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From GMM

Marcus Ericsson has kicked off his F1 career with a diet.

The Swedish rookie, set to make his debut in 2014 for the backmarker Caterham, revealed that his engineers have tasked him with losing weight before Melbourne.

"They haven't said I need to be any particular weight," said the 23-year-old blonde, "but I'll go down as much as I can, ensuring I can still race for two hours."

Marcus Ericsson, Caterham F1 Team (Photo: WRI2)

Eurosport Sweden reported that Ericsson, 180 cm tall (5' 11") and 69 kilograms (152 lbs), has entered a diet programme with a specialist Italian clinic renowned for helping single-seater drivers lose weight.

"We will work closely making sure I am at the right level," he said, "as you still need the highest concentration for two hours. It is extremely hot and with high G-forces, so it's impossible to be a skeleton. I won't be eating burgers for lunch and dinner but I still need to eat, because I train hard every day."

Marcus Ericsson lamented the situation in F1, where a significant increase in the weight of the cars for 2014 has not been greeted with a corresponding minimum weight-limit change.

"It's a shame the FIA and F1 can't just make a decision and increase the weight by 10 kg," he said. "Then it wouldn't be a big deal and everyone would have the same opportunities.

"But what can you do? I can't chop off a leg. Three kilos is a tenth per lap in this game, and my teammate (Kamui Kobayashi) is 7 or 8 kg lighter than me."

Various police corps in Europe hope to some day be able to remotely stop a vehicle that's been stolen and involved in a pursuit, for instance.

Using satellite systems, they could slow down and even bring a car to a full stop at the simple push of a button, from the comfort of their police headquarters.

It's all wishful thinking at this point, but the project may become a reality by 2020. More likely than not, fitting the required technology to all new vehicles will cause an uproar among Big Brother critics.

Source : techno-car.fr

From GMM

Adrian Newey, the fabled designer of Red Bull's troubled RB10, expects the 2014 season to be dominated by the new powertrain rules.

At Jerez last week, the reigning world champions struggled even to run the new car due to problems mating the Renault V6 and related energy-recovery technology with Newey's famously extreme aerodynamic packaging.

"At least in the early part of the season," Newey is quoted by Italy's Autosprint, "we will be talking about an 'engine formula'.

"Reliability, power, fuel consumption -- they will be decisive factors," he added.

"The aerodynamics will only really count once these new V6s have matured. But it has to be said that we are relying on the 'power unit' not only on Renault -- there are many other suppliers. And each of them will have to adapt to the development speed of modern formula one," said Newey.

The 55-year-old Briton is undoubtedly the most famous technical boffin in the F1 paddock, and he said preparing for 2014 was "the biggest challenge of my career".

"We had a small amount of time for such a complex car," he admitted.

Red Bull RB10. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Despite Bernie Ecclestone's recent warning, Gene Haas is pushing ahead with his plans to enter F1 in 2015.

After Haas, a Nascar team co-owner, responded to the FIA's invitation to fill the vacant team slot, Ecclestone said publicly he doubts the Californian is prepared to spend what it takes to compete in F1.

"He doesn't think we will get the license, so my chances probably aren't that great of a shot," Haas responded.

Nevertheless, Italy's specialist Autosprint reports that Haas is pushing ahead.

Correspondent Alberto Antonini said Haas is preparing to meet the FIA's next application deadline of February 10, including demonstrating its ability and willingness to compete with an adequate budget.

Autosprint also said Haas, whose project involves the former F1 personality Gunther Steiner, is pushing ahead with plans to field a Dallara chassis in 2015, mated to Ferrari's V6 and energy-recovery 'power unit'.

"We look forward to future developments," Antonini added.

From GMM

German authorities are pushing ahead with preparations for Bernie Ecclestone's criminal trial.

The Suddeutsche newspaper reports that the trial, following a long investigation into the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery affair, will begin in Munich on 24 April.

Authorities are reportedly expecting lengthy proceedings and so have initially reserved 26 days in court, according to Wednesday's edition of the Munich-published daily.

Suddeutsche Zeitung said the proceedings will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that F1 chief executive Ecclestone's attendance at grands prix is not affected.

The trial will take a break between mid August and mid September, the report added.

From GMM

Honda will fill any financial void at McLaren, after the great British team unveiled its new silver and black MP4-29 without replacing departed title sponsor Vodafone.

