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Ford is recalling 82,962 vehicles in Canada due to a problem with the restraint system. Affected models include the Ford C-MAX, Escape and Fusion as well as the Lincoln MKZ -- all from the 2013-2014 model years.

In some cases, the sealant applied to the restraint control module could fail, allowing moisture to enter the module circuit board. This could lead to corrosion, which will illuminate the airbag warning light and potentially disable airbags or other safety systems.

Consequently, Ford dealers will replace the restraint control module.

Source: Transport Canada

From GMM

Five days after Jules Bianchi's life-threatening crash at Suzuka, there is "no significant change" in his health condition, father Philippe has revealed.

Bianchi's father was speaking on Thursday to the French daily Nice-Matin, adding that the messages of support from the F1 paddock and around the world have been encouraging to the family.

"It really has been tremendous and something that I could not even imagine, even if I know that Jules is a nice boy," he said.

As for 25-year-old Bianchi's condition, however, Philippe Bianchi admitted that the situation is very serious.

"Professor Saillant and the Italian specialist who came at the request of Ferrari are cooperating fully with the local doctors," said Philippe Bianchi. "So he could not be better cared for. There are no significant changes. Everyone knows that he is in a critical phase. But Jules fights like he has always fought. Just as in the races. He is strong."

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Bianchi's siblings Tom and Melanie have travelled to Japan to be with their brother, as has the Marussia driver's best friend Lorenz.

Philippe Bianchi said he has not seen footage of his son's crash.

"I do not want to see the video," he insisted. "It is difficult to speak of a racing incident. To me, it's more like a traffic accident. Depending on what happens, I will surely have something to say later."

Charlie Whiting's investigation into the circumstances of Sunday's crash is now set to be handed down, and Italy's Autosprint claims video footage and team telemetry will show that Bianchi did not significantly slow despite yellow flags.

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen said: "It's always easy afterwards to say what should have happened.

"It was an unfortunate accident," the Finn told Turun Sanomat newspaper in Russia, "and none of us want to see someone get hurt. I hope Jules gets better."

From GMM

Roberto Merhi and Kamui Kobayashi remain in the dark about how struggling Caterham will tackle the remaining trio of grands prix in 2014.

Spanish rookie Merhi had been tipped for several weeks now to replace Japanese regular Kobayashi, but for the moment he is confined to Friday practice duties.

Kobayashi, on the other hand, is being told race-by-race whether he will be on race duty.

"I called Colin Kolles on Tuesday and he told me to come to Sochi. I immediately packed up and came," he told reporters in Russia.

Kobayashi admits openly he not only has no idea if he will be a Caterham driver in 2015, but also if he will still be in action in Austin in three weeks.

"Hopefully next year it will be different," he laughed.

"I hope to keep a career in formula one," said Kobayashi.

"If I am able to stay in Caterham, I will use the opportunity, but I also need to explore other options. Caterham is going through difficult times; nobody wanted to see the situation evolve like this. Let's see what will change next year," he added.

Photo: Caterham F1 Team

Roberto Merhi, 23, also sounded unsure about the future, despite earlier being seen as the favourite to become a Caterham regular under the new Kolles regime.

"I am doing my third practice session this year here, but I don't know if there is the chance to take part in the races. It's up to the team. We'll see," Merhi said in Russia.

From GMM

Red Bull is now ready to rethink its approach to team orders for the last handful of races in 2014.

As recently as days ago, the reigning champion team had insisted that Daniel Ricciardo, the highest placed non-Mercedes driver in the championship, would nonetheless not be getting preferential treatment alongside Sebastian Vettel.

As ever in F1, however, things have rapidly changed.

On Friday at Suzuka - just one week ago - world champion Vettel stunned his bosses by admitting that he is leaving the team at the end of the season.

Not only that, but at 127 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, the seemingly Ferrari-bound German is now even mathematically out of contention to add a fifth consecutive drivers' title to his crown this year.

Sebastian Vettel leading Daniel Ricciardo in Japan, last week. (Photo: WRi2)

Asked at Sochi if Vettel's situation means the hierarchy at Red Bull will now change, Australian Ricciardo admitted: "It might.

"For this I need to speak to Christian (Horner) and a few of the guys about it, as it was said from the very beginning that until one of the drivers is mathematically out of it we will keep racing -- but now Seb is out of it," he told F1's official website.

"I also said from the beginning that I hope not to rely on his help -- and I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I'd love to be in front and not need help. But if I do, maybe this is a possibility," added Ricciardo.

Sebastian Vettel, however, has ignored team orders before. Last year, the radio message 'Multi-21' was his order to stay behind his then teammate Mark Webber in Malaysia.

He ignored it and won.

But when asked if he expects the departing Vettel to play ball this time, Daniel Ricciardo answered: "Yes. If we are going to apply some team orders I definitely would give him the benefit of the doubt that he would look after me."

