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From wec.com

Records tumbled in the third and final qualifying session tonight, with Toyota Racing's Kazuki Nakajima claiming a comprehensive pole position for the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, due to start at 15h00 on Saturday, 14th June.

Stephane Sarrazin, Kazuki Nakajima and Alex Wurz. (Photo: Toyota Motorsport)

It is the first pole position ever for a Japanese driver, and Nakajima's lap time of 3m21.789 in the No.7 Toyota TS040 Hybrid is a new qualifying lap record for hybrid-powered cars. 

It looked at one stage as though it would be a Toyota front row lock out, but Romain Dumas in the No.14 Porsche 919 Hybrid put in a fast lap time of 3m22.146, putting the German team - making its return to top line sportscar racing this year - on the front row of the grid. 

Third in class was the No.8 TS040 Hybrid, four tenths of a second ahead of the No.20 Porsche which had held provisional pole position up until this evening.

Toyota TS040 hybrid. (Photo: Toyota Motorsport)

Audi Sport Team Joest's well-drilled team completely re-built the No.1 R18 e-tron quattro following Loïc Duval's accident yesterday and all three of its cars were on track during both the evening's qualifying sessions.  

Audi R18 e-tron quattro. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Also on track and running without issues were the two Rebellion R-Ones in the LMP1-L sub-category, the No.12 Toyota-engined prototype qualifying two seconds ahead of the No.13 sister car.

In LMP2 the ELMS points leader Thiriet by TDS Racing claimed a first ever pole position for the new Ligier JS P2, the No.46 in the hands of Tristan Gommendy.  Another ELMS entrant, JOTA Sport's Zytek,  will start alongside the Ligier and just ahead of OAK Racing's Ligier JS P2 HPD. 

Porsche 919. (Photo: Porsche)

AF Corse claimed a double pole position in LMGTE - Gianmaria Bruni doing the honours in the Pro class in the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia.  The Italian's best lap of 3m53.700 was a full second ahead of the second-placed car in the class, and was some compensation to the team for the distress of seeing the No.71 sister car crash heavily out of the session.

Ferrari 458 Italia, AF Corse. (Photo: WRi2)

The grid is now set for the third round of the FIA WEC, and teams will use Friday to prepare for the race as there is no track action.

The 55 cars will next be on track at 9am Saturday morning for a 45-minute warm up, with the start of the race due to be given by Ferrari F1 star Fernando Alonso at 3pm on Saturday.

Autosport magazine reveals Friday the Formula 1 is about to introduce a new and innovative fuel safety device to prevent pit fires such as the one that hit Williams in 2012.

The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile is working with the US-based Oscar Nelson Group on introducing in F1 their new decking system called MADMAT.

It is a sort of platform that is laid under areas where fuel can get spilled. It was originally created for military use to help with fuel fires on aircraft carriers.

It helps suffocate flames, reduce temperature and minimise smoke in the event of a spillage getting ignited.



After the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, a race won by Pastor Maldonado, vapours coming from fuel drums ignited in the Williams pit garage and several Williams mechanics were injured.

"The system has had to be adapted for petrol use, but following a successful demonstration in front of teams and F1 race director Charlie Whiting at this year's Spanish Grand Prix, a final version is close to being given the green light to go into production', Autosport reports.

"We could make it mandatory, although we are not sure if we will yet or not, but I think the teams are keen enough to do it anyway," F1 race director, Charlie Whiting said.

Craig Scarborough explained that the MADMAT is made up of a number of layered tiles. These holes encourage fuel to flow into the pan, rather than sit on top of the floor.

Inside the pan, wadding reduces the risk of the fuel vapour rising up through the floor panel. Then the holes in the floor panel further minimise fuel vapour escaping and reigniting.

In case of ignition, the fire is also much easier to put out.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has been spotted this week visiting Ferrari's Maranello headquarters.

Reports of the Mercedes driver and 2008 world champion's visit were carried by authoritative publications including Corriere dello Sport, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Autosprint, as well as the respected Ferrari blogger Leo Turrini.

La Gazzetta, however, insisted the 29-year-old Briton's visit had nothing to do with the fabled Italian marque's formula one team.

The report said Hamilton was simply in town "to enrich his substantial collection of Ferraris" -- probably the ultra-rare 'LaFerrari' supercar.

"Obviously there will be no confirmation," said La Gazzetta dello Sport.

So, speculation will breed. Autosprint's Roberto Chinchero, for instance, said Hamilton's visit could be "a political manoeuvre by Lewis to make clear to Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff that the driver market is always open".

Ferrari declined to comment.

James Allison, Technical Director at Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

But the Maranello outfit is having a difficult 2014 season, despite adding its last world champion - Kimi Raikkonen - to its driver lineup for this year.

Autosprint correspondent Alberto Antonini said the Finn seems to have taken on the role formerly held by Felipe Massa, who also struggled to keep up with Fernando Alonso.

"At the moment, it is clear that the team has done its utmost to support Kimi," he wrote. "How long it lasts remains to be seen."

Kimi Raikkonen has a firm contract for 2015, as does Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Ferrari is already hard at work on its plans for the forthcoming season.

