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From GMM

Lewis Hamilton confirmed on Thursday that, after their relationship hit a high-profile low in Monaco, he and teammate Nico Rosberg are now "friends" again.

After his Monaco fury, Briton Hamilton issued a 'tweet' last week that suggested their row was now over, but some wondered if the 2008 world champion had in fact drafted the message himself.

He told reporters in Montreal: "There's not really much to say. I said it in my (Twitter) message.

"We spoke after the race and just like friends we have our ups and down, we've known each other a long, long time, so it's done and dusted", Hamilton added.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG, in the streets of Monaco. (Photo: WRi2)

On Thursday, Hamilton and Rosberg sat side by side during an autograph session with fans at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and the previous night they both attended a team dinner in the city.

Rosberg wrote in his Daily Mail column: "I am quite neutral about my relationship with Lewis Hamilton.

"Our strength is that we always talk about what has happened and go through things as we did when we were both 14."

The German suggested he is prepared to keep his relationship with Hamilton amiable for the sake of the "team spirit" at dominant Mercedes.

"Everybody in the team knows that being successful depends on getting every detail right. One of those details is the team spirit and we are enjoying our success but also working hard to keep our feet on the ground," said Rosberg.

However, Rosberg acknowledged to reporters in the paddock that his relationship with Hamilton, who accused him of sabotaging his qualifying lap in Monaco, is now "more difficult".

But he also said: "You (reporters) are all trying to build it into a war which I can understand because it makes it all the more exciting but I want to try and avoid putting extra fuel on it.

"I was in the factory this week talking to everybody and for them the constructors' (championship) is so important so if we take each other out, for all our team members that would be a disaster.

"In the end we are a team and I do think about everybody else too," Rosberg added.

However, according to Hamilton's last teammate Jenson Button, only those behind closed doors at Mercedes will really know the state of the drivers' relationship.

"You've got to be very careful with what you say about your teammate," he is quoted by the Telegraph. "You might say it in a jokey way but it's taken seriously.

"Maybe they are fine, maybe they have sorted it out face to face," said Button.

From GMM

Jenson Button says there has been "no progress" recently regarding his contract talks with McLaren.

With Kevin Magnussen having debuted for the Woking team in 2014, it has been rumoured McLaren supremo Ron Dennis perhaps wants to pair the young Dane with Fernando Alonso next season.

Indeed, with Button out of contract at the end of the season, and set to turn a stately 35 before the 2015 championship, it appears the Briton is the logical target should McLaren be considering a cockpit vacancy.

But, just last week, team boss Eric Boullier said in McLaren's official Montreal preview statement that Button in fact "continues to be an absolutely fantastic ambassador" for McLaren, who are switching to works Honda power in 2015.

"Not only is he a fantastic driver," Eric Boullier added, "he's also somebody with the feel and experience to steer the team and give it direction for development. His input has been invaluable, and he remains a tireless contributor."

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

Asked if that sounds as though McLaren is moving to re-sign the 2009 world champion, Button said on Thursday: "Er, no. No more progress at all. But that's just the way it is.

"We're here, in our fifth good year together. And we both want to work together in the future but it's just not time yet. Not the right time," he insisted.

"We have a lot of other issues to solve first before we start thinking about the future too much," said Jenson Button.

At the very least, Button indicated that he is keen to stay in formula one beyond 2014, with next season set to be his sixteenth on the grid.

"I still feel very young at heart, fitter than ever and I have all that experience," he said. "I definitely can't see an end to my career. This is my life and where I want to be in the future."

Pirelli has announced the next four tire nominations for the grands prix held in Austria, Great Britain, Germany and Hungary.

For the all-new Austrian Grand Prix, Pirelli will bring the two softest compounds in the range: P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft. For the British Grand Prix, the P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium tires will be used. In Germany, the nomination is P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft, while in Hungary there will be the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tires.

Photo: Pirelli

The Red Bull Ring in Austria, which is new to the Formula One calendar, contains several tight and twisty sections requiring the two tires that produce the maximum mechanical grip, even at relatively low speeds. Tarmac roughness in Austria is also very low.

Silverstone is a complete contrast: one of the fastest circuits of the season with high energy loads going through the tires. Because of this, the two hardest tires in the range are best-suited to the British track.

