Auto News 5

The first free practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix saw a repeat of Australia, with the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel claiming two of the top-three positions.

Mark Webber, Red Bull RB9-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

It was Webber's turn to top the time sheets with a 1m36.935s whilst his team-mate finished the session in third, behind Kimi Raikkonen who did not join the track until almost an hour into the session due to a KERS problem on his Lotus.

The morning was characterised by teams opting to run long stints on heavy fuel loads, which again as in Australia, saw a severe drop off in pace and high tyre degradation with Lewis Hamilton claiming the Pirellis on his Mercedes were “destroyed”.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Rounding out the top six behind the pace setters were the leading #4 Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, Mercedes Nico Rosberg and Adrian Sutil - who despite front wing damage, continued his smashing return to the sport - in sixth. Massa, di Resta, Hamilton and Grosjean completed the top-10.

Caterham's Giedo van der Garde finished as best of the backmarkers ahead of Jules Bianchi's Marussia by .2 of a second, Caterham stablemate Charles Pic and Max Chilton who finished last of the 22 runners.

The second practice session saw Kimi Raikkonen continue his strong start to the season by finishing first in the session ahead of Vettel by .019 of a second, and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

The Finn clocked his best lap time of a 1m36.569 on medium tyres around 12 minutes in before the rain clouds looming over the Sepang circuit finally broke. Incidentally, it was also Raikkonen's first time in Lotus overalls that he set the fastest time in a practice session.

The rain shower, at its heaviest around turns 7-8, meant that the drivers were unable to improve on their best times and switched to intermediates; a move first made my McLaren's Sergio Perez just after the hour mark passed.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari F138. (Photo: WRi2)

Despite the slower times, the wet weather running proved beneficial as weather forecasts suggest that teams and drivers may face similar conditions in qualifying and the race. By the end of the session however, the 30-degree ambient temperature had more or less rendered the track dry, albeit with some remaining wet patches which were most notable on the exit of turn 15 as drivers struggled for grip under braking.

Behind the Raikkonen-Vettel-Massa trio, Alonso finished once again behind his teammate, with Webber and Grosjean filling the rest of the top-six spots. Di Resta continued Force India's strong form by finishing eighth, splitting the Mercedes' of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in seventh and ninth. Sutil once again impressed by rounding out the top-ten runners.

At the back of the grid, it was Bianchi once again who put in a giant killing performance in the Marussia by finishing ahead of Williams' Valtteri Bottas in 18th. Pic, Van der Garde and Chilton occupied 20th to 22nd position.

Photo: Sahara Force India

Malaysian Grand Prix,
Friday March 22, 2013

Free Practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"935 - 15 laps
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"003 - 15
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"104 - 21
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"319 - 13
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"588 - 19
6 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"769 - 17
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"771 - 15
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"773 - 15
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"840 - 18
10 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"915 - 17
11 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"173 - 16
12 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"673 - 16
13 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"830 - 17
14 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"054 - 17
15 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"204 - 16
16 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"208 - 19
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"284 - 17
18 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"567 - 16
19 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"728 - 17
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'40"996 - 14
21 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'41"163 - 18
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"513 - 14

Free Practice session 2 - Results*
1 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'36"569 - 28 laps
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"588 - 27
3 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"661 - 33
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"985 - 23
5 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"026 - 29
6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"206 - 26
7 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"448 - 32
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"571 - 30
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"574 - 32
10 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"788 - 10
11 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"838 - 21
12 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"865 - 29
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"068 - 31
14 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"645 - 23
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"801 - 27
17 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
18 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'39"508 - 30
19 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"660 - 28
20 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"757 - 29
21 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"768 - 32
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"438 - 23

* Unofficial results

While Michael Schumacher's retirement announcement made a lot of noise last fall, his brother Ralf's flew well under the radar -- much like his career, actually.

Michael rewrote the entire F1 record book. With seven world titles (including five in a row), and 91 first-place finishes (13 of which came in 2004 alone), the guy is a legend.

Ralf, meanwhile, enjoyed the complete opposite. He never managed to dominate, and seldom made headlines over 11 seasons. He will forever be known as Michael Schumacher's little brother.

In 2004, in Indianapolis. Ralf hit a concrete wall at full speed in what was a 78-g impact. Amazingly, he came out with no broken bones. However, a severe concussion irreparably changed him.

Following his stint in F1, Ralf spent five lacklustre seasons on Mercedes' DTM team. His top finish was a third place in Hockenheim two years ago.

Although I pride myself on being an unbiased auto-racing writer, I must admit that I've never been a fan of the Schumacher brothers. Compared with Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, and other greats, there was nothing charismatic about them. While many envied their driving skills -- especially Michael's -- the same could never be said of their personality.

Of course, I vividly remember Michael bumping into Damon Hill on multiple occasions, trying to take out Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, deliberately crashing in Monaco to prevent Fernando Alonso from stealing pole position, and shoving Rubens Barrichello against the pit wall in Hungary.

