Fernando Alonso
22 Jenson Button
Reserve driver: Kevin Magnussen

Sahara Force India-Mercedes
11 Sergio Perez
27 Nico Hulkenberg

Toro Rosso-Renault
38 (?) Max Verstappen
55 Carlos Sainz Jr

Lotus-Mercedes
8 Romain Grosjean
13 Pastor Maldonado

Sauber-Ferrari
9 Marcus Ericsson
40 (?) Felipe Nasr

Manor F1 Team (Marussia)
TBA

Caterham (1Malaysia Racing Team)
TBA

Several automakers were meeting in metro Detroit today to begin an industrywide investigation into the cause and scope of faulty Takata airbag inflators, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans.

Several automakers will meet in metro Detroit Thursday to begin an industrywide investigation into the cause and scope of faulty Takata airbag inflators, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans.

The White House rolled out a new program aimed at getting American consumers to buy tires that will enable cars to get better mileage and take better care of them to cut down on tire-related crashes.

Cars.com cut 32 jobs last week at its Chicago headquarters in a 2.5 percent headcount reduction that comes just months after it was acquired by media giant Gannett.

Porsche sold the last of the limited-edition 918 Spyder supercar, the German company's most expensive model, and Americans snapped up more than anyone else.

The BMW Group vehicles set a sales record last month, delivering 188,342 vehicles, up 7.6% year on year. Year to date sales rose 7.1% to 1,902,699.

New vehicle sales in Vietnam jumped by close to 47% to 13,689 units in November, from 9,295 units a year earlier, according to the Vietnam Automotive Manufacturers Association.