Auto News 5

Renault is using Formula One to promote its brand in China ahead of the French automaker opening its first car factory in the world's biggest auto market.

From GMM

Giovanni Malago says it is unlikely Ferrari will recover from its competitive slump within the 2014 season.

The Italian olympic chief's name is now well-known in the F1 paddock, after Ferrari this week quoted him as saying he dislikes the sport's 'new' face.

"I hope the people who run the sport look again at the rules because the way formula one is now, it has much less appeal," he had said in the quotes faithfully reproduced on Ferrari's official website.

Now, Malago has admitted he doubts Ferrari can emerge from its competitive slump within the 2014 season, despite Marco Mattiacci having been drafted in with Fiat's backing to replace boss Stefano Domenicali.

"I think that in formula one, as well as in (grand prix) motorcycles, unlike many other sports, it is difficult to overturn your results in the same season," he is quoted by Tuttosport.

"In football," Malago explained, "you can improve and aim to win the championship, but this hardly ever happens in formula one."

The two Ferrari F14 T in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

But Steve Robertson, the manager of Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen, does not agree.

He said the "new generation" of V6-powered cars are only "at the beginning of their life cycle".

"Every team is aware of the massive improvements they can make to their cars," Robertson told Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper.

"I do not think any team will begin already to focus on their car for next year, at least in the same way as they might have done in the past," he insisted.

Ferrari-powered Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez, however, agrees with Malago that the Maranello marque will struggle to catch up in 2014.

"All the teams with Ferrari engines know they are working hard, making changes, but so far it's not enough," the Mexican is quoted by Spain's El Confidencial newspaper. "It will not be an easy year for Fernando (Alonso)."

That fact is evident on Alonso's face in the Shanghai paddock.

The dark glasses-wearing Mattiacci finally made his first appearance in a Ferrari uniform on Friday, but several metres separated him from the team's Spanish driver as they walked the length of the Shanghai paddock together.

Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari, in China. (Photo: WRi2)

Earlier, Alonso's first statements about his new boss were far from glowing.

On Thursday, he said he wasn't even sure Mattiacci was making the trip to China, while revealing he has been talking with the departed Domenicali "all the week long".

And when asked about Mattiacci's inexperience, Alonso answered: "It's too early to say if it will be a very good thing or very bad.

"I don't really have much to say. I drive the car," he later added.

At the same time as my esteemed colleague was off driving the new 2015 WRX in the Californian sun, I was stuck at home in well-below-zero temperatures and snow behind the wheel of a '14 Subaru Impreza. While the two may seem worlds apart, they are borne of the same basic instincts, and that's saying something.

To me, the Impreza has always been the underdog -- the one no one saw coming -- and in its latest iteration, I think that's never been truer. Is it the best compact out there? No. However, it's definitely one of the top contenders, and I don't think enough consumers are aware of just how good this car can be.


What is the Subaru Impreza?
The Impreza just passed its 20-year mark in North America, and in those two decades it's managed to make quite the impression, but not necessarily in its base form as just the Impreza. Garnering a cult following for its WRX and STI versions, the Impreza offers up driving dynamics and AWD in a compact package that's seen some radical redesigns over the generations.

Now in its fourth generation, the Impreza has branched off and is no longer associated with the WRX and STI as they are now stand-alone models free of the Impreza name. Will this help or hinder the model? Time will tell.

2014 Subaru Impreza Price and Specs
With no less than eight models to choose from, there is a Subaru Impreza for everyone. At the bottom of the group sits the 2.0i 4-door with a starting price of $19,995. And at the very top, the 2.0i Limited Package 5-door hatch sits very pretty at $27,795.

Right in the middle of it all was my particular tester, a Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Package sedan with a starting price of $23,895.

No matter which vehicle you choose in the lineup, you'll be graced with Subaru's excellent 2.0L horizontally opposed 4-cylinder BOXER engine that's good for 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. While a 5-speed manual transmission is standard, Subaru's Lineartronic CVT with manual mode is an option.

Driving the 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport
Full disclosure: My very first car was a Subaru Impreza. It was a base model with a manual transmission. I loved it for its AWD and its fun-to-drive nature. It could be as civilized as it could be feisty when asked; and by partnership I've also spent the better part of a decade with a WRX parked in the garage. So, I may be a bit biased here (you've been warned).