I know that Ayrton Senna had some controversial moments as well, like when he violently pushed Alain Prost off the track at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix. However, the Brazilian was merely taking his revenge for past attacks against him.

So what if Michael Schumacher dominated his era and went on to become the most decorated F1 driver of all time? For all his determination and dedication, for all his skills and sacrifices, the man was as cold, flat, and boring as slick ice.

We now have something we haven't seen since 1991: not a single Schumacher in international auto racing. Enjoy it while it lasts, though, because Michael's son, Mick, will inevitably take his turn behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Photo: WRI2

For the first time, rallye Dakar will reach Bolivia next year, while Peru is no longer part of the 2014 road.

In 2013, the Dakar rallye started from Lima, Peru, with a finish in Santiago de Chile after several stages in Argentina. Next year, the event will start from Valparaiso, still in Chile, before heading to the north and the Atacama desert.

The road will then be split in two parts : motorbikes and quads will head for the first time to Bolivia, while the cars and trucks will remain in Chile before reaching Argentina, with an arrival in the city of Rosario.

Stephane Peterhansel, winner of the 2013 edition, MINI. (Photo: Dakar.com)

From GMM

Robert Kubica has revealed he turned down an offer to return to premier circuit racing in 2013.

The Pole, preparing for his first event of 2013 as he gears up to contest the second-tier world rally championship this season, tested Mercedes' DTM car over the winter.

It was expected that a DTM race seat for the former Renault and BMW driver, seriously injured in an early 2011 rally crash, could pave the way for a return to F1 for the highly rated and popular 28-year-old.

Photo: Citroën Racing

He told Spain's AS sports newspaper: "I had an offer to race in DTM, but I chose rally even though it's a hundred times more difficult. I made the decision late because I wanted it to be right and, hopefully, later this year I will be happy with my choice. DTM is a very difficult championship, with a very high level, and maybe for me it would have been easier to race on circuits, as it's what I know."

When asked if he has therefore shelved his F1 dream for now, Kubica agreed: "I don't think much about formula one."

"Definitely the easiest choice would have been to do the DTM. But today my limitations mean I cannot drive formula one on some of the most physically demanding circuits. I also have limitations to do the rallies and so I will work hard this year and if I can overcome my limitations, I'll have time to think about returning to formula one," he added.

Multiple future variants of the new León range, plus details of base and premium suspension system modules for MQB platform cars have been revealed by SEAT UK at the car's media launch.

Two special-edition 2013 Toyota Corollas will arrive in showrooms in late April.

Also in this episode: The 2014 Chevy Camaro gets teased, and Detroit Electric is returning to the Motor City.

Mecum is adding 13 more auctions to its 2013 schedule. The events are streamed live on Mecumand#8217;s website at www.mecum.com, and portions of the auctions are broadcast live on Discoveryand#8217;s Velocity network.

Federal regulators are offering a free app for iPhones and iPods that provides the latest vehicle safety information to consumers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's SaferCar.gov Web site.

First Drive: 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

High style receives higher performance.

After three years on the market, the Aston Martin Rapide is being treated to a minor makeover that sees it gain more power and a new S designation, but thankfully does not jeopardize its status as the most stylish four-door on the market.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

First Drive: 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Close to Home

We can't stop touching the touchscreen.

The Dodge Dart didn't venture far from home during its third month in our care, covering just 574 miles since our last update. The few staffers who drove the car were smitten with the optional touchscreen navigation and audio interface.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Four Seasons Update - March 2013 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Four Seasons Update - March 2013 - Automobile Magazine

2013 Dodge Dart SXT - Close to Home | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Chrysler brand head Saad Chehab today said the brand will expand its "Imported from Detroit" marketing theme with special-edition vehicles and partnerships that further tie Chrysler to the financially embattled city.

Harman recently announced a project with BMW to pioneer some novel infotainment systems. With 19 different OEM brands and new awards worth some US$13 billion, Matthew Beecham caught up with Harman's senior vice president of global engineering Kelei Shen to discuss the infotainment manufacturer's Next Big Thing.

Mazda, working to surpass 300,000 U.S. sales for the first time since the mid-1990s, plans to have its redesigned Mazda3 compact car in U.S. dealerships this fall, Automotive News has learned.

Scion unveiled a teaser for the 2014 tC coupe, which the company will unveil next week at the New York auto show.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today issued a warning to auto lenders: Make sure dealer participation in interest rates does not lead to discrimination or face the consequences.

A downpour of tennis ball-sized hail in central Mississippi damaged more than 1,000 new vehicles at local dealerships as well as new Nissan vehicles in transit from its nearby assembly plant.

GM's Opel unit said it would close down its factory in Bochum earlier than planned after the plant's employees turned down a deal that would have saved 1,200 jobs.

GM's Opel unit said it would close down its factory in Bochum, Germany, after the plant's employees turned down a deal that would have saved 1,200 jobs.

GM's Opel unit said it would close down its factory in Bochum, Germany, after the plant's employees turned down a deal that would have saved 1,200 jobs.