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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.

From GMM

Fernando Alonso shelved his plans for a professional cycling team amid the turmoil of his switch from Ferrari to McLaren.

That is the claim of Paolo Bettini, a former cyclist who left his job as head coach of Italy's national team in order to help Alonso set up a team for cycling's top World Tour.

But during the course of last year, it became clear Alonso's plans were fading and eventually the Spaniard met with Bettini to apologise.

"We sat down in December," Bettini told the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It was a frank meeting, we looked each other in the eye and he apologised."

That is because Bettini, currently without a job, gambled everything on Alonso's dream, which for now has been put on the shelf.

"If he needs help again and calls me then we can see if I'm still free and if we can find the right agreement. Would I be wary? Inevitably, yes," he admitted.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Paolo Bettini said the main problem for Alonso's cycling plans was the timing, as turmoil began to build at Ferrari last year and his negotiations for a return to McLaren intensified.

"It all started in the wrong year for Fernando," he explained.

"His job is a formula one driver, so then the changes in Ferrari that everyone is now aware of began and he began to try to change teams.

"It was a crucial year for his career and he had to focus on that," Bettini said. "There was no room for another challenging project, fascinating as it was."

He said he has no intention of suing Alonso, even though his two-year contract to be the new cycling team's director was technically breached.

"There is no legal aftermath," said Bettini. "We are on stand-by. Fernando sees this team for the future.

"I know that may not seem credible, because there was also the attempt to buy Euskaltel, but we have talked so many times and I assure you that he is competent and passionate.

"He is also proud and does not want the story to end this way."

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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."

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

F1's governing body has suggested its tough new criteria for the awarding of super licences in 2016 may actually be flexible.

The FIA clamped down on the 2016 qualifying criteria for obtaining F1's mandatory credential due to the controversial debut this year of 17-year-old Max Verstappen.

But when the strict new criteria was outlined recently, it became clear that champions like Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen would not have been granted their grand prix debuts due to a lack of experience.

A driver like Williams tester Susie Wolff would also be excluded, and even the great Michael Schumacher's 2010 return for Mercedes would have been thwarted due to his lack of F1 experience in the three previous years.

But according to a report in Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, the FIA has now "admitted that despite the more stringent rules, possible exceptions will be granted".

The Paris federation reportedly singled out Schumacher's return as one obvious exception that would be theoretically presented to the World Motor Sport Council for "consideration" under the new rules.

Formula Renault 3.5 (Photo: WRI2)

It is believed Renault has also complained to the FIA that its top open-wheeler category, Formula Renault 3.5, has not been granted the status it deserves under the 2016 F1 super licence points system.

So, too, has the European open-wheeler series Auto GP, according to Russia's Championat.

"We deserve to be there," promoter Enzo Coloni is quoted as saying.

"We have powerful cars, similar to the Renault world series, so it would be fair to include us in the super licence points system.

"We have requested a clarification of the situation," he added, "with the support of the Italian federation of motor racing."