This year, the German Grand Prix is held at Hockenheim, which combines some fast straights with a slower and more technical stadium section that forms a significant part of the lap. To provide maximum performance, the soft and supersoft compounds will be in action once more, on a track that has generally low energy demands on the tire.

The Hungaroring is another relatively slow-speed track, but the race is often run in hot conditions, increasing the work on the tires. To provide a wide working range and increase opportunities for strategy, the medium and the soft tires will be brought to Hungary.

From GMM

Red Bull says a test on a 'rolling road' facility would not be illegal.

Earlier, reports suggested Red Bull had tested secretly over six days between the final Bahrain test and the season opening Australian grand prix.

The test reportedly took place at the Austrian automotive company AVL's 'rolling road' facility in Graz, involving Red Bull's troubled engine supplier Renault.

But late on Thursday, the reigning world champion team denied conducting the test.

Red Bull, however, pointed out: "The test mentioned in the article would be permitted by the regulations".

Germany's Auto Bild appears to have got to the bottom of the story.

The publication said the story broke when an anonymous person wrote letters to rival teams Ferrari, Mercedes and Sauber, as well as the governing FIA.

"Auto Bild Motorsport knows that a Toro Rosso chassis without front and rear wings ran on the 'rolling road' without a flow of (wind tunnel) air.

"Therefore, the test was bench testing and completely legal. The identity of the anonymous letter writer remains," the report added.

Toro Rosso and Renault did not comment.

From WRC

Mikko Hirvonen's Rally Italia Sardegna came to a fiery and spectacular end this morning as he and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen drove to the fourth stage.

The M-Sport World Rally Team duo were looking to progress from their sixth place overall at the 20.29km ‘Coiluna-Crastazza 1' stage, but after stopping to change the tyres on their Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the 2012 Rally Italia winners noticed flames licking up from the rear of their car as they get back underway to travel to the stage start.

They quickly stopped the car to inspect the problem, but the flames quickly took hold. They tried to use their fire extinguishers but their efforts were in vain. The car was destroyed in minutes.

The flaming Ford Fiesta RS of Mikko Hirvonen. (Photo: WRC)

Mikko Hirvonen said he was confused by what caused the fire. “We changed the tyres and checked the pressures as normal between stages and everything was okay," he explained. "But then the car caught fire for no reason. When I was fighting the fire, the rear bumper was fine and sometimes that can break and catch on the exhaust which causes a fire. It's strange.”

M-Sport has said it plans to establish the cause of the fire when the car returns to the service park in Alghero later today.

From GMM

World champion Sebastian Vettel has been told to step on the gas by Red Bull's technical 'genius' Adrian Newey.

German Vettel has borne the brunt of the team's reliability troubles in 2014, but his superiority has also been genuinely challenged by Red Bull newcomer Daniel Ricciardo.

Asked if that has surprised him, Vettel said in Montreal: "Actually no.

"It is good to see that Daniel fits in well with the team and has similar tastes to me when it comes to tuning the car. And it's nice to see that he does a good job. In the first few races I've had problems with many things, but it's comforting to realise that he is able to use the potential of the car," he is quoted by Speed Week.

Asked if he has at times been watching Ricciardo's style and telemetry, Vettel smiled: "All the time!

"There are clearly areas where he is very fast, so it's good to have a reference in relation to our car. For me, it has not been the best year so far. With Mark (Webber), it was always the case that he was very good in the fast corners, as he sometimes was showing me the limits. But with Daniel and me, it is quite balanced," added Vettel.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB10. (Photo: WRi2)

According to Dr Helmut Marko, the staunch Vettel ally and Red Bull director, Vettel is driving as well as ever in 2014.

"There's nothing wrong with him," he told Die Welt newspaper.

"He has just had a lot of bad luck. He is a strong guy, but the whole situation is not easy for him. If you ask me about his driving skills, there are no problems at all."

But Adrian Newey, Red Bull's highly respected technical boss, suggested there is "no more time to lose" as Vettel gets up to speed with F1's all-new era.

"Sebastian must quickly learn how to drive this car. There is no more time to lose," the Briton is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport.

"We will do everything to give him a car that fits his driving style," Adrian Newey added, "but then it's up to him to go faster."

The Valukas report goes into great detail about the roles played by senior GM executives, and the company's board, in the years leading up to the ignition switch recalls. A summary of the report:

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