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Articles 22 Jun, 2014

As England’s football players were limbering up in Brazil, we saw if another home favourite could score on this road trip

Pictures See all 12 pictures 22 Jun, 2014

Fiat Chrysler plans to sell holdings valued at about 602 million euros ($820 million), freeing up cash to invest in an expansion of its upscale brands.

Fiat Chrysler plans to sell holdings valued at about $820 million, freeing up cash to invest in an expansion of its upscale brands.

Honda sold just 38,000 Civics in the hotly contested European C-segment last year - a quarter of the volume of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, a media report said.

News 20 Jun, 2014

Tebay on the M6 voted best motorway service station in the UK, with Extra the best brand

Mercedes-Benz is to offer a new PCP financing solution - called Agility - to customers in China.

The automotive accord between Brazil and Argentina within the Mercosur trade bloc has just been renegotiated for a year to July 2015.

Pictures See all 6 pictures 20 Jun, 2014

This week, Sharp announced

Scandinavian automotive supplier body, FKG, says the impact of troubled automaker, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS)'s production halt can be compared to a "coffee break" in terms of any knock-on effect.

News 20 Jun, 2014

Mercedes announces the C-Class Estate will cost from £28,055 when it arrives in September, £1,200 more than the saloon

Nissan wants fleet managers in Europe to turn away from diesel-powered delivery vans in favor of its new battery-powered e-NV200.

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our weekly quiz.

Premium carmakers will lead a move toward new wireless technology for charging electric vehicle batteries, a global market analysis report said.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says he will use the 'human-interest' angle of Chrysler's rebound from bankruptcy to help Fiat Chrysler appeal to U.S. investors ahead of a listing there later this year.

From GMM

Hot on the heels of the exhaust 'megaphone', F1 is now courting more controversy with its latest push to spice up the show.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has been the loudest critic of the entertainment factor in 2014, and on Thursday Kimi Raikkonen agreed that the volume of the engines may be turning off the fans.

But he sent reporters into giggles at the Red Bull Ring when he made his proposal to end Montezemolo's carping about the sport: "Probably if we start to win again," the Finn quipped.

"At least from our side it wouldn't be boring anymore."

Teammate Fernando Alonso, however, is more open to novel ideas. "I think KERS should come back to the cars," said the Spaniard, rueing that the overtaking 'boost' was replaced this year by more comprehensive hybrid systems.

"And bringing in a tyre competition would mix the teams. We could help the small teams like they do in MotoGP, giving them a different spec of tyres or different fuel quantity or whatever to use in the race. So there are some ideas we could take from other sports," said Alonso.

One idea today's F1 wants to steal from its own illustrious past is the showers of magnesium sparks that characterised the 80s.

The sparks ended when teams were forced to install a wooden composite 'plank' underneath the cars -- but fans may see sparks flying yet again on Friday in Austria.

In morning practice, Ferrari's Raikkonen and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg will test a couple of titanium plate solutions fitted to the floor of their cars, with the sole purpose of thrilling fans with the sight of flying sparks.

The Red Bull Ring. (Photo: Red Bull)

But F1 is not stopping there. After Mercedes' 'megaphone' failed to turn up the volume at the Barcelona test, Ferrari is now preparing to test its own solution to add grunt to the turbo V6s.

At the forthcoming Silverstone test, Ferrari will test a 'two-pipe' exhaust solution, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt also reports that the FIA will tidy up the regulations next year to preclude the possibility of the unseemly 'anteater' noses.

From GMM

The Red Bull Ring's first grand prix weekend got off to a sluggish start, when members of the teams and media got stuck in a huge traffic jam.

McLaren chiefs Eric Boullier and Sam Michael, for example, abandoned their car several kilometres from the former A1-Ring, which has been impressively refurbished by Red Bull and is hosting its first race for a decade.

Boullier and Michael walked instead, while the local Kleine Zeitung newspaper agreed that those on bicycles were the only ones "in the fast lane".

"There is just one road in and out of the circuit," said Telegraph correspondent Daniel Johnson.

