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From press release

NASCAR's six-time champion Jimmie Johnson took some time on Mother's Day to acknowledge how important his mom has been throughout his career.

"My parents, together, were largely responsible for my career and my love for racing. My mom fortunately was on board; it wasn't just my dad's idea to take me to the race track," said the Hendrick Motorsports driver.

"Her willingness to let me ride and compete was much appreciated."

The 446-race veteran actually sees a lot of his mom in him.

"I think my personality and the way I treat others, even the way I compete, really reflects my mom.

"She's a respectful person and treats others how they treat you; a lot of those things from my mother's personality show through. I guess I'm more like my mom than my brothers are to a certain degree."

Jimmie Johnson (left) and his mom (Photo: Facebook)

Johnson, also a 2-time dad, added he understands the importance of occasions like Mother's Day better these days.

"Mother's Day is a special day; especially now being a parent and understanding that a little bit better.

"It makes me reflect back and think about all the times I was traveling the country in a 1979 Ford Econoline van with a little 12-foot trailer behind it towing motorcycles."

"I can't imagine parents taking off weeks at a time to take me to Oklahoma to race dirt bikes or to Tennessee or to Las Vegas. All the sacrifices they made were pretty awesome."

From GMM

Jenson Button says he will quit formula one once he is no longer enjoying it.

Certainly, he makes no secret that McLaren's current situation is no fun.

"There is only one team that is happy," said the 2009 world champion, referring to dominant Mercedes.

But that doesn't mean the 34-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is not enjoying his job.

"It's still a pretty cool job," he told the Express newspaper in Barcelona.

"The worst part is the interviews trying to explain why it's not working," said Button, after qualifying eighth, more than two seconds off the pole time of his former teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Button said the other part of the job - working with engineers and driving - is still "enjoyable".

"It is just when you see the times that it hurts," he admitted.

"I'll stop when I'm not enjoying it anymore and it might be because I'm driving a car that's not quick enough in the future.

"Hopefully that won't be the case. Hopefully I can end on a high."

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

F1 aside, Button's other passion is fitness, and he regularly competes against some of the world's fittest athletes in ironman triathlons.

And he is always among those harking back to F1's louder, faster days, far from the spectacle of Barcelona 2014 where the leading GP2 cars would have comfortably qualified for the Spanish grand prix.

Button admits he has his eye on the new world rallycross series; a discipline loved by his recently departed father, John.

"I saw a quote from Jacques (Villeneuve) saying that in every other sport they are trying to make the cars slower but in rallycross they just throw everything at it, they are 600 horse power monsters," he said.

"I want to do something like that, taking a little motorhome or caravan with my mates and family and just hang out with other guys who are just having fun."

In the meantime, he is not yet ready to give up on F1.

"I really do get bored easily with everything in life but it has not happened yet with this sport, which is great," said Button.

"But after this I will probably go and do rallycross."

From press release

Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe was diagnosed with a concussion, following an on-track incident, Saturday during the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

This could compromise the 27-year-old's participation in the upcoming Indianapolis 500, as he is currently unable to drive and practice ahead of the famous event already started at the Brickyard.

Hinchcliffe's condition will be re-evaluated shortly by IndyCar medical director Michael Olinger to determine whether or not he will be fit enough to drive his No. 27 Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda.

Former Andretti Autosport teammate EJ Viso will fill in if Hinchcliffe turns out to be unavailable.

James Hinchcliffe (Photo: Walter Kuhn)

"I want to thank all the fans for their messages of concern and support," said Hinchcliffe.

"I'm a little stiff and sore and I'd love to be back in the car (already), but I suppose I should probably let the doctors make that decision. Such a bummer for the (United Fiber and Data) car when things were really starting to come together."

Qualifying ahead of the Indianapolis 500 are held May 17-18. The race is May 25.

Despite earlier rumours from the paddock of the Spanish Grand Prix, American Gene Haas is not going to buy an existing Formula 1 team for his Haas Formula project.

British television Sky reported from Barcelona that Haas was planning a visit to the Enstone factory, where the financially struggling Lotus team is based. The report also suggested Haas was now thinking about operating from Europe, rather than from the United States.

Lotus F1 Team (Photo: Facebook)

Franz Tost, whose Toro Rosso team is based in Faenza, Italy, was one of many to advise Haas against building his team in America because all the F1 personnel is in the UK.

"Getting highly-skilled technical people to Italy is one of the main problems for Toro Rosso! These people prefer to stay in England, where the best infrastructure for F1 exists," Tost told F1's official website.

But a spokesman for Haas told British magazine Autosport there were no plans to buy an existing team such as Lotus or Caterham.

"Gene Haas has no plans to visit the Lotus factory," the spokesman said.

"Gene remains committed to building an American-based Formula 1 team and his plans have not changed."

Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member, is capitalizing on factors including its location, its low taxes and reduced labor costs to attract auto suppliers.

Tires chirp. A couple writhes in the rain. A man enters a hotel with an attractive woman on each arm. This is not your uncle's Lexus ad.

Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet's global chief marketing officer, inherited a fresh "Find New Roads" theme when he took over in spring of 2013. The "new" message has gotten more challenging for Chevrolet amid General Motors' recall crisis.

From GMM

Lotus has been left isolated after supplier Renault complained about unpaid engine bills.

Earlier in Barcelona, Renault chief Jean-Michel Jalinier warned that some of the French marque's F1 customers could soon have their turbo V6s turned off.

Jalinier did not name the delinquent teams, but Lotus' struggle to pay drivers and suppliers in 2013 was widely known.

Red Bull is Renault's de-facto 'works' team, so it is unlikely Jalinier was referring to the reigning world champions.

And the boss of the other Red Bull-owned team, Toro Rosso's Franz Tost, said on Friday: "As far as I'm aware, we have paid everything."

The only other Renault-powered teams in 2014 are Lotus and backmarker Caterham.

Caterham team boss Cyril Abiteboul said: "It's a confidential issue but I'm happy since I'm on time to say that we are settled with invoices with Renault Sport F1."

Lotus is yet to comment.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will only start 15th, Sunday on the grid of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Vettel made it through to Q3, Saturday during qualifying, but could not set a time in the final session because of transmission issues. He was therefore placed 10th on the grid.

But his team then had to change the gearbox of his RB10, meaning the German was hit with a 5-place grid penalty.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing (Photo: WRi2)

"I left the garage for Q3 and lost drive in second gear," he said.

"I still had third gear and above so we thought we could do the lap with that, but by Turn 1 I had lost all the other gears, so we couldn't continue.

"I think I could have had a go for P3 today, but we didn't get that far. I'm of course quite disappointed."

From GMM

The Crimean crisis has thwarted sponsor talks between Russian companies and Sauber, the Swiss formula one team admitted.

Sauber's well-known financial troubles eased last year when a 'Russian rescue deal' was put together, featuring test driver Sergey Sirotkin.

But team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted ahead of the Spanish grand prix that talks with Russian sponsors have now "come to a standstill" amid the threat of a Ukrainian war and US and European sanctions.

"A lot of talks which are very advanced have virtually come to standstill," she said.

"People are waiting and seeing what's going to happen and nobody really knows the entire impact it can have because the sanctions that have now been imposed are really biting some of them.

"We really hope that the situation can be clarified soon and all our deals can be sorted out," Kaltenborn said in Barcelona.

Also affected with regard to sponsor negotiations is Toro Rosso, whose new driver for the 2014 season is Daniil Kvyat, a talented young Russian.

Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso STR9 (Photo: WRi2)

"I just hope that it will end up in a positive way and we will go to Sochi because that's very, very important," team boss Franz Tost also said.

Tost is referring to the Russian grand prix, scheduled to take place for the first time this October.

A superbike round in Russia has already been cancelled, and the German touring car championship DTM is not ruling out axing its Moscow race.

But Marussia team boss John Booth said the current plan is for F1 to race in Sochi.

"As with Bahrain over the last couple of years, we'll follow our government guidelines on whether it's safe to travel or not," he said.

From GMM

Mercedes' rivals may block the introduction of the 'megaphone' exhaust, according to reports.

Already utterly dominating the 2014 season, Mercedes will try the trumpet-like exhaust attachment at Barcelona during next week's post-Spanish grand prix test.

Earlier reports suggested that, following widespread criticism of the milder sound of this year's engines, the Mercedes exhaust would get F1's volume half-way between the volume of the current V6s and the old, screaming V8s.

But before the exhaust can be introduced at grands prix, "the other manufacturers, Ferrari and Renault, would have to agree", Austria's APA news agency reports.

"They fear that Mercedes has made the development for its own benefit," the report added.

Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda hit back: "It changes the horse power of the engine by zero. The only thing that changes is the funnel at the end of the exhaust.

"It just makes more noise," he added.

"Everyone thinks Mercedes has done this to have an advantage -- what absolute nonsense," said Lauda.

He claims that Mercedes was the only team that responded to the cries of the fans for more noise. "The others have not done anything," Lauda is quoted by the German newspaper Bild.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRi2)

Nonetheless, he said Mercedes' solution can simply be attached to the end of any exhaust -- including those coming from rival Renault and Ferrari engines.

Lauda said initial tests had shown that, with the attachment, "you can reach almost twice the volume" of the current V6 engines.

"The problem," he explained, "is that all the teams would have to agree. Just because of that it won't happen? What nonsense," Lauda charged.

Rival engine maker Renault confirmed that it is not convinced F1 has a sound problem.

"Take, for example, the most famous race outside of formula one, which is Le Mans," Renault chief Jean-Michel Jalinier is quoted by Speed Week.

"Last year I was there and there were more than 70 cars in the field, and yet it made less noise at the start than our 22 (F1) cars.

"But no one complains that Le Mans is not a fantastic race," he said.

"If GP2 is louder, it just means that GP2 is outdated rather than F1 having a sound problem.

"You just have to move with the times," Jalinier argued, "and it is no longer the time for a V10 or V8 using 60 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres."

Interestingly, it seems that Mercedes' efforts to introduce the 'megaphone' may not be blocked at least by its title rival Red Bull.

"The test (next week) is a step in the right direction," said Dr Helmut Marko.

"GP2 is now louder than formula one, which cannot be," he insisted.

From GMM

Michael Schumacher is still at the hospital in Grenoble, the major German newspaper Bild reports.

It is now more than a month since the F1 legend's manager Sabine Kehm announced that the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver is showing "moments of consciousness and awakening" amid his long coma.

Not long after the early April announcement, Kehm said Schumacher, 45, would move "into a rehab clinic" as soon as it was possible.

"Bild's information is that Schumacher has not yet moved to a rehab clinic," the newspaper reported.

"Sabine Kehm only wants to make new statements when there are significant changes," Bild added.

From GMM

F1 backmarker Caterham has ousted its technical boss Mark Smith.

That is the claim of Luis Vasconcelos, the correspondent at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya this weekend for Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper.

He said 53-year-old Smith, who has also worked at Renault, Red Bull and Force India before joining Caterham in 2011, was ousted due to the team's struggle for pace this season.

It has been rumoured that, having started the project in 2010, this season could be Caterham's last season in F1 before team owner Tony Fernandes loses patience.

"The one comment I would make is that we should not take anything for granted," team boss Cyril Abiteboul said in Barcelona on Friday.

"Formula one is the pinnacle of motor sport. We need to deserve our position on track. It's not like once you are in there you should sit down and relax," he added.

From press release

Canadian race car driver Alex Tagliani will be back in an Indy car this Sunday, testing ahead of the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Tagliani has been watching IndyCar from the sidelines this season, taking part only in three United SportsCar Championship (USCC) events with RSR Racing.

But he has signed with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing to drive the No. 68 Dallara-Honda in the Indy 500.

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (Photo: Facebook)

"It's going to be an interesting month of May," said the Lachenaie native ahead of his return.

"I can't wait to get back in 'Indy 500 mode'.

"The team is new, so obviously it's important that we learn how to work and communicate together. It's going to be difficult, but that's why we have six days of testing."

From GMM

Formula 1's most familiar face was missing on Friday as the sport practiced in Barcelona.

That is because, more than 1000 kilometres away, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was in a Munich court, fighting for his future and freedom.

Friday's events in Germany are perhaps the most significant yet in the corruption scandal, as the man 83-year-old Ecclestone is alleged to have bribed to the tune of $44 million began his role as the prosecution's star witness.

Fascinatingly, prosecutors do not totally dispute Ecclestone's claim that Gribkowsky blackmailed him. According to the Guardian newspaper, the jailed former F1 banker on Friday even admitted he tried to "create pressure to reach an agreement".

On the face of it, Gribkowsky's testimony on Friday may have helped Ecclestone's case.

SID news agency quotes Gribkowsky as saying he and Ecclestone did not discuss "at any time" precisely what the millions in payments were for.

"I never asked the question," he added.

From GMM

Sergio Perez has slammed Pirelli for supplying overly conservative tire compounds at the Spanish grand prix.

F1's official tire supplier had a tumultuous and highly controversial 2013 season, but so far the emphasis this season has been on the radical new rules and quiet engines.

"The problem is that Pirelli is not helping us to attack and enjoy driving," Mexican Perez, who drives for Force India, is quoted by Russia's f1news.ru.

"We have lost downforce compared to last year and now we have to drive very hard compounds," he added.

"It seems that Pirelli is worried about the graining of the front tires, but if you look at the difference between us and GP2, I think you have to be concerned that their cars are so close now in laptime.

Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India VJM07 (Photo: Facebook)

"Our budgets are at least eight times more than the GP2 teams, but the speed difference is only one and a half seconds, or two seconds. It's not enough," said Perez.

"I think Pirelli needs to be more aggressive because on Sunday we are all going to just follow each other. We will have a boring race and that's not good for the sport," he added.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso also thinks Pirelli's selection for Barcelona is "too conservative", and according to Perez the pair are not alone in their thinking.

"At the drivers' briefing everyone complained that the cars are sliding and it's difficult to have a good level of grip," said Perez.

"Hopefully, Pirelli will listen and react also to the fans to make the races more interesting."

Pirelli's Paul Hembery, however, hit back by insisting that complaining drivers are just making "an excuse" for their own situations.

"It's the same for everyone," he said. "We had to take a different approach this year as the cars are completely different."

From GMM

Ferrari is a hotbed of rumours at the scene of the Spanish grand prix.

The first rumour was that Ross Brawn, the team's ultra-successful technical director during the Michael Schumacher years, could be on the way back to Maranello full-time following a recent visit during his retirement.

But Luca di Montezemolo, the Ferrari team president who is stepping up his presence in the wake of boss Stefano Domenicali's exit, shook his head disapprovingly when asked on Friday about the Brawn speculation.

"I am sure (Marco) Mattiacci will do a good job, even though he has just arrived," said the Italian, referring to Domenicali's inexperienced successor.

"But I don't believe in a one-man show."

Indeed, Montezemolo did little to quell the Brawn rumours when he suggested that Mattiacci was only selected to replace Domenicali because "there was no other alternatives".

"To be honest I didn't have time to think of anybody else as I didn't want to leave an open position," he said in Barcelona.

The Brawn rumour is not the only one swirling around the Circuit de Catalunya.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14-T (Photo: Ferrari)

France's L'Equipe reports that Fernando Alonso is looking for a way out of his 2016 Ferrari contract in order to join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.

The publication cited "Spanish sources", but it may also have been fuelled by Toto Wolff's recent description of Alonso as a 2014 title contender and "race monster".

"Absolute nonsense!" Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda rapidly fired when asked about the Alonso connection.

"Both of our drivers, Nico (Rosberg) and Lewis, have long-term contracts and we will hold to them. We see no reason to replace either of our drivers," he is quoted by Sport Bild.

Montezemolo, however, at least acknowledged that Alonso is currently frustrated.

"When we give him a very competitive car again, he will be extremely happy," he said.

"My problem is not my drivers, it is making the team competitive again," Spain's El Mundo quotes Montezemolo as saying.

Adrian Newey (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

The third Ferrari rumour, meanwhile, is linking Red Bull's technical boss Adrian Newey - the highest paid and most highly rated engineer in F1 - with Maranello.

The rumour has been repeated by numerous Italian sources including La Repubblica, but also the respected correspondent for Auto Motor und Sport, Michael Schmidt.

"Newey is said to have received an offer," Schmidt said. "It would not be the first."

From press release

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton scored another pole position Saturday, ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The 2008 world champion, who has never won in Spain, had been slower than his teammate Nico Rosberg, who qualified second aboard the sister W05, all day. But he found a way to improve when it mattered the most.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRi2)

"Nico had a strong P3 and first two sessions of qualifying," admitted Hamilton.

"So we were making small adjustments to the differential to try and make improvements to how the car was handling for Q3. On that final run, I really had to eke out everything and more from the car and myself to get pole.

"I'm so happy that I managed it!"

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10 (Photo: WRi2)

Rosberg, who won the opening round of the season in Australia, leads the drivers' championship, but has not been able to match Hamilton's pace so far this season.

The German pins his hopes of beating his teammate on a good start Sunday.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14-T (Photo: WRi2)

"Starting second is a bit of a disadvantage but it's such a long straight down to the first corner," he commented after qualifying.

"So I will hope to have a better start than Lewis tomorrow and overtake him. It's also a long race where tyre degradation will be a key issue so there may be some opportunities to take advantage."

Sergio Perez, Force India VJM07 (Photo: WRi2)

Qualifying results* - Spanish Grand Prix (round 5 of 19)
1.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1'25”232 - Q3
2.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1'25"400 - Q3
3.Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1'26"285 - Q3
4.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'26"632 - Q3
5.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1'26”960 - Q3
6.Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'27”104 - Q3
7.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'27"140 - Q3
8.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'27"335 - Q3
9.Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'27"402 - Q3
10.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - no time - Q3
11.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'27"685 - Q2
12.Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'28”002 - Q2
13.Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1'28"039 - Q2
14.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1'28"280 - Q2
15.Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - no time - Q2
16.Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1'28"563 - Q1
17.Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1'29"586 - Q1
18.Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1'30"177 - Q1
19.Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1'30”312 - Q1
20.Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1'30”375 - Q1
21.Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - no time - Q1
22.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - no time - Q2**
*Unofficial results
**10-place grid penalty

Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso STR9 (Photo: WRi2)

Tesla said its deal to supply Toyota Motor Corp. with battery packs and motors for a rechargeable crossover will conclude this year.

Seating and electronics supplier Lear will ask a bankruptcy court judge in New York later this month to sign off on an $8.75 million settlement to a Detroit lawsuit involving automotive supplier price-fixing over the previous decade.