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From WRC.com

By bringing out a new range of asphalt tires ahead of the Rallye de France-Alsace, Michelin might have changed the hierarchy in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

The French tire manufacturer has upgraded its Pilot Sport rubber in both soft and hard compounds for the Strasbourg-based event that runs from 3-5 October.

The new S4 (soft) tire, suitable for use in cool and damp conditions, and the new H4 (hard) ideal for warmer and drier weather, feature a new tread pattern and a revised construction that reduces the weight of each tire by 0.5kg.

(Photo: WRI2)

All of the leading factory teams have been testing Michelin's new rubber in the build up to the penultimate asphalt rally of the season and their findings are set to force them into making some crucial set-up changes in readiness for the event, described as a cross between the stages that are typically found in Spain and Germany.

Didier Clément, Citröen's Chief Operations Engineer, said: "We need the car to be very balanced in terms of downforce and testing enabled us to work on this particular aspect with the new Michelin range of tire which have been completely redesigned to include a fairly deep, third longitudinal line.

"Our two drivers have adapted well to the new tire and they had the same feeling and agreed on the same set-up in preparation for this rally," added Clément.

Former rally champion Petter Solberg claimed the drivers' title in the inaugural World Rallycross Championship (World RX), this week-end in Franciacorta.

Swede Timmy Hanssen won the race, but Solberg finished third to take the title with two rounds to go.

Petter Solberg (Photo: World RX)

Solberg, who made a name for himself in rallying, actually began his career in rallycross, or "bilcross" - a Norwegian variant of the sport. He entered his first event at the age of 18 and went on to become national champion only a few years later.

For several years, he then drove for Subaru in the WRC, where he clinched the world title in 2003.

After the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of the sport, Solberg cling on as a privateer, running his own Citroën rally cars. In 2012, he became a factory driver again with Ford, but was dropped after a disappointing season.

Only then, in 2013, did he get back to rallycross, in the European championship, and eventually in the World championship when the series was created a year later.

Infiniti executives think that its brand new London design studio will help it create models that appeal to customers purchasing some of Britain's most exclusive vehicles.

French automakers are putting a big emphasis on fuel efficiency at the Paris auto show this year, having received financial help from the French government ahead of tougher new EU regulations.

VW Group's quest to be the world's top-selling automaker is being threatened by a host of problems at its massive Wolfsburg plant that include strained labor relations, spiraling costs and technical problems with production.

VW Group and Renault-Nissan have expanded their reach. The two automakers now jointly account for more than 40 percent of all the vehicle assembly plants in Europe, according to Automotive News Europe data.

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo got what he wanted: a spacious corporate home in Korea's most prestigious neighborhood. Now he is paying the price.

Tokuo Fukuichi, the avant-garde, nonconformist global design chief at Toyota, is the kind of creative free spirit who counts brainstorming in the sauna as an essential part of his daily work regimen.

Cadillac this week confirmed plans that it will move its headquarters to New York next year. Like Lincoln, its decision to be in one of the country's top luxury markets was tied to remaking the luxury marque's image.

From press release

Kevin Harvick has qualified on pole seven times this season. But he's won only won once so far. Can he change all that this week-end at Dover?

Maybe. One way or the other, Harvick is not losing any time pondering over what might be.

"There are a lot of circumstances that go into winning a race," he says.

Kevin Harvick (Photo: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)

"(Over time) you'll win some that you shouldn't win, and a lot of times you don't win the ones that you think you should have won, and you win the ones that you don't think you should have won.

"So you just keep finishing in the top five or top three, and everything else will fall into place."

The AAA 400, the first elimination race of the Chase, starts at 2 pm on Sunday.

From press release

Organizers of the 2014 Race of Champions, which will be held in Barbados this year, have confirmed IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay is entering the event.

Hunter-Reay, the reigning Indy 500 champion, joins fellow star drivers Tom Kristensen and Romain Grosjean so far on the entry list.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be returning to the Race Of Champions for the second time," said Hunter-Reay. "My first ROC in Bangkok was an amazing experience, going head-to-head with some of the best drivers from every different motor sport discipline from around the world.



"Experience really helps with the short amount of seat time in each of the different types of ROC race car. When it's time to head to Barbados for the race weekend I'll be focused on winning."

This year's edition of the Race of Champions, an annual competition that brings together drivers from all major racing series in the world, will be held on December 13-14, at the Bushy Park Circuit.

From press release

Reigning champion Mike Rockenfeller claimed pole position this Saturday ahead of the DTM race in Zandvoort. His countryman Marco Wittmann, the new champion, will start alongside him on the grid.

Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 (Photo: DTM.com)

"A great result," said Rockenfeller. "We knew that we would be good here.

"Moreover, the track at Zandvoort simply suits me. Once again, it was very close, as usual in the DTM."