The Times' Kevin Eason agreed: "Dietrich Mateschitz ... has transformed this venerable circuit into Austria's new sporting pride and joy. Shame no one remembered to revamp the rural road system."

The crowd on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring. (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes' PR machine also hit a snag on Thursday, when drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, expected to dominate the weekend's action, steadfastly refused to refer to the circuit by the name that matches their arch F1 enemy.

"It would be an extra pleasure to win here at the A1-Ring," Nico Rosberg smiled mischievously.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was quoted as questioning Red Bull's claim that Austria is even a home race for the reigning world champions.

"They are a British team, based in the UK," he insisted. "Besides, I know the circuit by a different name. That's how I will always think of it."

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, too, refused to play nice with F1's new race hosts, insisting he would not be happy to see Red Bull win on home soil.

"Excuse me, but we're fighting a world championship, so there are no presents," he told Osterreich newspaper.

"On the contrary, as Austrians, Toto Wolff and I want to win with our German car in Austria," Niki Lauda smiled.

Lewis Hamilton the fastest at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix free practice sessions.

Nico Rosberg had dominated the first free practice session, 140 thousandts of a second ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Fernando Alonso set the third best time with his Ferrari, three tenths of a second from the first Mercedes. Felipe Massa (Williams) and Jenson Button (McLaren) made the top-5.

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

Sebastian Vettel was ranked 15th in the morning session.

Back in Austria after 11 years, no reserve driver was in action this morning, the teams left the race drivers get in used with the Red Bull Ring.

Under a cloudy sky in the afternoon, Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap time ahead of Nico Rosberg. Fernando Alonso again ranks his Ferrari at the third place.

Both Williams drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa follow ahead of Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) sixth.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG W05. (Photo: WRi2)

Austrian Grand Prix
Friday 20 june 2014

Free Practice 1 - Results*
1 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1:11:295 - 19 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1:11:435 - 32
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1:11:606 - 23
4 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1:11:756 - 27
5 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1:11:839 - 33
6 - Sergio Perez (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1:12:009 - 33
7 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1:12:072 - 20
8 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1:12:114 - 21
9 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1:12:313 - 36
10 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1:12:364 - 30
11 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1:12:365 - 21
12 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1:12:372 - 35
13 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1:12:570 - 28
14 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1:12:984 - 29
15 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1:2:988 - 25
16 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1:13:168 - 28
17 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1:13:642 - 27
18 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1:13:738 - 26
19 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1:13:857 - 28
20 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1:14:611 - 24
21 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1:14:691 - 9
22 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1:17:501 - 8

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Free Practice 2 - Results*
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1:09:542 - 37 laps
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1:09:919 - 50
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1:10:470 - 40
4 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1:10:519 - 44
5 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1:10:521 - 39
6 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1:10:807 - 39
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1:10:813 - 44
8 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1:10:920 - 36
9 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1:10:936 - 45
10 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1:10:972 - 39
11 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1:10:974 - 45
12 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1:11:261 - 45
13 - Sergio Perez (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1:11:296 - 36
14 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1:11:491 - 42
15 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1:11:765 - 30
16 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1:11:806 - 42
17 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1:11:935 - 39
18 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1:12:229 - 43
19 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1:12:262 - 46
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1:12:279 - 36
21 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1:12:937 - 24
22 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1:13:596 - 48

* Un-official timings

Ford is introducing an all-new inflatable airbag restraint design that provides the front seat passenger with knee airbag protection while significantly reducing system size and weight.

Photo: Ford

It's the first passenger knee airbag packaged inside the glove box door. The resulting design is 65% lighter with an inflator that is approximately 75% smaller than a conventional knee airbag inflator.

Since the glove box-integrated airbag extends straight out from the instrument panel, it doesn't have to travel as far as a conventional airbag, which deploys toward the floor before curving upward.

The new airbag will be introduced later this year as part of a standard comprehensive safety system that includes a more robust package of sensors, safety belt anchor pretensioners, improved exterior lighting and double the total number of airbags on the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang.