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From GMM

F1 experts have accused Mercedes of mismanaging Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's dramatically imploding relationship.

The German team said contrite championship leader Nico Rosberg has now apologised for his clash with Hamilton in Belgium and been disciplined.

Britain's Daily Mail claims the penalty is a six-digit financial sum, paid to charity.

But Max Mosley, the former long-time FIA president, thinks Mercedes was wrong to so clearly point the finger of blame.

"If they decided to fine or punish Rosberg they should not have announced it," he said. "It's as if the team are blaming him publicly. That's not really right."

Former team owner and boss turned British television pundit Eddie Jordan agrees, saying the spotlight should not be on the warring protagonists.

"I blame the team," he is quoted by the Daily Star. "They are weak, rudderless. They are being run by two drivers who are like spoilt kids doing what they want to do."

Former McLaren driver John Watson even likened chiefs Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe and Niki Lauda to The Three Stooges and a "Looney Tunes" style of management.

"Lewis and Rosberg are doing nothing different to what two highly competitive drivers have done in the past," he told Express newspaper.

"But the difference is management and having someone that commands respect like Ross Brawn who was in charge last year. If you haven't got somebody who commands respect you end up with the lunatics taking over the asylum which is the case here," Watson added.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

After the crisis meeting at Brackley last Friday, Mercedes' management of the situation continued in the form of a statement attributed to Hamilton posted on the 2008 world champion's Facebook page.

Referring to the Spa clash but probably also his own comments to the media afterwards, Hamilton was quoted as saying: "Nico and I accept that we have both made mistakes and I feel it would be wrong to point fingers and say which one is worse than the other.

"There is a deep foundation that still exists for me and Nico to work from, in spite of our difficult times and differences."

At the Brackley meeting, it was reportedly resolved that Mercedes would continue to allow the drivers to race freely, albeit within the boundaries of 'clean racing'.

"It (not imposing team orders) was a difficult decision," Wolff told Germany's Bild.

"But Nico and Lewis are our heroes. I hope and believe that they understand our requirements and our goals. It is now up to them to deal with this responsibility," he added.

Niki Lauda, meanwhile, admitted to Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Sunday that further fireworks can be expected, particularly as Hamilton "lost everything in Spa" and will be keen to "get back these points".

"We have to be careful," he admitted.

"But as long as they do not endanger the clearly defined objectives of Mercedes, they can go on as they like. I understand Nico and Lewis very well as they both want to win races and be world champion. But they cannot put the entire project at risk," Niki Lauda insisted.

From GMM

Major F1 sponsor UBS is scaling down its investment in the sport.

The Swiss based global financial services company entered F1 in 2010 powered by its then chief executive Oswald Grubel.

But UBS is now headed by Sergio Ermotti, a Swiss banker, who last year commenced market research into the wisdom of Grubel's F1 deal.

The Swiss newspaper Blick on Monday quoted a UBS spokesman as saying: "We have always stressed that formula one is a long-term commitment. We are very pleased with the partnership."

Photo: WRi2

The report said UBS has agreed a new, less lucrative contract with Bernie Ecclestone.

"We put the customer platform more in the centre and focus the brand on key growth markets," the spokesman said.

Part of the reduction of the deal is trackside advertising at less grands prix, and the end of the title sponsorship of the Chinese grand prix.

The report said UBS is reducing its annual spend from about $54 million to $32 million.

From press release

Alex Tagliani, who was pulling double duty with a 10 a.m. start in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) Pinty's presents The Clarington 200, followed by a 2:00 p.m. start from the pole in the The 2nd Annual Chevrolet Silverado 250, Round 14 of 22 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), was unable to catch a break in either race this Sunday. All the action took place at the 3.957-kilometre, 10-turn road course Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) track, located north of Bowmanville, Ontario.

In the morning race, mechanical problems in the early going hampered the No 18 EpiPen/Dicom Express/Sennheiser/CanTorque Dodge Challenger of Tagliani Autosport in The Pinty's presents The Clarington 200, a 51-lap, 201.8-kilometre NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race. Tag pitted on lap 10 to fix a faulty power steering leak and by lap 18, he was one lap down on the leaders in 23rd position. A few more pit stops to try and fix the problem put him down another lap, placing him this time 30th overall on lap 18. Tagliani soldiered on and gained 11 positions in the last 20 laps to finish 20th in Round 9 of 11 of the 2014 race schedule.