We reported recently that the Woking team and Lotus are tussling for a major sponsorship deal, rumoured to be Sony Playstation.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren MP4-29. (Photo: WRi2)

But even if McLaren - whose sponsorship asking price is probably higher - fails to secure the deal, the respected correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Michael Schmidt, says the team is financially secure.

That is because incoming works engine partner Honda is coming on board with a whopping EUR 100 million per year in financial backing.

That package includes free engines, EUR 50 million in cash and a 50 per cent contribution to the drivers' salaries.

"Apparently, the money will already be flowing this season," said Michael Schmidt.

From GMM

Peter Prodromou may not move to McLaren after all.

McLaren signed Red Bull's highly-rated aerodynamics chief late last year, but the reigning world champions insisted that Prodromou's full contract be run out.

Now, the German-language Speed Week reports that Red Bull has used that time wisely in trying to convince the Briton to stay put.

"The story is circulating that Prodromou has changed his mind and now wants to stay with Red Bull," the report said.

Prodromou, however, signed a binding contract with McLaren last October, and so a legal battle may ensue unless the great British team is prepared to accept a financial settlement.

Peter Prodromou and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Lotus will not wait until the next official test in Bahrain to get its delayed 2014 car on track.

Having not attended the first test at Jerez, the Enstone team will give its E22 a track debut this Friday and Saturday at the southern Spanish circuit, Italy's Autosprint reports.

Officially, the Lotus outing at Jerez will be for promotional 'filming days' on demonstration Pirelli tyres, allowed under the rules regulating the sport's strict limits on track testing.

But correspondent Roberto Chinchero said the session will actually be a crucial outing for engine supplier Renault, following the Jerez test debacle.

It will also be the first time Lotus' novel asymmetrical, double-pronged nose solution sees the light of day.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

From GMM

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez has played down reports McLaren refugee Martin Whitmarsh is definitely headed to Enstone.

With Eric Boullier having moved to McLaren to be 'racing director', it was reported that Briton Whitmarsh was the obvious choice to replace the Frenchman.

"There have been contacts with Martin," Lopez is quoted by Italy's blogf1.it, "but he is not necessarily the only one. We have talked to at least three other people."

The report said the Whitmarsh deal could fall over on the issue of his salary, given recent staff cuts at the financially-troubled team.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

Meanwhile, after Lopez said recently Lotus has a new sponsor in the form of Russia's Yotaphone, it emerges that the parent company has in fact bought a stake in the Enstone based team.

"This is not a mere sponsorship, we have acquired an equity stake," the spokesman for Yota Devices is quoted as saying.

Mitsubishi Motors has shuffled its top executives. Osamu Masuko, who has revived the automaker as president over the past nine years, becomes chairman and CEO. Tetsuro Aikawa will be president and COO.

Mitsubishi Motors has shuffled its top brass. Osamu Masuko, who has revived the automaker as president over the past nine years, becomes chairman and CEO. Tetsuro Aikawa will be president and COO.

US Tier 1 supplier giant Delphi is backing diesel's long-term growth with an EUR10m investment in its expanded advanced diesel and combustion centre in Bascharage, Luxembourg. For the first time it is bringing together expertise in both petrol and diesel injection systems and technology under the same roof. Ian Adcock heard about Delphi's strategy from John Fuerst, Delphi's president powertrain systems.

From the annals of not-getting-it-here-no-way-no-how comes the Citroën C4 Cactus, a soft soft-roader. Like, literally soft.

Each vehicle in the Zipcar or car2go car-sharing fleet means 32 lost vehicle sales, according to a report from consulting firm AlixPartners.

Michigan's Serra Automotive said today it has acquired the largest-volume General Motors dealership in Tennessee, Tom Bannen Chevrolet-Buick-GMC. Terms of the deal were not released.

The Ford Mustang and pinball go together like peanuts and Cracker Jack. The two, far apart mechanically, blend seamlessly to become part of one iconic piece of Americana.

The 2014 diesel-powered Ram 1500 pickup gets 28 mpg on the highway, the top rating for any pickup in the United States.

A couple weeks back, when I was tooling around Southern California in a '14 Mitsubishi Mirage, I happened to visit the

GM appointed Buick-GMC sales chief Brian Sweeney to Chevrolet's top U.S. post, as GM's biggest brand tries to jumpstart its sliding market share. Sweeney, 46, will become U.S.

GM said two of its outside directors, David Bonderman and Robert Krebs, will leave the company's board later this year.