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From GMM

Pascal Wehrlein is a name on the fast-track to formula one.

Driving for Mercedes' premier team in DTM, the 20-year-old last year became the youngest winner in the German touring car series' entire history.

So the German carmaker signed him up in September to be the F1 team's new reserve.

Since then, he has been a regular in the team's Brackley simulator, he set the pace in the title-winning W05 in the post-race Abu Dhabi test, and has been linked with a Friday practice role for 2015.

Wehrlein told Schwabische Zeitung: "I want to be in F1 as soon as possible."

Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

It is rumoured Mercedes could place the youngster in a Friday driving role with a smaller team this year that could lead to his grand prix debut.

Wehrlein admitted: "A team that has nothing to do with Mercedes is not an option.

"So if there is a way to gain experience with a customer team, that's great." Mercedes' 'power unit' customers in 2015 are Williams, Sahara Force India and Lotus.

Also possible is that Wehrlein will split his F1 reserve and testing duties this year with another season in DTM.

"My plan for this year is not yet fixed, as for whether I do a double programme or whether the focus will be on one thing. I wouldn't like it if it was just DTM, but I think it's only a debate as to whether it is a double-programme or if I will just focus on formula one," Pascal Wehrlein added.

Hopes that Marussia could return to the Formula 1 grid in 2015 have been revitalized after the planned auction of the team's remaining properties was unexpectedly cancelled.

Sky Sports F1's sources have discovered that Marussia (Manor) is in serious discussions with a new group of investors about a takeover.

It is understood that it is a different group that the one that wanted to take control of the team prior to last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Sky Sports F1 says that talks continue with an (very) interested party.

“Marussia currently have debts of £60m (US $91m), but if they do continue in existence they are in line for £30 million (US $45m)  of prize money based on their performance last season."

Several Marussia race cars and race-day pit equipment were supposed to be auctioned this week, but the sale was suddenly cancelled without explanations.

Despite the tough times and difficulties, former Marussia F1 Team boss Graeme Lowdon is refusing to give up hope of the team returning for the new season after the FIA provisionally included Manor F1 on the 2015 entry list.

Mercedes AMG's new Formula 1 World Championship car will be unveiled before running stats on the opening day of winter testing in Jerez.

After an intensive winter of development, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team will officially get back to work with the public unveiling of the F1 W06 Hybrid on Sunday February 1st, 2015 at the Circuito de Jerez, Southern Spain.

The next generation of Silver Arrows F1 car will make its first appearance in front of assembled media on the opening day of winter testing, with live coverage brought to the public via the team's social media channels.

Nico Rosberg will then take the wheel for day one of the test, returning to action again on day three. Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton will drive on days two and four. This driver allocation is the reverse of that which was used at the opening test of 2014.

At 2,350kg, it's easily the weightiest variant of the newly facelifted range. Somehow, though, the PHEV Cayenne is Porsche's most officially fuel efficient SUV yet.

SAIC, BYD & GM are the first manufacturers to have announces world premieres for Auto Shanghai 2015.

SAIC and BYD are the first manufacturers to have announces world premieres for Auto Shanghai 2015.

SAIC is the first manufacturer to announce a world premiere for Auto Shanghai 2015. The show's press preview days are 20 & 21 April.

Daimler will extend the contract of the head of its China division Hubertus Troska, according to a newspaper report. Troska is said to be a potential successor to CEO Dieter Zetsche.

With industry light-vehicle sales soaring toward 17 million and transaction prices at record highs, the dealer-factory meetings set for this week in San Francisco threaten to break out into hug fests.

Fresh off launching the NSX sports car, executives at Honda's struggling Acura premium marque are already considering other new entries, such as a coupe and a compact crossover, as part of the brand's quickening revival plan.

Jaguar executives say they hope to gain "relevance" -- and a windfall in sales -- with next year's US launch of the all-new F-Pace crossover and XE compact sedan.

Federal safety regulators are investigating whether Ford went far enough with a recall of Super Duty pickups over complaints that they can stall and leave drivers stranded.

Acura used Sunday's AFC Championship game as a springboard for the refreshed ILX sedan's marketing campaign.

Acura is using Sunday's AFC Championship game as a springboard for the refreshed ILX sedan's marketing campaign.

The National Automobile Dealers Association 2015 convention is shaping up to mirror the industry's frothy sales, which last year hit their highest levels since 2006. NADA expects attendance during the four-day convention that kicks off on Jan.

BMW will get 50 percent more i8 plug-in hybrids -- 1,000-plus cars -- in the US this year than in 2014, but that still won't be enough to fill the order bank.

As brick-and-mortar dealerships evolve, other operational changes might come, too, requiring alterations in franchise laws and automakers' policies, especially in urban areas.

Michelle Christensen, exterior design project leader for the NSX, is the first woman to lead a design team working on a supercar.

From GMM

Ferrari needed a sweeping change after a "disastrous" start to the new turbo V6 era.

That is the view of Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat-Chrysler chief who last year ousted the Maranello marque's long-time president and figurehead Luca di Montezemolo.

"Luca did a great job for 23 years," Marchionne is quoted by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, "but we (Ferrari) had a disastrous season last year and it was time for a change."

Indeed, the team is heading into 2015 in a vastly different state, as Marchionne warns that it may be late in the 20-race season when performance starts to improve.

Rory Byrne has workd with James Allison before (Photo: WRI2)

Nonetheless, new lead racer Sebastian Vettel and simulator driver Jean-Eric Vergne have now started work at Maranello, and more big changes may be just around the corner.

The well-connected Ferrari insider Leo Turrini claims that legendary Ferrari designer Rory Byrne - a mastermind of the Michael Schumacher era - could be set to work closely with technical boss James Allison in 2015.

"It is true that the brilliant South African never completely severed the umbilical cord," he wrote in his Quotidiano blog, "but that he is so close to the side of Allison now is a good sign."

From GMM

Alexander Rossi has admitted he is "really interested" in becoming the first American driver to race a Haas car in formula one.

Although Californian, the 23-year-old has risen through the European racing ranks over the past six years, including in Formula BMW, the Renault world series and finally GP2.

This year, he came tantalisingly close to his elusive F1 race debut, initially with a role at Caterham and then at Marussia where he almost replaced Max Chilton amid the British driver's sponsorship problems.

But he admitted last month that he has now returned to his native US to "concentrate my efforts on Indycar".

Rossi, however, has now told f1web.it: "In fact, I am analysing different options.

If Gene Haas is looking for an American driver, Alexander Rossi could be his guy (Photo: WRI2)

"In the long term I plan to be in formula one, but having worked for two years as a test driver, in 2015 I want to race."

After 2015, then, he said he wants to look again at F1 for 2016.

"As you know, in formula one there is always very few places available, but now even less due to the collapse of the small teams," he said.

Asked specifically about Haas, the new North Carolina entrant for 2016 headed by NASCAR team co-owner Gene Haas, Rossi answered: "I am really interested in the Haas team.

"I have the necessary knowledge, the experience, I understand formula one and I think for the promotion of the series in America they want a driver from the US."