Auto News 5

It's still 2014, but not for much longer. In the global automotive business, plenty happened in 2014. Seasoned observer Dave Leggett offers a personal take on some of the year's most significant developments. This instalment considers major markets, corporate developments and people.

The insurance industry's list of cars and trucks that do the best job of keeping owners alive in a crash jumped 82 percent this year against a backdrop of US recalls of older models that were killing their passengers.

BMW has expanded a US regional recall for some vehicles with Taka driver's side air bag inflators to cover the entire country, after other automakers took similar steps.

New vehicle sales in Malaysia increased by 5.9% to 55,313 units in November, from 52,252 units in the same month last year, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

News 23 Dec, 2014

Government announces six-year road investment plan to fix potholes, junctions, bridges and street lighting

Well, here we are again. It's that time of the year when many of us check out of our offices for a long festive break that takes in the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The UK could once again have a major auto show after organizers announced dates for an event in 2016. BNC Special Events plan to stage an event for car enthusiasts in London.

Nissan expects to increase European sales of the Leaf electric car by "double-digit" percentage points in 2015 following record sales this year.

Seven new videos make their debut on our Viral Video list this week, but the No. 3 video of the week -- a new entrant from Ford -- doesn't feature a vehicle at all.

Automakers' growing use of aluminum body parts to save weight and fuel could create an opportunity for dealership FandI departments to sell more paintless dent removal policies, some FandI experts say.

It appears America's Haas F1 Team has decided to set up a base in Europe.

Not long ago, Gene Haas was saying he wanted his new F1 team to operate from the United States. But the American team just purchased Marussia's factory in Branbuy, UK, according to Racecar Engineering.

It is also understood that data regarding the 2015 Marussia car, which will never race, was included in the transaction.

The new outfit had been keeping an eye on the recent auction, where many tools and other equipment was sold to pay off Marussia's debt. Although the factory was not sold through the auction.

Haas F1 Team, which is set to race for the first time in 2016, already had its own factory, in North Carolina.

From press release

Young Dutch racing driver Beitske Visser announced a new deal today, that will see her racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series again in 2015, with AVF.

Last year, in her debut season with Adrian Valles' team, she scored points on two occasions to finish 21^st in the standings.

"I can't wait to go back in the car and start preparing for the next World Series Renault 3.5," said the 19-year-old woman.

Beitske Visser signed a deal extension with Adrian Valles (Photo: beitskevisser.com)

"So far it's been a great challenge, with some up-and-downs and experiences, but thanks to the great job done by my engineer and by all the AVF personnel I made constant steps that enabled me to get closer and closer to the front end of the charts."

"We are happy to continue the work stared this year with Beitske in 2015," added Valles.

"She joined us after running with the small Formula ADAC Masters cars and she did a great job, growing up consistently and demonstrating that she can be a top-10 runner."

Robert Kubica announced today that he was definitely returning to the WRC in 2015.

The Pole committed himself to another full season, aboard a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, co-driven by Maciek Szczepaniak and sponsored by LOTOS.

The identity of Kubica's team, however, will only by confirmed later.

The former F1 driver, who considered returning to circuit racing, says he decided to stay in rally, because that's where he could find the biggest challenge.

"After analysing the situation I decided to continue in WRC, where the challenge for me is still the biggest," Kubica is quoted as saying by WRC.com. 


"It took me a long time to make this decision, but there was no pressure at all. I wanted to be sure about it and I did not want to rush. There will be some more new things to come, but I will announce them later."

Robert Kubica is dedicated to his rally career (Photo: WRI2)

From GMM

Ferrari has admitted it is entering the 2015 season on the back foot.

The fabled Italian team has swept clean the figureheads of Ferrari's disastrous start to the turbo V6 era, having pushed hard for the rule change but ending 2014 without a single win.

Facing reporters on Monday, new bosses Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene admitted that reacting to Ferrari's problems has even delayed the 2015 car.

Marchionne said key "mistakes" were made in 2014, and one of them may have been appointing the inexperienced Marco Mattiacci as axed Stefano Domenicali's successor.

"I have enormous respect for what he has done for the company in the commercial area," the new Ferrari president said, "but F1 is something else.

"He was still learning the job but in the situation Ferrari was in, we could not rebuild the team waiting for the boss to gain experience," Marchionne added.

On the personnel front, the shakeup has been revolutionary. Ferrari confirmed on Monday that the latest arrival is an engineer who in 2014 helped Lewis Hamilton win the world championship - Jock Clear.

The team is now negotiating with Mercedes for an early end to the Brackley veteran's 'gardening leave' so that he can take over from the departed Pat Fry soon.

Ferrari did not win a single race in 2014. So expectations are low ahead of 2015 (Photo: WRI2)

Mattiaci's successor Arrivabene, meanwhile, denied speculation Bob Bell, Adrian Newey or Ross Brawn will be the next high-profile arrivals at Maranello.

"The team is there," he insisted. "There is no great news to be announced, no surprises. We have to believe in the people we have."

But president Marchionne said that while the radical shakeup was taking place, the nuts and bolts of the design of the 2015 car were put behind schedule.

"Unfortunately," he said, "god does not build racing cars."

He said "mistakes" were made in the basic foundations of the 2015 project, which is now essentially set as the car has passed all of the mandatory FIA crash tests.

"The previous team leadership made strategic decisions that I disagreed with," Marchionne is quoted by Italian publications.

