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Federico Gastaldi, deputy team principal of the Lotus Formula 1 Team declared Friday that the British team will likely keep the same driver line-up for 2015.

“Romain [Grosjean] is in pole position for that place and honestly it's a case of us finalizing a few details,” Gastaldi declared in a team press release.

“We expect to have an announcement very shortly. Like the technical package confirmation there has been a lot going on in the offices at Enstone, as well as the pits and paddock. It is all looking very good and exciting for the team going forwards,” he added.

Federico Gastaldi, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2)

Romain Grosjean is quite confident to keep his place despite the lack of an announcement.

“Maybe we think it's fun to keep the media speculating! Honestly, we're very close to having something to announce but there's no pressure on when we say something,” Grosjean said.

Meanwhile, his teammate Pastor Maldonado is equally confident to drive for Lotus nest year as the team switches engine supplier to Mercedes.

“It's no secret that we are all looking to 2015 with a lot of excitement. It will be my second season with Lotus F1 Team and we have worked well together in 2014. There will be a lot of changes to the car and the team is very positive about the potential of next year's chassis. At the end of the season I will get some quality time with my family then I'll return in 2015 fresh for the next challenge,” the Venezuelan declared.

German car manufacturer Audi apparently is ready to cease its endurance and touring cars programs in favour of assault on Formula 1 from 2016.

Several European motorsport publications Friday claim that sources at Audi and its parent company, the Volkswagen Group (VAG), have revealed that Audi is set to abandon both the DTM touring car championship and world endurance racing (including the 24 Hours of Le Mans) in favour of Formula 1.

Insiders say VAG will combine its FIA World Endurance Championship and DTM budgets, plus a Red Bull sponsorship package to try to put together its F1 effort.

Other sources have also confirmed that Audi will bow to internal Volkswagen Group pressure and leave the Le Mans and World Endurance Championship to its sister brand, Porsche, which has entered the series this year with the 919 Hybrid.

It is also strongly suggested that Audi would prefer buying an existing F1 team, rather than building up its own from scratch.

Because Red Bull has long been the major sponsor of Audi's leading team in the DTM, Audi could well buy into Red Bull Racing or Toro Rosso.

On a final note, Audi has recently hired Stefano Domenicali, the man who headed the Scuderia Ferrari for years.

Lotus Formula 1 team confirmed Friday it will evaluate a new nose cone at Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas in a week's time.

This will be for evaluation and aero data logging,” said Lotus F1 Team Technical Director Nick Chester in a team press release.

“It's something we're doing as part of our preparations for the (Mercedes powered] E23 Hybrid, next year's car. It won't be the definite launch E23 nose but it is an E23-style nose that we are putting on an E22 for evaluation.

“We don't expect it to perform as such on the current car as it hasn't been optimised for the E22 but it will still be an interesting comparison,” Chester declared.

The British engineer confirmed that the new nose would be only used during FP1 in Austin.

“Yes indeed, although we are yet to decide which driver will run it,” he said.

Lotus E22-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Caterham F1 Team has been given permission to miss the next two Grands Prix in Austin and Sao Paulo while a buyer is wanted for the financially ill team.

A statement issued on Friday by the administrators has confirmed that Caterham F1 Team will not be in a position to compete in the next two races.

The team hopes that a buyer of "substantial financial means" will be quickly found in order that the team can be back on the grid for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Ordinarily, any F1 team missing a race would be in breach of their contractual obligation to the sport's commercial rights holder.

However, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone explained the circumstances of Caterham's trouble made that impossible and he is supporting the administrators in their efforts to find new finance.

NHTSA botched its effort to inform the public about a potentially lethal airbag defect, directing 8 million consumers to an inoperable website and leaving millions of others unsure as to whether their cars were even at risk.

Toyota has sold some of its shares in Tesla Motors, the Nikkei financial newspaper reported.

Toyota said today it had sold some of its shares in Tesla Motors but that it would continue to study possible cooperation with the California electric car maker in the future.

GM Financial disclosed Thursday it is being investigated by 'state attorneys general and other governmental offices' in connection with subprime auto loans and the sale of subprime auto loans in the form of asset-backed securities.

Toyota's Los Angeles-based U.S. advertising agency is following its longtime client to Dallas in a bid to prolong their nearly 40-year relationship.

AutoNation will become title sponsor of a new college football bowl game that will raise money for breast cancer research.

Edmunds.com has pulled a YouTube ad campaign that spoofed price haggling but that dealers found offensive.

Powertrain component supplier Dana reported net income of $90 million for the third quarter, a 32 percent improvement from the $68 million in the same period a year earlier.

The next-generation Jeep Wrangler will continue to be a body-on-frame vehicle and won't switch to unibody construction, Automotive News has learned.

FCA has added a new model for the Mexican market's 2015 model year: the RAM 700. This small pick-up is a rebadged Fiat Strada Adventure and is imported from Brazil.

Dana has reported third quarter net income up 32% to US$90m, compared to US$68m in the same period last year.

Federal-Mogul has posted a third quarter loss of US$18m based on net sales of US$1.87bn, up 11% on a continuing operations basis.

Valeo has unveiled third quarter sales up 10% to EUR3.07bn (US$3.9bn), with original equipment sales advancing 13%.

Autoliv posted a surprise fall in third quarter earnings and lowered its outlook for 2014 sales growth while saying it has seen positive effects on its business in the wake of recent issues with Japanese parts maker Takata's air bags.

Ping goes the inbox. A welcome new email comes from our colleagues at JATO Dynamics with the latest eight-month YTD European PHEV sales data.

Audi will recall 850,000 A4 models worldwide due to airbag problem that could prevent front airbags from deploying. Audi said its faulty airbags are not made by Takata, which is at the center of a growing number of U.S. airbag recalls.