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Auto123.com talked today with François Dumontier, promoter of the Grand Prix du Canada, about the new 10-year contract with Formula 1.

The future of the Canadian Grand Prix is secure until 2024. The new contract specifies that a new pit building has to be built. When will that happen?

“A clause of the new contract specifies that the City of Montreal agrees to build new garages in time for the 2017 Grand Prix. The whole project will be headed by the City of Montreal and the Parc Jean-Drapeau [the island where the circuit is located]. However, we will be consulted as we will be the users of the building and we are well aware of the requirements of the FIA,” stated Francois Dumontier, president of Groupe de course Octane inc., and promoter of the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.

Les stands du circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. (Photo: René Fagnan, Auto123.com)

Where will the new garages be located?

“They will most likely be built around the same place. They will not be located on the other side of the track, near the beach,” he added.

There's not been a second race held at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit since you cancelled the NASCAR Nationwide race. Will we see a second race soon?

“Our agreement with Parc Jean-Drapeau allows us to stage a second race every year. However, considering the major work required to build the new garages for 2017, it's not a good idea to try to secure a second race at this stage. It will be impossible to use the track for a certain period of time. One more thing: In 2017, Montreal will be celebrating the 375th anniversary of its foundation. That would be a good time to stage a second race...” Dumontier said.

There are wild rumours circulating that Montreal billionaire, Lawrence Stroll, is interested in buying into a Formula 1 team. Is that true or not?

“Honestly, I haven't talked to Lawrence Stroll for quite a long time. We also know his love and passion for motorsport, so if he becomes involved with an F1 team, that would be fantastic for us, especially if he runs it under a Canadian banner. Now, in regards to his son Lance, it's great news that he has clinched the title of the Italian Formula 4 series. It would be great for us to have a Canadian, and a Montrealer, in Formula 1 one day,” Dumontier told Auto123.com.

Bernie Ecclestone et François Dumontier. (Photo: WRi2)

Are you offering new tickets for the 2015 edition of the Canadian Grand Prix?

“Yes, indeed. We are trying to widen our price range. We are selling trios of the third year in succession. These tickets allow you to change seat every day, in different grandstands. For 2015, we're introducing the ‘Econo' trio at $255, which allows the holder to have a reserved seat in grandstand 31, 33, and Popular, located after the hairpin corner. We'll have other exciting news in the coming months,” Dumontier concluded.

The idea of closing the cockpits of the Formula 1 cars resurfaced following the horrible crash of Jules Bianchi in Japan.

Separate to the circumstances of Bianchi's crash, however, is a discussion about arguably the last remaining true vulnerability when it comes to Formula 1 cars -- the drivers' exposed heads.

After Felipe Massa's 2009 crash, and again in 2012 when Maria de Villota crashed during a Marussia test, F1 and the FIA looked deeply into the possibility of enclosing the cockpits with a forward roll-cage or canopy.

However, Germany's Bild newspaper reports this week that Red Bull Racing and Mercedes AMG were the most opposed to the idea, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying the proposed solutions were "shockingly ugly".

The issue was then sidelined completely when Bernie Ecclestone argued that closed cockpits were contrary to the basic idea of F1, Bild claims.

Four days after Bianchi's nasty crash, the idea reappears.

“I think it is something that we have to look at,” Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams told Sky Sports News HQ.

“If it can improve safety then of course it has to be on the agenda as a conversation to have.

“But closed cockpits are not easy technically for us to integrate into a Formula 1 car and of course they would change the very nature of what a Formula 1 car looks like. We have to look at all the options available to us, whether that is a closed cockpit or not, but I think those conversations need to go on behind the scenes.”

UPDATE
Mercedes AMG's Paddy Lowe on Thursday said he doubts a covered cockpit or a forward rollbar would have helped Bianchi last Sunday at Suzuka.

"If the rollbar was torn off (in Bianchi's crash)," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, "then having more debris around the head could have been even more dangerous."

Lotus F1 Team and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains announced Thursday a long-term supply agreement.

The agreement will see Lotus F1 Team utilizing the Mercedes-Benz V6 turbo hybrid Power Unit from the start of the 2015 season until the end of the current Power Unit generation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) based in Brixworth, Great Britain will supply Lotus F1 Team with Mercedes-Benz Power Units.

The Power Unit will use Fluid Technology Solutions developed by Petronas, the technology partner of Mercedes-Benz.

This most likely marks the end of the long-time partnership between Lotus and Total.

Lotus F1 Team will continue to design and manufacture its own transmission at its Enstone base where work is already underway on the team's 2015 challenger, the E23 Hybrid.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

The entry list for the maiden Russian Grand Prix shows that Marussia Formula 1 Team may finally run two cars this weekend.

The list issued Thursday by the FIA shows Marussia to run cars for Max Chilton and American Alexander Rossi.

Rossi is listed as driving car No. 42 (while Jules Bianchi was driving car No. 17).

However, Autosport claims that Marussia will decide on Friday morning if it will race with two cars at Russian GP, despite nominating Rossi.

Alexander Rossi and the members of the Marussia team in Soshi. (Photo: WRI2)

The list also shows that two reserve drivers will be running in free practice 1 Friday morning.

Sauber will run car No. 37 for rookie Russian Sergey Sirotkin, and Caterham will run Spaniard Roberto Merhi in the No. 45 car.

Mercedes-Benz will get extra credit on U.S. fuel economy standards for putting start-stop systems in its luxury cars -- but not as much as the automaker had hoped.

Mitsubishi Motors expects to meet its full-year guidance for operating profit for the 2014-15 financial year, but is not yet certain it can meet its forecast for sales, a spokesman for the company said on Wednesday.

The average fuel economy of cars and light trucks, driven by wider use of technology, rose to a record 24.1 mpg in the 2013 model year, though the pace of improvement slowed. Fuel economy will average 24.

Johnson Controls fired a consulting firm after learning that one of its principals had an extramarital affair with CEO Alex Molinaroli.

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Audi wants to rein in costs by about $2.5 billion a year to offset surging spending on new technology, according to people familiar with the matter.

Audi wants to rein in annual costs by about 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) to offset surging new technology spending and to safeguard profit margins, sources said.

Daimler and industrial gases maker Linde will build 20 hydrogen fuelling stations in Germany over the next few years to boost support networks for fuel cell cars. Daimler aims to bring competitively priced fuel cell vehicles to market by 2017.

Daimler and industrial gases maker Linde will build 20 hydrogen fuel stations in Germany over the next few years to boost support networks for fuel cell cars. Daimler aims to bring competitively priced fuel cell vehicles to market by 2017.

International Automotive Components (IAC) has opened the company's new global headquarters in Luxembourg.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne sees potential to form a new No. 1 automaker as companies grapple with low returns on the growing amount of money needed to develop a new car.

International Automotive Components (IAC) has celebrated the opening of its European headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany.

GKN claims it has developed the world's first Disconnect All-Wheel Drive System for A-, B- and C-segment vehicle platforms and says it improves fuel economy during steady state cruising by up to 4%.

Fiat-Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne is reportedly planning to step down on completion of the merging group's current five-year strategic plan in 2018.