From GMM

Sauber could put its so-called 'Russian rescue deal' back on track this weekend.

The struggling Swiss team announced the Russian investments over a year ago, adding that the Russian teen Sergey Sirotkin would be in the cockpit.

The entire deal then went very quiet, but Sirotkin will finally get his first grand prix outing on Friday when, on home turf, he practices in Esteban Gutierrez's car.

"For me it has to be a priority to race in formula one for Sauber in 2015," the Swiss newspaper Blick quotes Sirotkin as saying.

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn, however, is promising nothing, despite rumours she might replace Mexican Gutierrez with Sirotkin next year.

But she warned: "We have several options for how to proceed."

As for the 'Russian rescue deal' that many had speculated had collapsed altogether, Kaltenborn revealed at Sochi: "There will be talks here."

Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber C33-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

The 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar was unveiled Friday at Fuji International Speedway.

The 2015 schedule is a continuation of the previous three seasons, with eight races once again filling the line up of 6 Hour and 24 Hour events, including a new event at the Nürburgring in Germany at the end of August.

The 2015 season will feature a new LMP1 manufacturer entry from Nissan alongside the hybrid prototypes from Audi, Porsche and Toyota.

The official press release indicates that Montreal is still under discussion for an entry in 2017.

2015 FIA World Endurance Championship Provisional Calendar**
27 / 28 March: Prologue Le Castellet, France
12 April: 6 Hours of Silverstone
02 May: 6 Hours of Spa
31 May: Tests Le Mans
13/14 June: 24h du Mans
30 August: 6 Hours of Nurburging
19 September: 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas ( Lone Star le Mans)
11 October: 6 Hours of Fuji
1 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai
21 November: 6 Hours of Bahrain
** Subject to clarification by the FIA World Motor Sport Council

Remember that mysterious photo of a Tesla car partly hiding behind a garage door and Elon Musk's tweet about “it's time to unveil the D” a week ago?

Photo: Tesla Motors

Well, as promised, the CEO put an end to all speculation yesterday at the Hawthorne Airport in California by unveiling the new Model S P85D with all-wheel drive, which can sprint from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.2 seconds.

An additional, front-mounted electric motor makes it all possible while increasing the car's range by about 10 miles (16 kilometres).

Deliveries of the P85D variant will begin as early as December. Tesla also announced the 60D and 85D for February.

“And something else...”
In last week's cryptic tweet, Musk added “and something else.” As we found out, Tesla will offer new advanced safety features including automatic lane changing when the driver activates the turn signals, and speed limit detection with automatic braking.

Photo: Tesla Motors

What can Tesla possibly come up with the next time?


_{Source : USA Today}

Mercedes AMG's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the day, Friday at the all-new Sochi Autodrom as the inaugural Russian Grand Prix got underway.

His teammate, Nico Rosberg emerged fastest of all in the morning session with a time of 1m42.311, to eclipse Hamilton by just 0.065 seconds.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG (Photo: WRI2)

Drivers spent the opening session familiarising themselves with the 5.848km circuit, and many of them got caught running wide in corners and missing their braking points.

Third place went to McLaren's Jenson Button, who was just two tenths of second down on Rosberg, while Fernando Alonso was fourth for Ferrari with a time of 1m42.720. Kevin Magnussen was fifth in the second McLaren car.

Prior to the start of the session Marussia revealed that it would a single car at Sochi, as a mark of respect to Jules Bianchi who was severely injured in Japan.

Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber (Photo: WRI2)

Second free practice session
Hamilton however recovered in the second session, setting the fastest time of the day in 1m39.630. The Briton was the only man to break the 1m40 barrier.

Rookie Kevin Magnussen finished the day with the second-fastest time in his McLaren-Mercedes.

Jules Bianchi's Marrussia, silent in the garage. (Photo: WRI2)

Fernando Alonso finished third in his Ferrari, the Spaniard having run out of sequence relative to most by completing his soft-tire run later in the session.

He was followed by Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas in the Williams-Mercedes and Jenson Button in the second McLaren.

“I took a very creative setup for my car in the second practice session, which didn't work out,” Rosberg admitted.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG (Photo: WRI2)

It was a tough practice session for Red Bull Racing as Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo posted the 9th and 13th fastest times, respectively.

The Australian's RB10 stopped on the race track near the end of the session with smoke coming out of the airbox.

Russian Grand Prix, Soshi Autodrom, Friday, 1st free practice session*:
1 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1m42.311 - 29 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1m42.376 - 25
3 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m42.507 - 28
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m42.720 - 27
5 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m43.026 - 28
6 - Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m43.129 - 26
7 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m43.164 - 29
8 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m43.212 - 23
9 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m43.327 - 24
10 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m43.542 - 9
11 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m43.741 - 22
12 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m43.821 - 25
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m43.976 - 21
14 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m44.506 - 30
15 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m44.625 - 26
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m44.876 - 26
17 - Sergey Sirotkin (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m45.032 - 22
18 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m45.190 - 25
19 - Roberto Merhi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m46.782 - 18
20 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m46.922 - 18
21 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m47.284 - 26

Russian Grand Prix, Soshi Autodrom, Friday, 2nd free practice session*:
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1m39.630 - 27 laps
2 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m40.494 - 32
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m40.504 - 32
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1m40.542 - 30
5 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m40.573 - 33
6 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m40.718 - 32
7 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m40.731 - 30
8 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m41.108 - 32
9 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m41.396 - 30
10 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m41.531 - 33
11 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m41.630 - 24
12 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m41.677 - 27
13 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m42.061 - 25
14 - Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m42.090 - 29
15 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m42.233 - 31
16 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m42.892 - 30
17 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m42.905 - 33
18 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m43.055 - 33
19 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m44.135 - 22
20 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m44.530 - 29
21 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m44.952 - 27
*Unofficial timing

From GMM

The atmosphere in the Sochi paddock is grim, with many drivers visibly upset and even angry in the wake of the circumstances surrounding Jules Bianchi's crash.

"There are changes we want for this weekend," said Nico Rosberg, "but I am not going to give you details."

Sergio Perez broke ranks and was highly critical of the FIA on Thursday, and Bianchi's closest friend in the F1 paddock, Jean-Eric Vergne, also sounded angry.

"I think we should not be driving in difficult conditions - even normal conditions - with a crane on the track," the Frenchman told RMC Sport.

Vergne said he is not anticipating the outcome of Charlie Whiting's investigation, which will be revealed to the drivers and also the media later on Friday.

FIA president Jean Todt is also in Russia this weekend.

"I absolutely expect nothing," Vergne insisted, "because it will not help Jules. People are doing their job, I hope they do it well, but today the only thing that matters is trying to have more positive news about Jules."

F1's most experienced driver Jenson Button called for calm.

"At the moment it's inappropriate for us to be outspoken," the 34-year-old said. "There should be no pointing fingers. There's an investigation going on."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone indicated that he will not be pointing fingers even after the investigation's findings are published.

"There's a word that covers all these things and it's called accident," he is quoted by PA Sport.

"It sounds bloody awful," he said, referring to Bianchi's condition. "Whatever can be done is being done."

San Antonio, TX -- Very few car manufacturers can boast what Ford has and will have done for the 2015 model year. Only a few weeks ago, the Blue Oval unleashed the all-new 6th generation Mustang on a highly anticipatory crowd of RWD Pony-car hungry journalists. They ate everything up, right down to the last shred of cobbled rubber from burnouts.

As though it were nothing, on the heels of unbridling the legendary performance coupe, Ford drops another bomb with what is without a doubt their most important product, their heaviest hitter, the king, the man: the 2015 Ford F-150.

The F-150 has set the bar for the better part of four decades, and that standing ain't about to change. The 2015 Ford full-size pickup is just as good as I'd expected and better, not only because of its ridiculous abilities as a truck but because Ford continues to push the envelope with the introduction of their latest powertrain, a 2.7L EcoBoost V6.


Truly all new
The 2015 F-150 is one of very few revised vehicles that actually deserves the "all-new" line that so many OEMs attach to their products. The pickup, as you may have heard, is now made up almost entirely of aluminum, high-strength steel, and other goodies. The use of these not-so-exotic materials is how Ford managed to drop those 700lbs they keep boasting about.

I've managed to loose 35lb. in the last 18 months and let me tell you, I feel better about everything, especially brownies... The 2015 Ford F-150 also feels better, drives better, and is now better suited to a truck buyer's needs.

The weight loss increased all capabilities and ratings without meddling with GVW ratings, which means payloads are now greater, with room to spare. The F-150's 2,000lbs payload will take a 1,000lbs load and your four-man crew, with a few hundred pounds to spare. A RAM's 1,500lbs payload won't, as the GVWR is identical.



Capable and powerful
What it all means is that the 2015 F-150 is the most capable F-Series ever and, well, it's also the best driving. Tied into the scaling back of weight is the advent of the all-new hi-tech turbocharged EcoBoost 2.7L V6. This seemingly little mill packs 325 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque.

This engine joins the ranks of the existing 3.5L V6, the turbocharged EcoBoost 3.5L V6 and the 5.0L V8. As with all engines, the 2.7L is matted to a 6-speed automatic. 4X2 and 4X4 can be spec'd as can a list of options and accessories that spans the country from sea to shining sea.

As the 2.7L was part of the big news, I opted to start my day off in an XLT Super Crew 145" Wheelbase 4x4 EcoBoost. At $41,549 (base is $21,399), this trim and engine combo should prove to be very popular.

Capable and handsome
The new 2015 F-150 remains subtle styling-wise as a clear and mature evolution over the previous '09 truck. Physically, other than the aluminum alloy, the big news are the plethora of LED lights, the available surround-view cameras and the fully boxed, no-longer-hydroformed 70lb lighter frame that now features an extra cross-member for extra torsional rigidity.

The EcoBoost 2.7L is designed for the occasional tow-er still looking for hauling power. It will tow up to 8,400lbs, more than enough for a side-by-side, a few dirt bikes or a racecar and tires.

Capable and a great drive
The 2.7L also hauls plenty of ass as 90% of its torque is delivered well below 2,000 rpm. It's also astonishingly smooth and refined. Turbo-lag in non-existent, throttle response is almost immediate, and when the tranny's in Sport mode, this powertrain is downright fun.

And I'm not kidding around. The roads we tackled north west of San Antonio were plenty twisty and the F-150 stuck to its guns. Steering is well weighted and precise -- far better than any truck needs to be. The brakes are great, and then there's the way this thing handles. In a word: remarkable.

So true was the F-150's tracking that I mused with my codriver and onboard Ford dude that a set of semi-slicks would have allowed us to exploit the truck's uber-stiff chassis and great all around no-compromise suspension.

As you may imagine, the 2015 F-150 will lug lots of stuff, up to 12,200lbs depending on specs. I did put the 3.5L EcoBoost to the test with a 9,000lb trailer and it performed admirably well; the task felt easy and stress-free enough that I'd be inclined to cross this country and explore the depth of that accessory list. We also did some off-roading, which the F-150 crushed in its sleep.

For the everyday and every job
The F-150's cabin -- ergonomics and all -- are spot on, as are fit and finish. The seats are large and comfortable and the revised steering wheel falls perfectly in hand. There are a few more buttons, and the MyFordTouch has been updated.

Controls are large, as are storage bins and the level of available onboard technology easily rivals that of a luxury car. It's even quiet in the cabin at speeds exceeding 70mph!

The 2015 Ford F-150 is, not surprisingly, an excellent product. It was the best and continues to be the best. Here's to another few decades of leading the truck pack!

Marussia F1 Team has finally decided to only run one car in Russia, "out of respect for our driver Jules Bianchi".

The Jules Bianchi's car in the Marussia's garage at Sochi. (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)

Press release:

We will run a single car for the duration of the forthcoming Grand Prix weekend in Sochi, out of respect for our driver Jules Bianchi, who remains in hospital in Yokkaichi, Japan, in a critical but stable condition.

We have written to the Stewards of the Meeting to inform them that we have withdrawn our second car. Notwithstanding the presence in Sochi of Alexander Rossi, the nominated Official Reserve Driver for the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, the Team feels strongly that fielding a single car, that of driver number 4, Max Chilton, is the appropriate course of action under the difficult circumstances of the weekend.

Jules' car crew have built a second car, which has been scrutineered and is ready to race, and this will remain on his side of the garage throughout the weekend. In support of Jules and his family, the Team and its cars will carry the familiar #JB17 graphic, to ensure that, although Jules is not with us in Sochi this weekend, he is, nonetheless, racing on with the Marussia F1 Team.

Max Chilton #4

"I don't know how to put into words how truly devastated I am by what has happened to Jules. The support from the F1 family has been incredible & all we can do is be there to support Jules' family at this difficult time. It is going to be a very emotional weekend for the whole Team, but we will try to get through it and keep praying for Jules."

vAuto's Access: Velocity conference has been an eye-opening experience for the senior management of Cox Automotive -- formerly the AutoTrader Group -- as well as the dealers attending.

Cadillac's new boss plans a blitz of new products by 2020, from a pure battery-electric car to an ultra-luxury sedan, that he hopes will help resurrect General Motors' struggling premium brand and make it a global powerhouse.

Tesla will offer an all-wheel-drive system in its all-electric Model S sedan, CEO Elon Musk said, giving a glimpse of the first-of-its-kind powertrain that will power Tesla's Model X crossover when it goes on sale next year.

Acura has taken the lead in best mobile Web experience for consumers researching and shopping for a new vehicle, moving up from the runner-up slot in 2013, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study released today.

Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp. today opened a new piston ring manufacturing plant in Puebla, Mexico.

Toyota was named the best automotive brand worldwide for the 11th straight year, followed closely by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, in Interbrand's ranking of the 100 most valuable brands.

Toyota was named the best automotive brand worldwide for the 11th straight year, followed closely by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, in Interbrand's ranking of the 100 most valuable brands.

In the second and final part of an interview with Maxim Picat, the head of Peugeot explains why the brand cannot launch a low-cost model, and details plans for new energy cars.

Starting early next year, Meritor will launch a portfolio of products that supports trucking industry demand for fuel economy through downspeeding of engines.