Photo: Tagliani Autosport

J.R. Fitzpatrick, of Ayr, Ontario won his second consecutive CTMP race of the season, his first was last May at the NCATS season opener. J.R. took the lead on lap 34 to drive to his 10th series win, chased by Jeff Lapcevich of Grimsby, Ontario. Third place went to rookie Marc-Antoine Camirand of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, Quebec, followed by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin of Trois-Rivières (QC). With his fourth place finish, Dumoulin still leads the point standings 378 to 359 ahead of Fitzpatrick who, with his win, shaved seven points off Dumoulin's lead. Scott Steckly of Milverton, Ontario rounds up to top five.

NASCAR Truck Series Race Report
Pole winner of The 2nd Annual Chevrolet Silverado 250, a 64-lap, 253.3-kilometre NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m., Tagliani jumped off to a great start leading the first seven laps. Brad Keselowski Racing Team strategy had him pit early at the end of lap seven in order to be in a strong position at the end of the race. Unfortunately, a lug nut problem with one of the rear wheels of the No. 19 Ford F-150 Reece Towpower truck sent the Canadian driver down to 21st spot.

Slowly but surely, Tagliani climbed back the ladder up to fourth place and on the last restart on lap 54, he spun around, stalling the truck and loosing a lap in the process. He finished 16th overall. A small consolation prize for Tagliani was his Keselowski Racing teammate Ryan Blaney's win as he held off German Quiroga Jr. to become the 11th NCWTS race winner of the season. Erik Jones finished third ahead of Gray Gaulding and Andrew Ranger of Roxton Pond, Quebec.

Photo: Tagliani Autosport

“It is kind of a sad ending in both races,” Tagliani said. “The truck race was a one of a kind opportunity where it was going to be our day as it was so fast. Unfortunately, the throttle pedal kept sticking and it was giving me a hard time. I had to lift it every time with my right foot. We need to catch a break and win one of those races. In the Canadian Tire Series event, the car suffered a power steering failure from the start and we had to make multiple pit stops to add oil as the steering wheel kept jamming. It's too bad because both vehicles were strong. Adding to our misery, we blew the engine on our EpiPen Dodge at the end of our first practice, so we missed the second session. We must turn the page and move on.”

In spite of its ongoing financial struggles, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) managed to find a way to launch its prototype all-electric Saab 9-3 last week. Saab aficionados should immediately recognize its origins, as this new all-electric is a modified version of the 9-3 Aero Sedan.

Nevs has positioned the lithium-ion batteries below the passenger floor to preserve interior space for both passengers and luggage, which also helps lower the centre of gravity and provide an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution for improved handling.

According to NEVS, the prototype 9-3, while still in the development phase, has 200 km of all-electric autonomy, can go from 0-100 km/h in 10 seconds, for a top-speed of 120 km/h. Nevs is quick to point out that the production vehicle will offer superior performance as development progresses.

Source : saabcars.com

Photo: Saab

From GMM

Valtteri Bottas appears out of the running for a change of team prior to the 2015 season.

The Finn has been a standout of this year's championship, outshining the Ferrari veteran Felipe Massa and leading Williams' F1 resurgence with four podium appearances.

Valtteri Bottas on the podium, Williams. (Photo: WRi2)

The 25-year-old has therefore been linked with a potential move from the Grove squad, perhaps to McLaren as the Woking team plans for a long and lucrative future with new works partner Honda.

But Bottas seems destined to stay at Williams, the team that groomed him from F1 tester to 2014 star.

"Personally I don't see a reason to look elsewhere at this time," he is quoted as saying by Italy's Tuttosport and the Spanish sports daily Marca.

"We are working in the right way and I am confident that this team can be even better than what we have seen so far this year. That's why I'm confident about continuing. Perhaps it's too early to talk about the contract," he added, "but I really want to continue this adventure with Williams.

"Until then it's better to wait for confirmation, so we will talk when we have something to say," said Valtteri Bottas.