Granted, this 2014 Subaru Impreza was no turbocharged WRX, but it was quite nice to drive. For starters, it had life. It was eager to go; so eager in fact that depressing the throttle from a parking spot was almost shocking as it would jump forward, ready to get the show on the road. When compared to the Prius and Rogue I'd driven the week before, it was a pleasant departure from stunted throttle response.

In all honesty, Subaru's Lineartronic CVT is very nice. It's not obnoxiously loud and is responsive. And despite the manual mode option in my Sport Package tester, I was happy to let the transmission perform as it pleased.

Steering is precise and while the body roll is apparent, I understand the Impreza is meant to be a comfortable cruiser, not a corner-munching track star (that's the WRX and STI's jobs).

The AWD is as high-performing as ever, and no matter what our Canadian “spring” threw at me that week, the 2014 Impreza took it in stride.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport
As I mentioned above, the Impreza has seen many facelifts over the years. This latest Impreza is perhaps the most generic looking one of all.

Through a series of “dumbed down” design choices, Subaru has opened up the door to the masses and made their cars more accessible and acceptable to a greater buying public. Where flared wheel arches and a fairly aggressive front fascia may have been off-putting to some buyers, a gentler look and softer edges and sidings appeals to a great number.

Inside, the 2014 Subaru Impreza offers up standard fare and is both comfortable and practical. There's nothing spectacular to write home about, but it is roomy. The back seat offered up ample space for my son's baby seat and the door openings are blissfully more practical than they were on the '04 Impreza.

Comparing the 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport
In terms of competition, the Impreza is up against some strong names: Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. However, what it has going for it is AWD and an all-year drivability some crave, as well as the practicality, fuel economy, and design those in the market for cars such as these are looking for.

From press release

With 17 days to go to the DTM season kick-off, held on 04th May at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, Robert Wickens set the final fastest lap time of the official ITR tests contested at the same venue.

At the wheel of his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, only Wickens of the 11 drivers involved in the Thursday tests set a time below the 1:33-minute mark. Behind the Canadian, reigning DTM Champion Mike Rockenfeller in his Audi RS 5 DTM and Wickens' fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett came second and third respectively.

Robert Wickens, Mercedes. (Photo: DTM)

The best of the BMW M4 DTM drivers, Augusto Farfus, finished sixth behind Audi pairing Adrien Tambay and Jamie Green. Farfus' fellow BMW-drivers Bruno Spengler and Maxime Martin followed in seventh and eighth position. Mattias Ekström (Audi) as well as the two DTM rookies Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes-Benz) and Antonio Felix da Costa (BMW) completed the time sheets.

The fastest lap of the entire four days of testing at Hockenheim was set by Marco Wittmann on Tuesday when he crossed the line in 1:32.132 minutes. While Bruno Spengler, who completed a total of 174 laps (795.876 kilometres) on Thursday alone, proved to be the busiest. Over the course of the two days he was involved in the test action, the Canadian completed 298 laps, representing a total mileage of 1,363.052 kilometres.

"We still have a bit of work to do before the start of the season, said Spengler. We will analyse all the data we collected during testing in great detail over the next three weeks in the run up to the opening race at the Hockenheimring. It is still hard to say how strong we will be with the new car in 2014. However, one thing is certain: we will be well prepared come the start of the new season.”

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was the quickest on Friday on FP2, but Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) set the pace in the morning session on FP1.

Odd situation for Ferrari in the first session, while Fernando Alonso edged out Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) for the best time, Kimi Raikkonen failed to record a time, stuck with mechanical problems in the garage.

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

Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) was third, ahead of Jenson Button (McLaren) and Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India) fifth.

Regarding the reserve drivers, Felipe Nasr was on track for Williams (13th) and Giedo Van der Garde (14th) was aboard the Sauber.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

For the second session, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) overcame his suspension problem from FP1 and set the fastest time in the afternoon.

Fernando Alonso remains in front with his Ferrari, second, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), followed by the two Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

With no time in the morning, Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) finishes seven and Romain Grosjean gives Lotus an encouragement with a ninth position.

To be noticed, the crash of Pastor Maldonado as he came into the pits, he damaged his Lotus and was unable to complete the practice session.

Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Free Practice 1 - Results*
1 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 1.39.783 - 20 laps
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1.40.181 - 16
3 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1.40.772 - 23
4 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1.40.970 - 23
5 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1.41.175 - 16
6 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1.41.366 - 20
7 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1.41.505 - 26
8 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1.41.560 - 9
9 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1.41.629 - 19
10 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1.41.699 - 14
11 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1.41.977 - 23
12 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1.42.090 - 24
13 - Felipe Nasr (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1.42.265 - 13
14 - Giedo Van der Garde (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1.42.615 - 16
15 - Sergio Perez (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1.42.733 - 13
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1.43.731 - 22
17 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1.44.038 - 16
18 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1.44.162 - 17
19 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1.44.270 - 7
20 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1.44.782 - 20
21 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1.44.835 - 22
22 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - No time - 1

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05. (Photo: WRi2)

Free Practice 2 - Results*
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1.38.315 - 25 laps
2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 1.38.456 - 28
3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1.38.726 - 30
4 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1.38.811 - 30
5 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1.39.015 - 31
6 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1.39.118 - 25
7 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - 1.39.283 - 25
8 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1.39.491 - 29
9 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1.39.537 - 36
10 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1.39.648 - 26
11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1.39.736 - 30
12 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1.39.744 - 29
13 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1.39.759 - 28
14 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1.39.830 - 25
15 - Sergio Perez (Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1.40.124 - 32
16 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1.40.359 - 32
17 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1.40.395 - 30
18 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1.40.455 - 12
19 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1.42.327 - 27
20 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1.43.473 - 30
21 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1.43.530 - 32
22 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1.43.679 - 32

*Unofficial timings

From GMM

Pastor Maldonado has hit out at the new 'penalty points' system that could see him having to serve a race ban later in 2014.

After just the opening three grands prix of the season, the Venezuelan already has three 'demerit points' against his F1 super license.

Jules Bianchi, meanwhile, has four.

"I'm not sure if anyone will reach the full 12 but after three races, having four, then he should reach it very soon," Adrian Sutil said in China.

The most serious incident involving Lotus' Maldonado this year was in Bahrain, where contact with Esteban Gutierrez caused the Mexican to roll over.

But he also made a fundamental - and bizarre - mistake in Shanghai practice, when he took his eyes off the track and simply drove off it in a corner.

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus E22-Renault, in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

"I think it's a good system. It puts some conscience on ourselves to not do wrong moves and to respect each other and to race in a fair way," Esteban Gutierrez, referring to penalty points, said in Shanghai.

Pastor Maldonado, however, insists the Bahrain crash was simply "a normal race contact", and so he is critical of the new penalty system.

"We need to avoid the incident but at the same time (with penalty points) you cannot race," he told reporters on Thursday.

"We are racers and we are always risking. If you are competing, you need to take chances. So maybe they need to be slightly more flexible. That's my opinion."

Gutierrez is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace as suggesting the biggest problem with Maldonado is that he does not seem to be learning from his mistakes.

"It is pointless to discuss the television images, because they are clear," he said. "That's the problem: it seems that Pastor is not recognising his mistakes, he sees things only from his side and I don't think that's right."

Maldonado, however, insisted the Bahrain rollover made the "light knock" appear more dramatic due to the new mandatory low noses on the cars this year.

"With the new noses, when we touched, the car took off. So for the spectator it was quite shocking," he is quoted by Brazil's Globo.

"I think the punishment was related to the magnitude of what we saw, not the contact itself," Pastor Maldonado added.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has denied rumours he will strike a plea deal with Munich prosecutors to stay out of jail and in charge of F1.

The sport's chief executive faces up to a ten-year custodial sentence if found guilty at the end of a trial that begins in Germany next week.

But rumours in Shanghai suggest the 83-year-old actually intends to strike a mid-trial deal with prosecutors whereby he pleads guilty but stays out of jail in order to remain in charge of formula one.

Asked about the plea bargain rumours, Ecclestone insisted in the Telegraph: "No, not at all. I'm going into this trial to prove my innocence of what I'm being charged with."

Donald Mackenzie, the F1 boss at the sport's commercial rights owners CVC, has said that if Ecclestone is found guilty of a criminal offence, he will be sacked.

But, citing a "CVC source", Telegraph correspondent Daniel Johnson has reported from the scene of the Chinese grand prix that a plea bargain "would throw up a different set of circumstances".