Omnicorse pointed out that technical director James Allison was not in Canada as he works hard on the concept of his first Ferrari car for 2015, currently codenamed '666'.

The most famous endurance race in the world - the 24 Hours of Le Mans - will be held this weekend. The classic race is marked by sportsmanship and quest for performance, has wrote an heroic chapter of automobile history since 1923.

1923: First edition of the “24 Heures du Mans”

1949: Luigi Chinetti wins the event for Ferrari

1955: A dreadful accident in the first hours of the race caused the death of 80 people

The terrible accident of 1955. (Photo: WRI2)

1967: The “Race of the Century” with 300,000 spectators witnessed the epic race between Ford and Ferrari. The 5,000 km mark is broken for the first time!

Ferrari vs Ford duel in 1967. (Photo: WRI2)

1970: First victory for Porsche and making of the film Le Mans with Steve McQueen

1971: Rolling start and not a standing start for the first time

1972: Matra, Pescarolo and Graham Hill win. Hill is the only driver having won in Le Mans, in Indianapolis and being F1 world champion

1980: Rondeau becomes the first driver who wins in Le Mans driving his own car

1988: Top speed record of 405 km/h by the WM prototype powered by a Peugeot engine

1991: Victory for Mazda, first and only Japanese manufacturer having won the event

Mazda wins Le Mans with a rotary engine. (Photo: WRI2)

1998: 16th and last victory of Porsche. A record!

2006: First victory of a diesel engine at Le Mans

A diesel car wins Le Mans. (Photo: WRI2)

2008: Tom Kristensen wins for the 8th time the event with Audi

2011: 13.85 seconds is the gap on the finishing line between the winning Audi and the Peugeot

2012: A hybrid car puts its name on the winners' list: the Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Volkswagen has just posted another picture of its new 2015 Passat, which will be officially unveiled on July 3rd and displayed at the Paris Auto Show this fall.

This comes after the German automaker released sketches of the redesigned midsize sedan on May 26th.

Now, we can see the car under a body-hugging cover that reveals a sleek silhouette and sharp-looking LED lights.

The new 2015 Volkswagen Passat will also mark the debut of a 1.4L TSI hybrid powertrain rated at 204 horsepower, as well as a new 2.0L twin-turbo TDI engine producing 237 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

Source : blogautomobile.fr

Photo: Volkswagen

From GMM

Daniel Ricciardo is world championship material, according to F1 legend Gerhard Berger.

Berger, a former race winner for McLaren and Ferrari, said he has been impressed with the 24-year-old Australian since he stepped up to Red Bull this year.

"He still has not made a mistake," the Austrian told the APA news agency. "He is a new star. If he has a car that is right, he can be world champion."

Daniel Ricciardo won his first grand prix in Canada last weekend, two places ahead of his high-profile teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, winner in Canada. (Photo: WRi2)

Gerhard Berger knows Vettel well, having given the German his first seat in formula one in 2007 when he co-owned the Toro Rosso team.

"We know how good and fast Vettel is, a four-time world champion. But at the moment, Ricciardo is the measure of things for the team," he said.

"If Ricciardo had not had the penalties at the beginning of the season, he would be just behind Lewis Hamilton in the world championship," added Gerhard Berger.

Jaguar Land Rover is launching a brand new Special Operations division that will produce high-performance cars in very limited numbers, as well as bespoke commissions and collector editions.

Based in England's West Midlands, the firm will employ 150 people including Paul Newsome, who used to work for an advanced engineering unit at the Williams Formula One team and recently headed the Jaguar C-X75 project.

Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations intends to give cars from Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW's M division a serious run for their money.

Photo: Jaguar

_{Source: Motor Authority}

High-ranking officials at BMW and Tesla met this week to find ways to promote electric vehicles and make them more appealing to the general public.

Right now, concerns about their range and charging times are preventing EV sales from taking off.

"Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electro-mobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electro-mobility on an international level," a BMW spokesman said.

Other manufacturers are reportedly interested in forging a close relationship with Tesla. One of them is Daimler, which currently owns a 4% stake in Elon Musk's company and uses Tesla motors for its smart fortwo electric drive and Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive.

In related news, Tesla and Deutsche Bahn recently inaugurated new fast-charging stations along German highways.


_{Source: Le Nouvel Observateur}

General Motors today announced a recall on nearly 600,000 vehicles in North America.

First, the automaker will recall 511,528 Chevrolet Camaros from 2010-2014 after three accidents injuring four people were caused by a faulty ignition switch that went from ON to OFF due to a contact with the driver's knee.

Moreover, 28,789 Saab cabriolets from 2004-2011 suffer from a bad driver's seat cable; 21,567 Chevrolet Sonics from 2012 have a transmission issue; and 14,765 Buick LaCrosse sedans from 2014 deal with a defective door.

Source :auto.lapresse.ca

Can Swiss driver, Simona de Silvestro, become the next woman to race in Formula 1? Auto123.com met the former IndyCar driver in Montreal as she readied herself for a possible call from the Sauber F1 team.