Adapted from GMM

Sergio Perez is expected to remain at Sahara Force India for a second season in 2015, but he is yet to agree a new deal.

The Mexican told the French-language F1i: "There are ongoing discussions. My management is in charge and we're just waiting to see if we can soon confirm the team for which I will drive next year."

Sergio Perez admitted that Sahara Force India is not his only option.

"No, there are others," he said, "but my priority is to continue here. I want to continue and I have some experience with this team, so it would be good."

Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India. (Photo: WRi2)

The idea that electric cars are the future is a bit of a farce. They are, in fact, the now.

In a movie that hit theatres just this past weekend in NYC and LA producers explore the ways in which we are truly addicted to and reliant on fuel as well as alternative methods to said addiction.

Pump: The Movie is all about the now and, of course, touches on companies like Tesla and how they are changing the face of transportation and fuel consumption.

Touted as the movie that will “change everything,” Pump can be seen at select theatres across the United States. Simply visit PumpTheMovie.com for more information and to find out where you can catch a glimpse of the now.

Source: pumpthemovie.com

From GMM

Top speeds at Monza this weekend may not be quite as spectacular as earlier expected.

That is the claim of the specialist German publication Auto Motor und Sport, despite predictions the new turbo V6-powered machines could soar beyond the old 370+kph top-speed record of the 2005 Italian grand prix.

Then, it was Kimi Raikkonen's almost 1000 horse power McLaren-Mercedes V10 that screamed down the straights of the Autodromo Nazionale.

But in 2014, as the turbo V6s combine with reduced aerodynamics and therefore drag, top speeds have once again been turning heads in the grandstands very rapidly.

At Barcelona, Felipe Massa's Williams-Mercedes topped 342kph, compared to the fastest V8 in the 2013 Spanish grand prix, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari, that managed less than 320.

Felipe Massa, Williams FW36-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

In Canada, this year's fastest car was just a tad under 350kph, and similar speeds were seen at Spa-Francorchamps recently.

But Monza is a very special layout -- the last truly ultra-low downforce circuit on the calendar. Last year, the top speed was Esteban Gutierrez's 341kph in the Ferrari-powered Sauber.

So with the field of 2014 often proving 20-30kph faster than last year's V8s, speeds of up to 370kph and perhaps even beyond at this weekend's Italian grand prix were predicted.

Not likely, according to the German analysis by correspondent Michael Schmidt. He said pre-Monza team simulations have shown an actual likely top speed this weekend of about 350-355 -- or perhaps 360 in a slipstream.

Sahara Force India technical boss Andy Green explains: "The regulations have taken about 10 per cent downforce from us and reduced drag by the same amount. But this refers to the circuits where we run with maximum downforce.

"If we now go to Monza then we are comparing ourselves with cars that in the past were running with minimal downforce anyway. So the difference will be not so great," he said.

From GMM

Monday could be the magic day in Fernando Alonso's current Ferrari contract.

Boss Marco Mattiacci has been happily - and unofficially - 'confirming' for 2015 the Italian team's existing driver lineup of Alonso alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

But actual confirmation of the news, for example in the form of a press release, is in fact not expected this weekend at Monza.

"There will be no announcement at Monza with regards to the drivers, because there's nothing to announce," Mattiacci is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

He says that is because Alonso and Raikkonen are already under contract for 2015.

Technically, that's true. But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that September 1 could change everything.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14 T. (Photo: WRi2)

Correspondent Michael Schmidt cited 'internal sources' as confirming that Alonso's contract contains a clause that opens the potential exit to the Spaniard if he is not within 25 points of the championship leader on September 1.

Prior to Monza, Fernando Alonso is actually closer to 100 points behind Mercedes' Nico Rosberg.

It doesn't mean Alonso will jump at the chance to leave, but Britain's Telegraph newspaper reports that - despite their history - McLaren chief Ron Dennis has made an astonishing offer of $32 million per year to Alonso.

The report said Ron Dennis, although having spectacularly fallen out with Alonso in 2007, "has spoken with Alonso" about the Spaniard's return to Woking to head the new Honda-powered project.

Fernando Alonso, however, might be alarmed by the latest rumours emerging from Japan.

