| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, January 3rd 2014, 12:48 GMT |
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has doubts that a cost cap will be the right way to bring Formula 1's spending crisis under control.
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| Friday, January 3rd 2014, 14:21 GMT |
DTM driver Filipe Albuquerque and former FIA GT1 world champion Markus Winkelhock have been placed with the Flying Lizard squad by Audi for the Daytona 24 Hours later this month
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| By Gary Watkins | Friday, January 3rd 2014, 15:05 GMT |
Nissan will place drivers with Muscle Milk/Pickett Racing in each of the United SportsCar Championship enduros as part of its global exchange programme.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, January 2nd 2014, 14:09 GMT |
Formula 1's manufacturer teams will enjoy a huge advantage in 2014 because of the complexities of packaging the new power units, reckons Ferrari technical director James Allison.
As teams continue to work on getting their new cars ready for F1's first pre-season test at Jerez that starts on January 28, Allison is in no doubts that 'works' teams Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull will have the edge over customer outfits.
"One of the massive advantages that this team has is that it has the engine and chassis under one roof," said Allison, who rejoined Ferrari last year after a spell at Lotus.
"That is an advantage in any year. But in one like this one, where you are packaging such a different power unit as has been necessary in a year like this - that advantage I think becomes quite large."
Ferrari's engine chief Luca Marmorini suggests that too much focus has been placed on the competitiveness of the engines alone, and believes success will ultimately depend on how the whole car comes together.
"Probably too much [emphasis] has been given to the power unit," explained Marmorini.
"The power unit is a big change, but also it will be extremely complex to incorporate the power unit in a competitive car.
"For Ferrari, this has been a joint project [between chassis and engine departments].
"With the power unit project, it has been fundamental for reliability.
"Any decision in terms of the engine has been as a result of discussions with the chassis people, because in the end the car has to win, not just the power unit."
| By Charles Bradley | Thursday, January 2nd 2014, 12:28 GMT |
GP2 racer Rene Binder has targeted a "big step forward" in 2014 after signing for Arden International for this season's Formula 1 feeder series.
The 21-year-old nephew of ex-F1 racer Hans Binder scored three points finishes in the series in 2013 with Lazarus.
"We had a very good winter test in Abu Dhabi and I am pretty confident that Arden will give me their best support to make a big step forward in 2014," said Binder.
"I want to thank [team chiefs] Garry Horner and Julian Rouse for their belief in my abilities. I will make sure that I will be physically and mentally well prepared."
Julian Rouse added: "Rene fitted into the team straight away in the Abu Dhabi test and was very competitive.
"He shows a very good approach and attitude to working hard at developing all the time as well as a lot of ability behind the wheel and so we are confident it's going to be a really successful season."
2014 GP2 line-up so far: Russian Time tba tba Carlin tba tba Racing Engineering tba tba DAMS Jolyon Palmer Stephane Richelmi ART tba tba Hilmer Daniel Abt tba Rapax Simon Trummer tba Arden Rene Binder tba Caterham tba tba MP tba tba Trident tba tba Lazarus tba tba Campos tba tba
| Thursday, January 2nd 2014, 14:43 GMT |
Ferrari wants fans to help show their support for Michael Schumacher at a special event it is holding in Grenoble on Friday to mark the German's 45th birthday.
As Schumacher remains in a critical condition in hospital following his skiing accident at the weekend, his former team is calling on supporters to turn up for the silent tribute.
"In these difficult days and on the occasion of his birthday the Scuderia Ferrari Clubs want to show their support for Michael Schumacher, organising tomorrow a silent and respectful event all in red at the Grenoble University Hospital Centre," said a statement on Ferrari's official Facebook page.
Schumacher's family have also expressed their gratitude to fans who have sent their best wishes for his recovery following the accident.
A statement on Schumacher's official website said: "Following Michael's skiing accident, we would like to thank the people from all around the world who have expressed their sympathy and sent their best wishes for his recovery.
"They are giving us great support. We all know he is a fighter and will not give up. Thank you."
| By Hal Ridge | Wednesday, January 1st 2014, 13:45 GMT |
Former touring car star Tommy Rustad will contest the 2014 FIA European Rallycross Championship at the wheel of a Volvo C30.
The Norwegian drove in two European championship events last season and will focus all of his attention on rallycross this year.
"We have the budget to do six races in 2014, so we will do the five European championship rounds and also Holjes in Sweden," said Rustad. "I am really looking forward to it, and of course my goal is to win the championship.
"I think the European championship will be very competitive, just like the world championship will be too, so we will have to work hard."
One of the most experienced all-rounders on the rallycross grid, Rustad has clear ideas about where he needs to improve ahead of the coming season.
"I need to be much better off the start-line," he said. "When we make a good start we can be fastest. Once the car is rebuilt we will start testing as soon as we can.
"We need to see if we can change settings on the car, or if I need to change my own style."
Rustad drove a Renault Laguna to the BTCC Independents' crown in 1998, before moving to Swedish and European Touring Cars. He raced a full European rallycross season in 2006, finishing third.
