Auto News 5

Mitsubishi Motors' board today announced plans for an accounting change that will help unload the worst accumulated losses in the automotive industry.

Mitsubishi plans to reorganize its capital to help unload the worst accumulated losses in the automotive industry.

Daimler strengthened ties with Ford after consulting with the automaker on its three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, which it is building with Renault for the next Smart and Twingo cars.

Already collaborating with Ford on the development of fuel cell vehicles, Daimler and the U.S. automaker recently exchanged information about their gasoline engines.

U.S. auto exports to Europe could quadruple within 15 years if regulators get rid of tariffs and adopt standard vehicle-safety rules, automaker associations say.

Nissan will introduce its first Datsun model in India by March 2014 as the carmaker offers cheaper vehicles in a push for a fivefold increase in its share of Asia's third-biggest auto market.

Daimler has strengthened ties with Ford after consulting with the U.S. automaker on its three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, which it is building with Renault for the next Smart and Twingo cars.

Audi purchasing chief Bernd Martens says the automaker aims to buy 90 percent of its components for its new Mexico factory from local sources. So far no other Audi location has done that

Automotive News Europe salutes the winners of the 2013 Rising Stars awards. Every day until June 12 one of the 18 winners will be featured. Today's Rising Star is Marcus Cox, Opel/Vauxhall's finance director for sales, marketing and aftersales.

British driver, Sam Bird won the first GP2 race of the Monaco meeting held Friday, which was stopped by a massive pile-up at the start.

Pile-up at the start of the Monaco race. (Photo: WRI2)

Johnny Cecotto Jr had a poor start from pole position and that allowed his teammate, Mitch Evans to power in the lead before the first corner.

Cecotto wanted to defend his position, braked too late, went wide at the first corner and hit the barrier. As a result, no less than 13 other cars get caught in the accident. The race was red flagged. Race stewards decided that Cecotto was responsaible of the accident and excluded him from the rest of the meeting.



A new start was given, but the starting order was based on the order in which the cars returned to their pits, and not on the original starting grid.

At the restart, Evans came under pressure from Sam Bird, and eventually lost the lead after the mandatory pit stop, losing even one more position when Kevin Ceccon moved up to second.

Race 1 :
1 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 42 laps in 1.36'15"919

2 - Kevin Ceccon - Trident - 22"077

3 - Mitch Evans - Arden - 23"225

4 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 23"416

5 - James Calado - ART - 29"588

6 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 1'00"519

7 - Rene Binder - Lazarus - 1'02"449

8 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - MP - 1'08"400
etc.

Even though Indy cars do not run on carburetors any more, Frenchman Simon Pagenaud set the fastest time on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the last Friday before the famed Indy 500 race.

The Schmidt Peterson driver -- behind the wheel of a Honda-powered Dallara -- set his fastest lap with only minutes to go with a 225.827mph effort, bettering the 225.304mph lap that had been laid down by Andretti's EJ Viso a few minutes earlier.

Viso's teammate, reining champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was third fastest.

Is your child safety seat properly installed? Despite how much you love your little one, the answer may be no. As a matter of fact, a study conducted in 2011 by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) revealed that only half of all child safety seats intended for children under 5 are used correctly.

Today, as part of the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day, 97 Canadian Tire stores across Quebec are inviting parents and grandparents to have their child safety seats inspected or installed free of charge from noon to 8 p.m.

Specially trained staff members will provide useful tips and advice on child safety seat installation, like making sure none of the car's seat belts can harm children in the event of a collision.

Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats
In partnership with CAA-Quebec, the SAAQ has created a permanent network to inspect child safety seats. It includes police forces, health establishments, daycare centres, and other organizations. With the addition of Canadian Tire, the network now has nearly 480 members.

“Joining the Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats was a no-brainer for a family-oriented company like us. Child safety seat inspection is yet another service we want to offer our customers,” said Bernard Villemaire, Regional Vice President Quebec, Store & Auto Operations at Canadian Tire Corporation.

The personnel on hand will be able to guide parents and grandparents to make sure they can safely install a child seat in their vehicle -- any vehicle, actually.

In Quebec only... for now
The 2012 pilot project in 14 Canadian Tire stores was so successful that the corporation decided to expand the program to the entire province.

While exclusively held in Quebec due to different rules elsewhere in Canada, Canadian Tire is “seriously considering” a plan to make the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day a nationwide event, Villemaire claims.

How does it work?
The specially trained individuals will check if a child is seated in the right type of child car seat for his or her height and weight. They will then check if the child safety seat is being used properly, more specifically that it is firmly anchored on the back seat of the vehicle and that the child is properly restrained.

Anchoring systems can also be installed in vehicles that don't have any in order to increase the effectiveness of the restraint device.

Beyond today
The Child Safety Seat Inspection Day at Canadian Tire stores primarily aims to raise public awareness. If you can't stop by today, you can still have your child safety seat inspected by making an appointment with a member of the Permanent Provincial Network.

The process will take a mere 15 minutes, and could one day make the difference between life and death during a crash.

*Special thanks to the Canadian Tire team at 1450, Le Corbusier Boulevard in Laval, for their precious collaboration.

Photo: Canadian Tire

BMW today unveiled the Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2013.

Described as an “exclusive interpretation of a luxurious BMW Coupé as seen through the eyes of Pininfarina,” this long-wheelbase four-seater sports the signature double-kidney grille and halo lights capped by a long hood.

The interior features black and brown Foglizzo leather, as well as kauri wood aged more than 48,000 years in New Zealand.

The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé is motivated by a powerful V12 engine. No other technical specs have been revealed, and production plans similarly remain unknown.

Photo: BMW

Pirelli has issued ultimatum to Formula 1 teams that should they not agree on a 2014 contract for the Italian tire manufacturer, then it will pull out at the end of this season.

Over recent weeks, talks between Pirelli and the teams have broken down, with the tyre firm saying it is running out of time to be able to fully prepare and produce tires for next season; a season which will see a massive technical overhaul in Formula 1.

The company's motorsport director, Paul Hembrey, told the media on Thursday at Monaco that the situation was becoming ‘extremely serious', and should the matter not be resolved soon, Pirelli will be unable to make the tyres for next season.

Bernie Ecclestone and Paul Hembery. (Photo: Pirelli)

"Apparently on September 1, we are meant to tell them [the teams] everything that they need to know with the tires for next season, but now we are in mid-May," he explained.

"You can imagine how ludicrous that is when we have not got contracts in place.

"Things are getting, as far as we can see, extremely serious because the changes next year are substantial.

"The sport has to take a rapid decision because aside from having the fixed resources in the business involved in F1, there is also a technical job. We need to do a technical job as well.

"It is not just a case of maybe putting a harder compound on to this year's tires - the changes are so dramatic that we will need to do a thorough re-engineering of the tire. That takes time, so the longer is goes on it makes our job impossible.

"There comes a time where we will not have time to do the job any more. Maybe we won't be here..."

It is rumoured that should Pirelli withdraw from the sport, South Korean tire firm Hankook, the DTM's tire supplier since 2011, is set to replace them.

From GMM

Both of Sauber's main team figures were missing in action on Thursday as Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez practiced in Monaco.

Roger Benoit, the very well connected correspondent for Swiss newspaper Blick, said it is "very rare" that neither Peter Sauber and team boss Monisha Kaltenborn are present at a grand prix circuit.

"They are somewhere in eastern Europe, on the sponsor search," he said.

Esteban Gutiérrez, Sauber C32. (Photo: WRi2)

The search for new money is increasingly important this year, as midfield teams prepare for the much more expensive turbo V6 engine rules of 2014.

"It's hellishly expensive," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted on Thursday, referring to the 2014 rules. "The timing (of the rule change) probably isn't ideal for some of the teams further down the grid."

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez agrees: "The timing is ... I don't know if it's well-chosen. It's certainly odd."

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen has reportedly been told to remove the depiction of 1976 world champion James Hunt from the top of his Monaco-spec helmet.

An unabashed fan of the wild, drinking, smoking, womanising British driver, Finn Raikkonen went one step further a year ago in the Principality, wearing the late Hunt's iconic black helmet livery.

This year, the Lotus driver's tribute to Hunt is a stylish picture on the top of his helmet, bearing the words 'James Hunt, 1976 world champion'.

And on the back of the helmet, above Raikkonen's 'iceman' logo, it reads: "Kimi on the Hunt'.

Photo: WRi2

But according to reports, including in Speed Week and Finland's Turun Sanomat, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has told Raikkonen to either cover the tribute or revert to his original helmet for the rest of the weekend.

Reportedly, Ecclestone objects either to the positioning of the tribute in full view of the overhead onboard camera, or believes it is an unauthorised advertisement of the forthcoming feature film about Hunt and Niki Lauda's 1976 title battle ('Rush').

When asked about the reported run-in with Ecclestone, Raikkonen told Speed Week: "I know nothing about it.

"As far as I know, I will wear the helmet all weekend."

Meanwhile, when asked about his admission he has "two options" on the table for the 2014 season, Raikkonen clarified that one of them is a return to retirement.

It had been reported that one of the options for the Lotus driver might be a switch to Red Bull.

"There is always the option that I will not drive (at all). It's always possible," the 2007 world champion is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez agreed that F1 should take that possibility seriously.

"Knowing Kimi well, outside of the track too, he could just as well announce that he's stopping altogether," he said on Thursday.

"I wouldn't take any bets whatsoever," he added.

This weekend, the mythical Indianapolis 500 race takes place the same day as the prestigious Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix and the famed Coca Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Fans of every category will be treated with some of the best and most important racing of the year.

However, I'd say that the Indy 500 remains The Big Unknown. Not because I'd say it's almost impossible to predict in advance who's going to win it, but because this 500-mile race -- the jewel of the IndyCar crown -- has generated virtually no coverage this year.

Do you know who will be on pole position for Sunday's race? No? I'm not surprised. He's an American driver, Ed Carpenter. The guy who will sit beside him on the starting grid is even more unknown: Columbia's Carlos Munoz.