"Decisions relating to the car of 2014 and the preparation for 2015. For me, considering how we finished, how much we spent and where we are, in short, it was a mistake.

"That is why we are now coming from behind because of choices made by other people. 2015 will be a difficult year that will put a strain on the whole team," La Repubblica quoted him as saying.

So for Sebastian Vettel's first season in red, expectations have been set historically low for F1's most famous and arguably best-resourced team.

"If we win two races, it would be a success," said Arrivabene. "Three is a triumph."

And Marchionne quipped: "Four, we are in paradise."

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen will need to prove in 2015 that he deserves another year at Ferrari.

That is the warning of new Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, following recent reports that the Finnish driver wants to stay at Maranello not only next year but perhaps also in 2016.

35-year-old Raikkonen, however, struggled notably on his return to the Maranello team from Lotus this season, with a points haul one third the size of Fernando Alonso's and not a single podium appearance.

"Last season was difficult for Kimi," Arrivabene is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, "but that does not mean that he has lost his speed.

Ferrari still believes in Raikkonen (Photo: WRI2)

"He is a former world champion, and more importantly he won the title driving a Ferrari.

"I want to emphasise that next season Kimi needs the time to show that he is capable, and after that it will be possible to make a decision about the future."

Raikkonen's teammate in 2015 will be his friend Sebastian Vettel, F1's quadruple consecutive world champion for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.

"For sure," Arrivabene insisted, "drivers are not a problem for us."

From GMM

Ferrari has changed its tune over the issue of track testing in formula one.

Historically, since the sport drastically cut down on the allowed amount of private and official testing on cost grounds, Ferrari has argued stridently against the new era.

But Maranello is now run by a new president, Fiat-Chrysler's Sergio Marchionne, alongside the former Marlboro executive and new team boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

On Monday as they sat with reporters, it became clear Ferrari's stance about testing has dramatically changed.

Fiorano, Ferrari's private test track (Photo: WRI2)

"We have talked about it," Marchionne said, "but the tests on the track will not be reintroduced."

Ferrari's new stance might be related to vast investments the team has made since the dawning of the 'no testing' era, for example in the realm of state-of-the-art simulators.

And an all-new facility at Maranello will be opened in mid-January, Germany's Sport Bild revealed.

But Marchionne explained: "The costs associated with this (allowing more free testing) would be detrimental to the already stretched budgets of more than one team.

"Having this kind of activity would only increase the scope of what is already a very serious situation for a number of teams," he added, "in what is a less than encouraging global situation."

From GMM

Ferrari has denied blocking the appointment of former long-time president Luca di Montezemolo to be the new chairman of the F1 Group.

With current chairman Peter Brabeck reportedly wanting to step down for health reasons, it was claimed Ferrari's recently-ousted Montezemolo was the favourite for the role along with former Diageo chief Paul Walsh.

But international reports have suggested that Montezemolo, despite now stepping up as a non-executive director on the Formula One Group board, had his potential chairmanship blocked by the 'veto' enjoyed by the new Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne.

But Italian reports quote Marchionne as denying he 'vetoed' Montezemolo's move to the top job.

"In the F1 Group there is only one president, and that is Ecclestone," he said.

"Ferrari can only be opposed to that appointment.

"As for Montezemolo, there was the proposal, but if there was the opposition of Ferrari it would only be for reasons of expediency with our competitors, as he led Ferrari for 23 years," Marchionne explained.

"It was about fair play. It was like if suddenly I went to be the president of Volkswagen," he explained.

Marchionne says he did not approve Montezemolo becoming chairman of the F1 Group. But he did not block it (Photo: WRI2)

"I would also have opposed the appointment of Jean Todt to the FIA for the same reasons. That choice had no consequences, but that does not mean that it was correct.

"I would have opposed it on principle," Marchionne added.

As for 67-year-old Montezemolo, who was ousted in 2014 and subsequently became the Alitalia chief, Marchionne commented: "He did a great job and I respect him a lot.

"But the world has changed, just as the world will have changed when it is time for me to go."

Marchionne was also asked on Monday about suggestions F1's V6 engine formula could be scrapped altogether for 2016.

"(That is) difficult," he answered, "as it must be decided by March and the costs would be high.

"We will keep these power units, as I think they are called, trying to get more and more power from them."

From GMM

The future of the historic grand prix at fabled Monza has taken a blow this week, according to reports in the Italian press.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone warned earlier this year that the existing Italian grand prix contract, running only until 2016, is a commercial "disaster".

And now, more bad news for Monza has emerged from the government, Italian newspapers including La Stampa reveal.

It is about the so-called 'legge di stabilita', or stability law, in which a decision of the senate has made the collapse of the Italian grand prix beyond 2016 reportedly more likely.

Reports said an amendment of the law allowing a tax exemption to the tune of about EUR 20 million has been ruled out.

Politician Fabrizio Sala is quoted as saying: "The stability law penalises Monza and its Autodrome, putting at risk the future of the formula one grand prix".

But former F1 driver Ivan Capelli, who this year became a director of the automobile club of Milan, vowed to fight for the Italian grand prix.

"Our commitment to find the resources needed is clear," he insisted.

BMW AG today expanded its recall nationally to include another 140,000 vehicles that have potentially faulty driver-side airbags, in cooperation with NHTSA.

Several automakers, led by Chrysler, will be working overtime during the Christmas and New Year's holiday period at North American plants that build SUVs, crossovers and pickups, signaling confidence that the U.S.