Bernie Ecclestone responded: "You should ask Donald.

"What can I say? I can't speak for him," the Briton is quoted by the Guardian newspaper.

As promised a few days ago, Ford brought a new 2015 Mustang to the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York to celebrate the muscle car's 50th anniversary.

Photo: Ford

The company pulled off the same feat a half-century ago when the Mustang made its original debut.

Since no crane could elevate the car to the top of the building, engineers had to cut it into three sections, use the elevators, and then put it back together. Bravo!

Photo: Ford

From GMM

Mercedes' rivals look closer to the pace this weekend in China.

Back-to-back winner Lewis Hamilton was the fastest overall in Shanghai practice, but Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was only a tenth behind.

On Friday morning, the Spaniard was even fastest of all.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport wondered if the red car was putting in "show rounds" to ease the pressure on the new dark glasses-wearing boss, Marco Mattiacci.

But the Italian team does appear to have taken a clear step forward since Bahrain, with correspondent Michael Schmidt revealing Ferrari is using not only a new rear wing in China, but also an engine upgrade and new Shell fuel.

"The competition has moved closer to us," confirmed Mercedes' Paddy Lowe.

Closer, but not quite close enough, as confirmed by Red Bull's Christian Horner. "We are closer," he agreed, "but we can not challenge them on a dry track. In the rain, we have a chance."

If it does stay dry, the main event at the front of the field could be yet another ding-dong battle between Hamilton and his fiesty teammate, Nico Rosberg.

The German is desperate to prevent Hamilton from gaining the psychological "edge", as referred to by the Briton and 2008 world champion on Thursday.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05 and Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14 T in China. (Photo: WRi2)

Once friends, the pressure of their seemingly inevitable battle for the 2014 title is beginning to tell.

Asked if he had "any contact" - a phone call, an email, a text message - with Hamilton since finishing second to his teammate in Bahrain two weeks ago, Rosberg insisted: "No, nothing."

During their wheel-to-wheel battle, Rosberg had radioed the pits, describing Hamilton's driving as "not on".

Nico Rosberg played that down on Thursday but admitted the pair would need to get together for a clear-the-air session.

On Friday, Rosberg said: "Yes, we sat down and went through everything. It's all behind us and flat-out ahead."

But when asked about that debrief, Hamilton shook his head and answered "No" when asked if it had taken place.

Rosberg confirmed that the rivalry is becoming "tense", and team boss Lowe said he will work hard to keep it in check as the races roll on in 2014.

"We've already seen signs (of the tension)," he told the Guardian, "because they've got a winning car and they both want to win. I think it will require careful management through the year."

The new Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci thought the F1 job was a joke.

The Italian attends his first Grand Prix as a team principal in China this week-end.

"I live in New York and I received a call at 5.58 on Friday morning. The chairman, Luc di Montezemolo, was on the phone and he told me, 'this is my idea'," explains Marco Mattiacci in Autosport.

"I told him that April Fool's had been about 15 days earlier. But then, after the second or third minute of discussions, I understood that it was serious. And I understood that as there was already a ticket ready to go from New York to Milan after three hours. I arrived Saturday morning in Maranello at the Fiorano track," adds the Ferrari team principal.

Before travelling to Shanghai, Marco Mattiacci only spent two days with Stefano Domenicali to get up to speed with the position.

"Stefano is a great person. He is a friend of mine. On Saturday we spent a few hours, and Monday we spent the entire day together. Stefano is a person who I have the utmost respect as a human being and secondly as a professional, so it was natural to discuss the roles," reveals the Italian.

Marco Mattiacci with Kimi Raikkonen in Shanghai. (Photo: WRi2)

A lot of people underlined that Mattiacci was wearing sunglasses in Shanghai, while the weather was gloomy during the two sessions.

"If you do in less than four days almost 40 hours of flights, and you don't sleep in the last four days, then probably you need sunglasses," Marco Mattiacci commented.

Kevin Harvick is 22nd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, after eight races, and he's not worried, why?

He's overcoming a feast or famine start consisting of four finishes of 36th or worse.

On the other two wins he's a virtual lock on a Chase berth (under the new rules) and can only solidify his points standing as the year goes on.

In fact it's his best start, going into the Easter off-week since 2011 when he also won two events, in the first eight races, driving for Richard Childress Racing.