Then, the list of relatively anonymous drivers goes on: Viso, Hildebrand, Jakes, Bell, Newgarden, Saavedra, Beatriz, Mann, Lazier, etc...

We must confess that the departure of Miss Danica Patrick to the NASCAR Sprint Cup badly hurt the IndyCar series. Despite having won just one race in her IndyCar career, Danica was able to generate more coverage than all 33 current drivers combined!

Apart from the motorsport newspapers, magazines, and web sites almost no one talks about the Indy 500.

The battle of the engine manufacturers involving Honda and Chevrolet gets very little attention. Things get worse as the provisional point standings are lead by a former F1 driver, Japanese Takuma Sato.

Where are the true stars? Where are the hot-blooded, big mouth, controversial drivers of the past who made IndyCar racing one of the best racing series ever?

I agree that today's stars -- guys like Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Dario Franchitti -- are well mannered, good drivers, and outstanding with the media.

However, 20 or 30 years ago the fans admired the cowboys like Al and Bobby Unser, A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, and Bobby Rahal.

These guys had gut, courage, determination, talent, and they were not afraid to speak their minds. You either loved them or hated them, but they did not go unnoticed; which is not the case with today's drivers.

So, will you watch the Indy 500 on TV this Sunday?

Photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

From GMM

Former team co-owner Gerhard Berger does not think Toro Rosso's current race drivers are ready to make the step up to Red Bull next year.

It is strongly rumoured that Sebastian Vettel's long-time teammate Mark Webber, 36, will not stay at the world champion team for an eighth consecutive season in 2014.

Reportedly at the front of the grid to replace him are Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo, although Jean-Eric Vergne also cannot be ruled out.

"I expect from both of the (Toro Rosso) drivers a very competitive second half of the season," said Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost, referring to the similarly 23-year-old Ricciardo and Vergne.

"Then we will see how the future will be."

Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner also said he is keeping an eye on the young duo.

"They're both young, talented drivers, both developing very well. It's good to see," he said in Monaco on Thursday. "For sure they're two guys we have a watchful eye over."

But Berger, who in 2007 oversaw Vettel's ultra-successful transition from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, thinks it could be too soon for Australian Ricciardo or Frenchman Vergne.

"Red Bull needs two absolutely winning drivers," he told APA news agency. "Whether one of both of these boys have it, we will see in the second half of the season. But now it's still too early to judge. I think they may need another year of development at Toro Rosso."

Asked about the Raikkonen speculation, fellow former McLaren and Ferrari driver Berger answered: "Kimi would definitely be a very good option (for Red Bull)."

Red Bull's Mark Webber is not overly concerned about the team's single lap pace in Monaco, despite both cars failing to finish in the top-three in either of yesterday's free practice sessions.

Despite recording only the fifth fastest lap in the final session, some +0.645 seconds off pace setter Nico Rosberg's Mercedes, Webber is refusing to be downbeat about the team's performance.

"You will never come to Monte Carlo and have the perfect day or perfect set-up,” said the 2010 and 2012 Monaco winner.

"We were not really in the window here last year up until my last lap in Q3.

“We need to rediscover that if I can and be towards the front - you need to be there here."

However, teammate Sebastian Vettel was not as positive following a KERS issue that halted his running on Thursday, as well as a ‘very poor' run on soft-tires.

"Not completely ideal but that is Friday - or in this case, Thursday,” said the triple world champion.

"We would like to be a little bit more competitive in low-fuel configuration so we need to try and find some lap time there.

"My run on super-softs was very poor, so we need to understand why.

“I wasn't able to improve which you should be quite easily.

"After that I did a long run on super-soft and it seemed quite OK.”

Sage Karam barely beat Carlos Munoz to earn his first ever Firestone Indy Lights pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Karam set a two-lap average speed of 189.243 mph, putting him just ahead of Munoz's 189.103 mph mark (Munoz who will also take part in the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar race).

Sage Karam, Schmidt Peterson. (Photo: Chris Jones/IMS)

Munoz admitted that jumping between the Lights car and the IndyCar had made things a little trickier for him.

The Colombian's closest title rival was Jack Hawksworth, who ended up fifth on the grid behind Peter Dempsey and Gabby Chaves, but said that he was satisfied with his starting position.

A small field of just 11 cars took part in the qualifying session.

Pos  Driver   Team   Speed (in mph)
1. Sage Karam  Schmidt Peterson  189.243
2. Carlos Munoz   Andretti  189.103
3. Peter Dempsey  Belardi  188.793
4. Gabby Chaves   Schmidt Peterson  187.770
5. Jack Hawksworth   Schmidt Peterson   187.410
6. Kyle O'Gara  Schmidt Peterson   187.276
7. Zach Veach  Andretti   187.013
8. Juan Pablo Garcia  Moore  186.509
9. Chase Austin  Herta  186.261
10. Jorge Goncalvez   Belardi  186.183
11. Jimmy Simpson  Moore  185.967