Bruno Spengler, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

The duel is also thrilling considering the manufacturers' standings. Prior to the final two rounds, BMW is leading, but only 18 points ahead of Audi.

In spite of his early title win at the Lausitzring, Marco Wittmann's ambitions remain unaffected: "I am a little bit annoyed, because pole position would have been within reach," the 24-year-old said.

Robert Wickens, Mercedes C-Coupe (Photo: DTM.com)

"Unfortunately, I made a slight mistake that cost me the decisive time. On Sunday, I will try everything to make life as difficult as possible for Mike."

Canadians Bruno Spengler and Robert Wickens settled for 15th and 21st respectively.

Augusto Farfus, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Qualifying results* - Zandoort (round 9 of 10)
1.Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'30"713 - Q3
2.Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'30"739 - Q3
3.Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'30"757 - Q3
4.Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'30"869 - Q3
5.Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'30"957 - Q3
6.Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'30"968 - Q3
7.Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'31"063 - Q3
8.Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'31"904 - Q3
9.Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'30"892 - Q2
10.Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'30"908 - Q2
11.Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'30"965 - Q2
12.Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'30"997 - Q2
13.Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'31"005 - Q2
14.Timo Glock (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'31"027 - Q2
15.Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'31"102 - Q2
16.Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'31"118 - Q2
17.Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'31"425 - Q2
18.Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'31"504 - Q2
19.Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'31"611 - Q1
20.Augusto Farfus (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'31"668 - Q1
21.Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'31"673 - Q1
22.Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'31"784 - Q1
23.Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'33"002 - Q1
*Unofficial results

(Photo: DTM.com)

From press release

Mercedes now knows what caused Nico Rosberg's electrical problems during the Singapore Grand Prix.

Post-race investigations at the Brackley factory have revealed that the electronic circuits of Rosberg's steering column were contaminated by a unspecified substance used during pre-event servicing.

The resulting intermittent short circuit is what caused the car to behave abnormally.

Nico Rosberg's problems started at the factory (Photo: WRI2)

The servicing procedure, which had been the same since 2008, had never caused any similar problem.

To avoid encountering the same problem again, Mercedes will fit new parts to its cars ahead of the remaining races.

"The team has been working intensively on reliability and quality processes during 2013 and 2014 in order to improve our performance in this area.

"These efforts will continue at the same intensive level over the coming months," added a report from the team.

From press release

No active driver has even come close to experiencing the success Jimmie Johnson has had at Dover International Speedway.

The six-time NASCAR champion heads into Sunday's AAA 400 at the Monster Mile looking to add to his course record of nine wins, five more than the next highest active driver, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon.

The famous "Monster Mile" (Photo: WRI2)

"My favourite track in the Chase would be Dover," Johnson said. "It's just the closest track to my roots. You're kind of airborne into Turn 1, airborne into Turn 3. It's a very intense track. It takes a lot of throttle control to work the corners right and produce a fast lap time. Dover's my track."

After a month-long, five-race summer swoon when he finished worse than 38th three times and failed to register a showing better than 14th, Johnson has logged five top 10s in his last six starts.

He now sits fourth in the Chase.

From World RX

Former Formula One and Indycar champion Jacques Villeneuve returns to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend at the wheel of his Albatec Racing Peugeot 208 Supercar.

The Canadian driver missed the previous two rounds in France and Germany due to prior commitments arranged before his World RX deal was completed before the season.

Villeneuve is yet to make the semi-final stages in his six World RX events this year. At his last event in Canada he was in the top six after two heats, only to retire after damaging his Peugeot 208.

Villeneuve in Trois-Rivières (Photo: Albatec Racing)

"It's just been a frustrating first part of the year, at times we weren't quick enough and at others we've had some problems. I guess we've had everything happen to us already, so we should be alright this weekend," said Villeneuve, who has kept up with the team's performance in the last two races.

"I've been watching the results and the team looks to have made some good improvements so i'm looking forward to getting into the car. Most guys have been quick on the circuit based tracks.

"I don't think it's an issue for anyone to be quick here. There's one jump where you have to hit the brakes before it, so we just have to see how we get one.

"I want to get to the final obviously, but once again there are 40 cars and a lot of wildcards. If we can have four incident free races then we should be fine."

The regional recall of millions of U.S. vehicles with potentially defective airbags made by Takata may be expanded to include GM models, according to documents filed this week with U.S. regulators.

An 'industry exclusive' feature that General Motors touted to buyers of the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray could inadvertently get owners in trouble with the law in some states.

Opel said on Friday that 8,000 of its Adam minicars and Corsa subcompacts delivered to customers in Europe since May 2014 need to be checked for faulty steering parts.

News 26 Sep, 2014

3,000 Vauxhall Corsa and Vauxhall Adam models registered since May 2014 should not to be driven before inspection

Tesla Motors cut short a test-drive event in Iowa earlier this month after state regulators said the electric-vehicle maker was improperly acting as a dealer.