After 13 Cup seasons with RCR that's a short period of adjustment in anyone's playbook.

Coincidentally, Matt Kenseth (who left a long term relationship with Jack Roush to go to Joe Gibbs Racing last year) won two races in his first eight with a new team and ranked ninth.

And that knowing that his relationship with crew chief, Rodney Childers, is growing stronger puts Harvick is a good frame of mind.

Kevin Harvick, winner in Darlington. (Photo: NASCAR)

"I think for me it's the potential, just seeing what's forward," Harvick said.

"I think you look at all the guys, and I've got to know them all pretty well now, so it's a lot of fun to  everybody has put the energy into work hard to be a team, and he pushes a lot of that.  I feel like we have a great relationship, but I feel like all the guys on the team have a great relationship not only with him or myself but also with each other, and that's important.

"I think as we go through time, there's still a lot of growing pains that we have to work through as far as structure and things at StewartHaas Racing and in general, just as you look at the four teams and how they flow and who does what and how things work. 

"There's a lot of things that still need to be worked on, but even on a good team.  If you're sitting on your hands, you're getting ready to get passed because this is a competitive garage, and there's a lot of competitive people that push things to the point where they get themselves into victory lane."

You can bet the Childers aren't resting on his laurels.

"Like he (Harvick) said, we've got a lot to learn and a lot to get better at, but like I said at Phoenix, I thought the day I walked in there it was going to be June or July before we could win a race, and we're sitting here now, and without mechanical issues we could have won two or three races, maybe four races, maybe five races. We've had good cars every week."

And while the rest of us are waiting for the Jimmie Johnson Express to leave the station it appears that Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas operation have just the right ticket.

From GMM

Honda's F1 boss on Friday said the Japanese marque will not supply any customer teams when it returns to the sport next year.

Speaking in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese grand prix, Yasuhisa Arai confirmed that Honda - having pulled out of F1 at the end of 2008 - was enticed back to the grid for 2015 mainly due to the new 'green' regulations.

"The new regulation encourages each power unit supplier to pursue the ultimate combustion efficiency and high pressure direct injections, and many, many new technologies," he said.

Arai said that technology can then be applied on the mass production side for road cars: "That's the reason why (Honda is returning)," he told reporters.

So far, Honda has only said it will be McLaren's works supplier in 2015.

McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

But Mercedes equips its own works team as well as three customers, Ferrari has the same model and two customers, while four F1 teams are powered by Renault.

"For year 2015, McLaren is our only customer," said Arai. "I don't think about the future, because we want to concentrate on next season."

He hinted, however, that it would make financial sense to begin selling the turbo V6 units to customer teams at a later date.

"Of course we want to have good results next season," said Arai, "(as if to say) 'Please choose our power unit for next season'.

"If teams want to use our engine or power unit, we can deliver after year 2016, but right now there are no plans," he added.

Arai said Honda's European F1 headquarters, at Milton Keynes in the UK, will be ready by June.

At an exhibit on the auto show floor here, I sat inside a Cadillac XTS sedan equipped with General Motors' new 4G LTE wireless connection. But I couldn't help but think: GM should have put the 4G demo unit in a Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra pickup.

GM plans to shift its global Cadillac chief back to focus full time on his former lobbying position in Washington as the automaker deals with fallout from defective ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths, a person familiar with the plans...

A lawyer for GM said for the first time this week that the company is moving to develop a program that could compensate individuals affected by a faulty ignition-switch in millions of recalled vehicles.

General Motors says that cars being recalled because of faulty ignition switches can be driven safely before repairs, based on more than 80 tests, but the automaker has not addressed a problem long known to potentially shut off the engine: a simple...

General Motors said global vehicle sales rose 2 percent during the first quarter. Increasing deliveries in China helped make up for declines in the United States and Brazil.

The 2015 Subaru Outback took a bow at the New York auto show on Thursday.

Production of the hot-selling 2014 Jeep Cherokee was temporarily disrupted today after workers at a key supplier walked off the job this morning in a union dispute.

Not long after the last transport departed New York Harbor with a cargo of unsold 164s, an Alfa Romeo executive was probably quoted as saying, "we will return next year!" We have been eagerly anticipating the return of Alfa Romeo for the last 19...