The rumours suggest Honda, returning to F1 in 2015 after a six-year absence, is currently "far behind the performances" achieved by leading engine supplier Mercedes as it works on its all-new turbo V6 'power unit' for McLaren.

Alex Tagliani took no time getting used to the NASCAR Camping World Truck.

The road course "ringer" stormed to pole position aboard his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford F150 at Bowmanville's Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

Tagliani turned his fastest lap of the 3.957-kilometre road course in 1min20.558 seconds.

He will therefore lead the field Sunday for the Chevrolet Silverado 250, round 14th of 22 in the Camping World Truck series.

Alex Tagliani (Photo: NASCAR/Jeff Zelevansky)

From press release

Will Power earned his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a ninth-place finish in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway.

Power, who entered the 18th race of the season with a 51-point lead over Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves, had been the championship runner-up in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was the ninth consecutive year that the series champion was determined in the season finale.

"It's 15 years of hard work. I was crying as I crossed the (finish) line," said Power, who finished 62 points ahead of Castroneves. “It's surreal. It's just a fantastic way to finish the season. I can't believe I'm the champion.”

Will Power earned his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a ninth-place finish in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway. (Photo: John Cote)

Castroneves, who started from the pole and led 41 laps, was assessed a drive-through penalty for a pit lane entry violation on Lap 218 that put him a lap down. He finished 14th in the race and second in the championship for the fourth time in his career.

“It's another second, but well done to Will,” said Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner. “It stings a little bit, but it motivates me to come back stronger next year and win a championship.”

Power provided Team Penske its 13th Indy car championship and the first since 2006 with Sam Hornish Jr.

“Tonight showed everyone the strength of our team,” said Roger Penske, who has won the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race 15 times as a team owner.

The debate over whether or not 16-year-old Max Verstappen is ready to debut in F1 has taken an unexpected twist.

With the paddock split over his case, Verstappen may have proven those against his early debut right.

Driving a Red Bull RB7 in a demo run at Rotterdam, the Dutchman got stuck while doing donuts.

And just moments after the marshals had freed him, he smashed the front of the car in another barrier.

From press release

J.R. Fitzpatrick turned in another dominant performance to earn his fifth career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and secure a season sweep at the famed Ontario road course.

Fitzpatrick, from Ayr, Ontario, took the lead in the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 for the second and final time on Lap 34 in his No 84 Equipment Express/Autism Speaks Chevrolet and drove to his 10th career victory overall.

He's won a record five of the 10 all-time series events at CTMP, including both in 2014.

J.R. Fitzpatrick wins the Clarington 200 (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jeff Lapcevich ended up second for the third time in the last four Canadian Tire Series events at CTMP to tie his career-best finish while Marc-Antione Camirand established a personal best when he crossed the line third.

Season points leader L.P. Dumoulin finished fourth and Scott Steckly was fifth.

Gary Klutt, D.J. Kennington, Robin Buck, Brad Graham and Joey McColm brought home the top 10.

Polesitter Andrew Ranger, who led 15 laps in the event, finished 29th out of 31 entries with a fuel pump failure.

The 51-lap race featured six lead changes among five different drivers and was slowed by just twice by caution.

With the victory, Fitzpatrick cut seven points off of Dumoulin's championship lead. With two races remaining in the season Dumoulin now leads Fitzpatrick 378-359. Ranger's troubles dropped him from a tie for second to a distant third at 327.

The Canadian Tire Series will return to action with the Wahta Springs 300 on Sept. 6 at Barrie (Ont.) Speedway.

From press release

Japanese Kazuki Nakajima and Brit James Rossiter won the 43rd International Suzuka 1000 km race, Sunday in Japanese Super GT.

Nakajima and Rossiter started from pole and ran relentlessly to win the longest race on the Super GT calendar.

The raced developed into an exciting duel between the pole-starting No. 36 Lexus RC F (James Rossiter) and the No. 17 Honda NSX Concept-GT. As they pulled away from the field, the lead changed hands several times.

The duel ended Koudai Tsukakoshi, in the Concept-GT, crashed in the famous 130R high-speed curve.