He contested the British rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch in 2009, driving a works, bio-ethanol powered Volvo C30, but retired from both races.
| By Gary Watkins | Wednesday, January 1st 2014, 12:53 GMT |
DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller will bid for a second victory in the Daytona 24 Hours with the Spirit of Daytona Corvette squad later this month.
The Audi driver has switched from the Action Express squad, with which he won the event in 2010 and contested last year's race, to drive the Spirit of Daytona squad's solo Corvette-bodied Coyote-Chevrolet Daytona Prototype in the inaugural United SportsCar Championship round on January 25/26.
The 30-year-old will share the car with team regular Richard Westbrook and Spirit of Daytona returnee Michael Valiante in a deal that is set to encompass the Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans USC enduros in March and October respectively.
Rockenfeller, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Audi in 2010, said: "It's always good to go back to Daytona and it looks like I should be doing three races with Spirit of Daytona in 2014, which is even better."
The German had been in talks to race for Action Express again this year before Sebastien Bourdais signed to join Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa in its lead Coyote.
Valiante is returning to Spirit of Daytona for the full USC season in 2014 after taking a victory in the four races he contested alongside Westbrook with the team in 2012.
The Canadian takes the place of Ricky Taylor, who is going back to the family Wayne Taylor Racing squad to partner brother Jordan for the full season.
Team owner Troy Flis said: "Michael did a great job for us in 2012 and we are really excited for him to be back with us full time this year. He and Westy work really well together."
Rockenfeller will not be returning to Le Mans in 2014 with Audi in order for him to concentrate on the defence of his DTM crown.
| By Gary Watkins | Wednesday, January 1st 2014, 14:53 GMT |
French sportscar star Olivier Pla will remain with the OAK Racing team for a third full season in 2014.
Pla, 32, has re-signed for the team that he joined for the final races of 2011, although his programme for the coming season has yet to be determined beyond taking part in this weekend's official Daytona 24 Hours test in its Morgan-Nissan LMP2.
Pla, who finished second in the LMP2 points in last year's World Endurance Championship, said: "OAK has a lot of ambition, Jacques [Nicolet, the team owner] is very motivated for the future and I have built up a very good relationship with the team."
Pla explained that he expected to contest a mixed programme of events in both the United SportsCar Championship in America, of which Daytona is the opening round, and the WEC in either LMP1 or P2 or both.
"I am waiting to see what kind of programme I will have and expect to have some news soon," he added.
OAK has yet to confirm its plans for 2014 beyond its one-car assault on the USC.
It is unclear if the Le Mans-based team will field a works LMP2 entry after Nicolet declared in September that he wanted to leave the secondary prototype division to its customers.
It has since been announced that Onroak Automotive, OAK's sister company that builds the cars, is working on an P2 coupe design that will carry the badges of the famous Ligier marque.
OAK's plans for its new LMP1 coupe also remain in a state of flux because it has yet to agree an engine deal for the car.
Roman Rusinov a four-time P2 class winner in last year's WEC with the G-Drive/Delta-ADR squad, will also drive the OAK Morgan at the three-day Daytona test, which begins on Friday.
New OAK team manager Philippe Dumas, the architect of Hexis Racing's GT successes, explained that this was more with an eye to a possible link-up in the WEC than a full USC campaign.
"Roman will do the test to find out a little bit more about the team and the engineers; we are looking towards the WEC," he said.
Colombian Gustavo Yacaman, who contested last year's Grand-Am series with Michael Shank Racing, will also take part in the Daytona test with OAK as a possible lead-in to a full USC programme.
Dumas explained that other possibles for the USC car were Martin Plowman, who was part of the OAK's title-winning WEC line-up in 2013, and IndyCar regular EJ Viso.
| Tuesday, December 31st 2013, 10:35 GMT |
Michael Schumacher's condition has shown a slight improvement, but the seven times Formula 1 world champion remains in an induced coma in a critical condition.
Schumacher underwent a second operation overnight to remove another haematoma, which has helped to reduce the inter-cranial pressure he sustained in a skiing accident on Sunday.
The second procedure took place at 10pm on Monday night after examinations revealed an unexpected improvement in the 44-year-old's condition.
This allowed the medical team in the Grenoble hospital to access a large haematoma on the left side of his brain.
Dr Emmanual Gay said: "There was one haematoma that was larger and more accessible, so we were able to get rid of it without any risk.
"Thanks to that we were better able to control inter-cranial pressure. There's still a lot of haemorrhaging."
The medical team said that there remained a number of lesions on Schumacher's brain and that it is still impossible to make any prognosis about his future recovery.
They confirmed that Schumacher will remain in a coma for as long as is necessary, but that he is in a more stable condition than had been the case during the previous 24 hours.
"We have a strategy to correct a number of anomalies that continue and we want to give ourself some time during this phase of stability," said Professor Jean-Francois Payen.
"There are some important matters we need to think about for the future."
Schumacher's family were consulted before the second operation and remain by his bedside.