Past mid-February, Sauber announced that the 25-year-old became an affiliated driver, with the goal to gain her super licence and prepare for a race seat in Formula 1 for 2015.

Simona de Silvestro. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

A keen golf player, de Silvestro discovered the joy of speed at a tender age.

“My dad has a car dealership in Switzerland, and he was a driving instructor. I was always around cars when I grew up. I got my first go-kart at the age of 6. It was really what I loved to do,” she told us in the Montreal F1 paddock.

“I was playing other sports, but racing is what I always wanted to do. That was my happy place,” she added.

Simona raced karts in Europe for 10 years, and contested one season of Italian Formula Renault in 2006.

“We didn't have the money to race in Europe. We found a sponsor in the US to race in the Formula BMW series. The idea was to do a season and see. It was the right move to do,” she explained.

De Silvestro then moved up to the Formula Atlantic series. In 2009, she was the first woman in the series' history to have earned the most wins, pole positions, and led the most laps all in a single season, ranking third in the standings.

Simona de Silvestro. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

The year after, she moved up to the fast and furious IndyCar series.

“To be honest, the IndyCar series' drivers are incredible. I've never seen another series that is that competitive. I've raced against Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon. They are no slouches. They know their stuff. It's cool when you beat them because it proves that you are quick!” she laughed.

Simona also got her first taste of the ovals. She received second-degree burns on her right hand in a nasty, 230 mph crash during practice for the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

“The ovals were... interesting! I had not been on an oval in Formula Atlantic. My first time was with an IndyCar! Coming from Europe, you say to yourself: ‘Hey, that's easy! It's flat out.' No, it's not! To be honest, it's something that really takes time to understand,” she explained.

“Anything you know from road course racing you must forget. You start from scratch! You have all kind of ovals. On a road course, you are in control of the car. You brake, you steer, you accelerate. On the ovals, sometimes you have to let the car do the work. You have to let the car run where it wants to run, and not get scared if it moves around... at 200mph. On an oval, if you make a mistake or if something goes wrong, it usually hurts!” de Silvestro said.

Simona de Silvestro and Monisha Kaltenborn. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

En route to Formula 1
After four seasons in IndyCar, de Silvestro and her manager, Indian industrialist Imran Safiulla, sat down and discussed her options.

“Do we stay in IndyCar and have a good career here or do we try F1? It was an easy decision for me to take. It had to be the right opportunity, and Sauber gave me that. Having a year off like this is a little bit strange, but I also spend a lot of time in the simulator and I do tests in an older car [a 2-year old, Ferrari-powered Sauber C31], and that's really important to learn how Formula 1 works,” Simona continued.

De Silversto admitted she had a blast when she drove the F1 car for the first time at Ferrari's test track in Fiorano.

“IndyCar is a big, fast, powerful race car. I expected the F1 car to be a step above. It felt like 10 steps! It just does everything better. The braking is impressive. The acceleration is also stunning, all the way up to 7th gear. Cornering speeds and the amount of downforce are incredible. Everything is more extreme. It was the coolest thing I've ever driven, by far!” she exclaimed.

Simona de Silvestro. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

The next step
“We were fortunate that Sauber and Monisha [Kaltenborn, Sauber's team principal] gave us that opportunity. For Sauber being Swiss, yes, it helped a little bit,” she explained.

“Formula 1 is the highest level you can get to. If a female gets there, it has to be because she deserves it, not because she's a woman. Our goal is to be on the grid next year. That's what we've always said.

“I think if we do everything right, it's possible to be on the grid next year. I train hard and I work hard. I wouldn't have done this career change if the opportunity was not real. I could have had a very successful career in IndyCar racing for the next 10 years and it would have been fine. I really want to race in F1. It's the chance of a lifetime. At least, I can look back and tell myself that I gave it a try. I don't want to have any regrets,” Simona de Silvestro ended.

Ford is lowering EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings on six vehicles, and will be making goodwill payments to customers who purchased the mis-rated cars.

Nissan North America kicked off a Spanish-language ad campaign today to capitalize on twin opportunities: global mania for the World Cup soccer championship, and Nissan's own popularity among Hispanic consumers in the United States.

General Motors previewed how it may handle some death and injury lawsuits triggered by faulty ignition switches when it moved an already-settled case from state to federal court after the plaintiffs tried to revive their claim.

Steven Rattner, the former auto czar who led the government bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, says he witnessed GM's problematic management culture firsthand and was shocked -- and crash victim advocates are asking why he didn't act.

Lexus' all-new

Ford, admitting that it made a mistake in calculating fuel economy estimates for several car models, including hybrids, will revise the mpg ratings downward and repay owners for the added fuel costs.

Elon Musk says all of Tesla's patents will now be open source. The entrepreneur took to the Web on Thursday to voice his opinions on Tesla's intellectual property and patents in general.

Tesla Motors will relinquish its legal right to defend its electric vehicle patents 'against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology," CEO Elon Musk said today.

Tesla will relinquish its legal right to defend its electric vehicle patents 'against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology," CEO Elon Musk said.

Visteon has extended CEO Tim Leuliette's employment contract through 2017, the company said today.