Auto News 5

The flow of retired rental vehicles that General Motors normally sells at auction to its dealers has slowed to a trickle since mid-November, dealers say.

The talk in remarketing circles has been about how the rising tide of off-lease vehicles will push used-car prices down. But more retired rental units are destined to hit the market next year, too.

Subtle design elements of the Corvette will be recognizable in many of Chevrolet's upcoming cars

But even before the new Ford F-150s arrive in showrooms in large numbers, some dealerships can give shoppers a good look at the redesigned pickup truck with video kiosks.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda's push for more arresting design played a key role in an uncharacteristic move last year.

Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing chief Ola Kaellenius is emerging as a formidable candidate to replace Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.

Determined not to let hard-won market share gains slip away, Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski is redirecting marketing dollars and asking for a bigger budget from his bosses in Korea.

Harald Krueger, the 49-year-old tapped last week to become BMW's next CEO, has some work ahead to maintain the German automaker's competitive edge. Among the challenges: strengthening core products to combat much-improved rivals.

Many automakers plan to unveil their latest and greatest connected car technology in January at the International CES in Las Vegas and at the Detroit auto show. Here are five questions that could get some added clarity in 2015.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has ruled out the broadcasting of grands prix on the internet.

The F1 chief executive, however, has acknowledged that despite his disparagement of things like social media, the sport must develop in this area.

Forbes reports that plans are afoot for an enhanced digital media department for F1, with more staff to develop a better website, app and Twitter experience, and eventually Facebook page.

But F1 business journalist Christian Sylt says F1 "will never upload race footage to Youtube as it could cannibalise its television rights deals".

Asked if F1's Youtube channel will have any actual track footage of the cars, 84-year-old Ecclestone answered simply: "No."

Marissa Pace, who is Ecclestone's digital media manager, said the only video content will be "behind the scenes stuff" like interviews.

Bernie Ecclestone explained: "When you (reporters) interview somebody we should really film that and put it up on Youtube because that's something that doesn't hurt anybody and it's good and interesting because it's instant."

The Briton's views on social media are different to those of Donald Mackenzie, the man in charge of F1's majority shareholder CVC.

That probably explains the new approach, even though Ecclestone said he will review the changes in a year and gauge whether it has made more people watch F1 races on television.

"It is all about promoting the TV," confirmed Marissa Pace. "Our intention is not to move viewers away from the TV, it is definitely to keep viewers on the TV but to supplement that experience and make it more exciting and getting people in the grandstands."

From GMM

Jean Todt says Max Verstappen is "too young" for Formula 1.

At the most recent meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, the FIA agreed to impose a new minimum of 18 years as well as other criteria for drivers applying for a F1 super license.

The measure was apparently a reaction to the controversial debut of Max Verstappen, who at just 17 has leapt from karting to a Toro Rosso race deal in the space of a year.

FIA president Todt told the Italian broadcaster Rai: "Personally, I do think he is too young.

"A few days ago at the World Council in Qatar, we changed the criteria for the super license," he explained. "Starting from 2016, a driver will not be able to get it before he is able to operate a car on public roads.

"I think this is a logical solution," Jean Todt added.

Max Verstappen working with Toro Rosso. (Photo: Toro Rosso)

The cooperation between the Dutch race driver Robin Frijns and the Caterham Formula 1 team ends today, Monday, December 15, 2014, says his manager, Timo Gans.

“The contract between the 23-year-old Dutch race driver Robin Frijns and 1Malaysia Racing Team (1MRT), the company holding the race licence of Caterham F1 Team, expires today (15 December 2014). Frijns was part of the team during the 2014 Formula One campaign as their Test and Reserve Driver,” reads the press release.

“I'd like to say thank you and goodbye to all the people at Caterham F1 Team, whom I have worked with over the past twelve months,” said Robin Frijns.

“I keep my fingers crossed that there will be a future for the team in Formula One in 2015 and beyond. Especially I'd like to thank former team principal Cyril Abiteboul whom I consider to be mainly responsible for giving me the chance to become a part of the team.”

“Our partnership with Caterham expires today, since the team obviously hasn't exercised their option to extend the contract,” Timo Gans and Thilo Damm, managers of Robin Frijns declared.

“We cannot deny that the year has developed in a disappointing way after all, but we now have to focus on creating a better situation for next year. However, no decision about Robin's future has been made yet.”

From GMM

Fernando Alonso says he will not be following Nico Hulkenberg's lead by splitting his F1 duties with Le Mans next year.

There has been speculation the Spaniard could join Force India driver Hulkenberg at Le Mans in the third Porsche prototype entry.

But having signed a reportedly $50 million per year deal to spearhead McLaren's new works Honda project from 2015, Alonso was quoted by Marca newspaper as saying he will focus entirely on formula one for now.

"I would not feel comfortable if I was not devoting 100 per cent to McLaren throughout the year," Fernando Alonso said.

"There is a lot of work to do here," he added. "It (Le Mans) is a race that I love and I am sure I will have opportunities when I am finished with F1, but this year, with all that there is to do, it is not possible."

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

From GMM

Even Niki Lauda admits he is not sure what is the future of F1's engine regulations.

Bernie Ecclestone revealed last week that he intends to propose during Thursday's Strategy Group meeting that the sport axes the current turbo V6 rules.

He wants screaming V8s or V10s with 1000 horse power to return, and said whether or not the governing FIA agrees with his proposal or not is irrelevant.

"Well we have six (votes) so if we have four teams want to do that, that's ten. There's 18 votes so that's the majority," Ecclestone told Forbes.

Mercedes, so dominant in 2014 at the start of the new turbo era, has warned that if the engine rules are dramatically changed then it would pull out of F1.

V6 turbo hybrid engine. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Ecclestone is quoted by F1 business journalist Christian Sylt: "I think they will do that whenever it suits them anyway because we have noticed in the past the manufacturers do that but I would be surprised if they did."

A separate report in Germany's Auto Motor und Sport surmised that the current regulations are undoubtedly complex, as Renault and Ferrari so badly faltered in 2014.

The rules also limit their scope to quickly catch up, and make the entry of marques like Porsche and Audi unlikely as the development 'freeze' becomes increasingly more restrictive.

Smaller teams, meanwhile, are under increasing cost pressure due to the debut of the expensive technology.

One source said the FIA is even powerless to set a 'fixed price' of a customer V6.

"That would be an intervention in the market," the source is quoted as saying. "If only one manufacturer does not agree, the FIA would have legal trouble."

Ecclestone said: "The trouble is that when this engine was thought up, nobody thought about the side effects."

Lauda, Mercedes' team chairman, admitted he is not sure what is going to happen this Thursday and then beyond 2015.

"Next year, the engine regulations stay the same as they are now," said the Austrian great. "For 2016, I cannot guarantee anything."

From press release

Williams Martini Racing is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Nielsen to the position of Sporting Manager with immediate effect.

In this role Steve will be responsible for the overall management and operation of the Williams Martini Racing race team specifically relating to sporting matters and ensuring the compliance and implementation of these directives within the team. Steve joins Williams from Toro Rosso where he has been Sporting Director since 2013. His previous roles over the course of his 27 years in Formula One include positions as Team Manager at Tyrrell, Honda and Arrows, and Sporting Director at Benetton/Renault and Caterham.

Steve Nielsen. (Photo: WRi2)

Speaking about his appointment Steve Nielsen said: "I'm delighted to be joining a team of Williams' history and stature in what is a very exciting time for everyone at Grove after a very impressive 2014 season. In this role I will be able to help ensure that our operations at the race track are maintaining the highest standards and that we are maximising our performance at the race track from a sporting perspective. Williams' has a very talented team of people and I'm looking forward to working with them."

Pat Symonds, Chief Technical Officer at Williams, added: "Steve brings a wealth of experience of the sporting side of Formula One and will help us as a team as we aim to climb further up the Championship table. He has won World Championships in the past and knows what needs to be done on a sporting level for Williams to do this again. We have a talented and ever improving race team and with Steve on board we are well placed to make further operational gains next season."

From GMM

Jean Todt has urged Ferrari to resist making revolutionary changes after faltering at the start of the new V6 era.

Before becoming FIA president, Frenchman Todt presided over Ferrari's ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era, culminating in the most recent drivers' title earned by Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

In 2014, the Maranello marque has appeared in crisis as Stefano Domenicali, Luca di Montezemolo, Marco Mattiacci, Fernando Alonso and others all left.

Jean Todt, however, told the Italian broadcaster Rai that while Ferrari needed a refresh, the team should do so "without a revolution".

Jean Todt at Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

"Ferrari is not sick," he insisted. "That is a little too exaggerated. We all know the great charm of Ferrari in the world but even more so in Italy, where it is a very emotional issue.

"This fascination sometimes means Ferrari makes decisions faster than some other teams.

"You could say that Ferrari is like someone who is a bit tired and needs to go to the doctor," he said.

"The situation needs to be analysed in detail and make its plan for improving, but without a revolution. Winning is part of the history of Ferrari, but you cannot always win. I remember when we started winning, many began to say they were tired of winning because you knew the result before the race.

"The truth is that satisfaction does not exist in either situation."

Jean Todt, 68, hailed Ferrari's new team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, and also 2015 driver Sebastian Vettel, who he described as "one of the best".

Finally, he mentioned his great friend Schumacher, whom he visits at his home in Switzerland "at least once a week".

"It's true, it's been a year (since the accident), but he is young and has plenty of time to recover," said Jean Todt.

From GMM

Ron Dennis has dismissed reports Fernando Alonso has built 'exit clauses' into his new McLaren-Honda contract.

It is claimed the Spaniard might want to leave Woking at the end of next year, should the 2015 car not be up to scratch, or if a seat at dominant Mercedes becomes available.

But McLaren supremo Dennis was quoted by Spain's El Mundo Deportivo as saying Alonso has a clear "three-year contract".

"There is no exit clause, or any other inventions of the media that were published in the past days," he said.

McLaren and Alonso have, however, worked together before, when their marriage famously broke down amid the Lewis Hamilton pairing and the 'spygate' scandal of 2007.

The McLaren-Honda team for 2015. (Photo: McLaren F1 Team)

Jacques Villeneuve, a former world champion, predicts that more trouble could be on the horizon.

"If things go well, it will be fantastic," the 1997 title winner is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "But if things go wrong, the mess will begin after six months."

Jacques Villeneuve claims it is due simply to the nature of Alonso's personality, but a friend of the Spaniard's, former F1 driver Robert Kubica, does not agree.

"I am a friend of Alonso. and I do not think he has a bad temper," the Pole confirmed to F1 insider Leo Turrini's Quotidiano blog.

"I am sure that in the years he spent at Ferrari he gave the best of himself to hit the targets he set. Now a new great challenge begins for him. If he can bring McLaren back to the top, I think it would be the most beautiful achievement of his career," Kubica added.

Even Fernando Alonso insisted he is not regarding McLaren as a one-year project, admitting it may take longer for McLaren-Honda to reach its goals.

"This first season will be learning," he is quoted by EFE news agency, "as we have not seen a super-competitive McLaren in the last two or three years. We hope to have a good winter and then I will be happy if we can start to be competitive, we learn things, we go on the podium and win some races."

From press release

Tequila Patron ESM attacked the 2015 sports car racing season today by running the all-new Honda Performance Development ARX-04b Honda prototype coupe for the first time.

Tequila Patrón ESM principal Scott Sharp was first inside the enclosed-cockpit racing machine.

The team received the first of two Honda-powered ARX-04b prototype coupes earlier this month.

In November, Tequila Patron announced its intention to run two full-season entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) next season.

The team will also race in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

For the 2015 season, the driver line-up includes the two-car teams of Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel and David Heinemeier Hansson; and Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and Jon Fogarty.

HPD ARX-04b Honda (Photo: Tequila Patron)

From GMM

Robert Kubica has suggested he is close to abandoning the idea of ever returning to Formula 1.

Amid the Polish driver's burgeoning F1 career in early 2011, he almost severed his arm in a pre-season rally crash.

Now 30, he has returned to professional duties as a world rally driver but until now has never ruled out one day re-joining the F1 circus.

He told the Ferrari insider Leo Turrini's Quotidiano blog: "I do not miss the atmosphere of formula one, but I do miss driving the cars.

"That was the dream of my life. I was born to race on the track and I managed to do it. And then something happened.

"Physically, I can still drive the cars. Last year I participated in some (simulator) tests, and while I cannot say the results were negative, I can't say I achieved the same results as I did in the past.

"As a result, there is no sense to start all over again, so I have focused on the rally."

Robert Kubica, Ford Fiesta RS WRC. (Photo: WRi2)

Meanwhile, Robert Kubica said he has great admiration for the feats this year of F1's new double world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

"The guy who impressed me the most even when we were kids was Hamilton," said the Pole. "He deserves enormous satisfaction for what he has done in 2014."

From Ferrari

Ferrari announces that, as from next season, Mexican Esteban Gutierrez will become part of the Scuderia workforce.

After two years competing in Formula 1 at the wheel of the Ferrari-powered Sauber, Gutierrez has now been chosen for the job of test and reserve driver, a role in which his experience will be put to good use in the area of car development.

Esteban Gutierrez. (Photo: Ferrari)

“While confirming our full confidence in a formidable race driver pairing, made up of four times World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, a past champion with Ferrari, I am pleased to welcome Esteban Gutierrez,” commented the Scuderia's Director General and Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars. I am sure that, with his experience, he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator. Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers.”

“It is an honour to become part of the Scuderia Ferrari family, a Team with such an exceptional history,” commented Esteban Gutierrez.

“It is for me the beginning of a new path for my future and I'm going to do my utmost to contribute to the achievement of the targets set by the Scuderia. I want to thank everybody for their belief in my potential; this will bring a great opportunity for me to develop further and get to the top in the near future. With all my passion and dedication, I'm now looking forward to the start of this new venture.”