Kazukia Nakajima, James Rossiter, Lexus RC F No. 36 (Photo: SuperGT.net)

This season, three competing carmakers in the GT500 class have all fielded new machines. In the six races so far, the Lexus RC F has now won three to lead the contest of the new machines.

"I was able to get us pole position yesterday, but I still didn't feel certain that we could win today's race," admits Nakajima.

"But, we were able to run according to our strategy today and that brought us a better result than I had expected. For James and for me, this is our first Suzuka 1000km victory and I am really happy with this."

Presented at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, this final outing of the 2014 CTCC season was full of promise.

In Super Class, Rémy Audette was ready to fiercely compete in hopes of beating Roger Ledoux to the 2014 championship. Audette earned the fastest time in free practice, claimed pole position in qualifying, and led the first race on Saturday afternoon.

However, on the sixth lap, while sitting comfortably in first place, a valve broke in Audette's Honda Civic Si, forcing the driver from Boisbriand (QC) to abandon the race and effectively ended his chances of being crowned with the title.

The second competition, contested on Sunday morning as the 2014 season-ending race, saw Rémy Audette launch himself into the lead right from the start.

The Quebecker was never caught as he built up a gap of twenty-five second by the time he crossed the finish line.

It's the seventh victory in fourteen races this season for Audette. He earned championship runner-up status behind Roger Ledoux who, by finishing the race in sixth spot, was assured the necessary points to clinch his first ever championship title as the 2014 CTCC Super Class winner.

Ferrari's newest team principal may be new to F1, but he's not any less of a motorsport fan.

Mattiacci studied economics at Rome's La Sapienza university before joining Ferrari in 1999. Throughout his career in red, he has filled many managing roles in South America, Asia, the Middle East and North America.

He only arrived in the Scuderia - and the motorsport business - in April 2014, to replace the outgoing team principal, Stefano Domenicali.

But he is adamant is not actually new to F1.

"I have a lot of petrol in my blood! I have been working for Ferrari for 15 years and I have breathed Formula One ever since I was able to switch on a TV."

Marco Mattiacci (Photo: WRI2)

Yet, he has been learning a lot every day.

"I look around. I am like a sponge," he told Formula1.com. "Here in Formula One I am absorbing things every day from everybody: from people that open the gate in the morning to all the members of the team."

One thing we have been able to establish so far about the Italian, is that he is a fan of the enigmatic Kimi Raikkonen, who's return to Ferrari is not going as well as anticipated.

"I love Kimi," he admits. "He is one of the most talented drivers.

"We have had a bit of an issue delivering an outstanding car, but the team is all behind him and we have seen from his races in Hungary and Belgium that he has arrived."

Driven by an all-female team, Auto-Venus.com looks at the auto industry from a different perspective and focuses on people, family, and the joys of driving.

Visit Auto-Venus.com and discover its various sections. Our writers regularly publish industry news, blogs, as well as car reviews. So far this year, they've spent time behind the wheel of the 2014 Nissan Rogue SV, Range Rover Sport HSE, BMW 435i xDrive, Honda Accord, and Chevrolet Impala. Read all their stories and more in the Reviews section, where they detail the highs and lows of each vehicle to make your car-buying decision easier.

At least once a month, in the Girl Talk section, Josée Paquet and Miranda Lightstone share their opinions on a number of hot topics including the Move Over law, modern driving aids, status symbols on the road, and choosing between a minivan, an SUV and a car.

Every week, the Trends section keeps you up to date on the latest news from the auto industry. Recently, our writers covered Simona de Silvestro (possibly the next female F1 driver), recalls on the Hyundai Elantra Touring and various GM vehicles, as well as a new way to connect your car to your appliances.

Auto-Venus.com is a website full of surprising and inspiring content. Check it out now!

GM and the National Corvette Museum will restore three of eight prized Chevrolet Corvettes damaged in February when they tumbled into a giant sinkhole that developed beneath the floor of the museum in Bowling Green, Ky.

The upcoming ITS World Congress 2014 in Detroit will highlight the global transportation industry's future of connectivity, safety and automation. The Sept.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles aims to list shares in the newly merged carmaker in New York on Oct. 13, CEO Sergio Marchionne said, adding that a decision on any capital increase would be made at the end of that month.