Saturday, January 31, 2015

Hamilton's tough decision

Since BBC Sport chief analyst Eddie Jordan reported on this website last week that Lewis Hamilton was on the verge of switching to Mercedes from McLaren next year, Formula 1 has been awash with speculation about the 2008 world champion's future.

McLaren did their best at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix to dismiss the story - team boss Martin Whitmarsh even joked: "Any sentence that begins, 'Eddie Jordan understands' is immediately questionable, isn't it?"

But it was noticeable that not only did McLaren not deny the story was true, they said very little to suggest Hamilton was staying with them.

From Whitmarsh, it was: "Lewis and his management have made their position clear to us", "my understanding is we're talking to him" and "I'm pretty convinced we will have a very good, competitive driving line-up next year."

None of which translates as "Hamilton is staying".

From second left - Lewis Hamilton, Martin Whitmarsh, Jenson Button

Hamilton was triumphant at Monza, but how many more races will he win with McLaren? Photo: Getty

As for the doubts cast on the veracity of the story, the source is strong and credible, and the core information - that Hamilton has agreed terms on a contract with Mercedes for next year - is based in fact.

That does not necessarily mean Hamilton will move but it does mean he is thinking about it seriously. And you can make what you will of his downbeat behaviour throughout the Monza weekend - even after he won the race.

In the paddock, the general view was that a move would be a mistake - but it is a much more complicated decision than that.

Firstly, McLaren have undoubtedly been more competitive than Mercedes in the last three years. Between them, Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button have won 16 races since the start of 2010; Mercedes only one, with Nico Rosberg in China this season.

Over an extended period, McLaren have a winning pedigree beyond that of any other team. Only Ferrari have won more grands prix, and they have been in F1 for 16 years longer.

Hamilton, who has been nurtured by the team since he was 13, says: "I want to win." On pure performance, there's only one choice, right?

In F1, things are rarely that simple.

Yes, McLaren usually have a good car, but until this year it had been a long time since they had unquestionably the best.

It was close with Ferrari in 2007-8, although hindsight would suggest now that the McLaren was probably not quite as good then. In which case, you probably have to go back to 2005 to find the last time McLaren had conclusively the fastest car in F1.

This is known to have irked Hamilton in 2010-11, and played some part in the cocktail of issues that led to his difficult season last year, when his frustration at the car's inability to compete for the title and problems with his family and his girlfriend led to what he admitted was his worst season in the sport.

That all changed this season. The McLaren is again setting the pace. But a series of operational problems in the opening races badly affected Hamilton, costing him 40 points. Add those points to his current total and he would be leading Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, not trailing him by a win and a fourth place.

Hamilton has done well to disguise his disappointment publicly, but it was around this time that his management started approaching McLaren's rivals about job opportunities.

On top of that, McLaren are entering an uncertain period. For the first time next year, they will have to pay for their Mercedes engines - that's in the region of eight million euros they cannot spend on the performance of the car unless they find it from other sources.

Tied in with this is the question of salary. McLaren have made it clear they cannot afford Hamilton at any price. The word is they have offered him a cut in money for next season, on the basis that they cannot afford anything more. This might be offset by other compromises, such as over PR appearances, flights and so on.

Already on about half of what Alonso earns at Ferrari, one can imagine how that has gone down with Hamilton - especially as McLaren's portfolio of sponsors makes it very difficult for a driver to do personal deals elsewhere to top up his earnings. That's because almost anywhere he looks there's a clash with a company that has links with McLaren.

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Meanwhile, Mercedes are by definition a "works" team with factory engines, have the might of an automotive giant behind them. They can pay Hamilton a lot more than his current salary - believed to be about �13m - if they want to. And at Mercedes there is also a lot more freedom for a driver to do personal sponsorship deals.

The funding for Mercedes' F1 team comes entirely from external sponsors - and the budget is reputedly significantly less than enjoyed by Red Bull and Ferrari. But it is underwritten by the parent company so even if there is a sponsorship shortfall it doesn't affect the team.

Performance-wise, the team that is now Mercedes actually won the world title more recently than McLaren, when they were Brawn in 2009. Ironically, the man who won it was Button. His success - and what he interpreted as the team's ambivalence about him staying - led to him moving to McLaren.

Admittedly, Brawn's success in 2009 was tainted by the row over double-diffusers that clouded that season. Once everyone had them, the car was no longer as competitive as it had been.

Mercedes have certainly been under-performing since then, but that can at least partly be explained by the fact that Brawn, facing serious financial problems, slashed their staff by 40% in 2009. As Mercedes, they have been slowly building levels up again.

The pressure on the team to up their game is massive - hence the huge investment in terms of staffing and resources in the last 18 months or so.

And while they are a long way behind McLaren this season, they are on an upward trend, even if it is significantly slower than either the team or the Mercedes board would like.

Equally, few in F1 would disagree that Hamilton is one of the three best drivers in the world, alongside Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes don't have any of them.

It's impossible to know how much faster the car would go in their hands than it has done so far in those of Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. Some might argue not at all. But, that's not how Hamilton, who raced and beat Rosberg in their formative years, will look at it.

Add all that up, and the decision doesn't seem so easy after all.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamiltons_tough_decision.html

Desire Wilson Justin Wilson Vic Wilson Joachim Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock

Hamilton's tough decision

Since BBC Sport chief analyst Eddie Jordan reported on this website last week that Lewis Hamilton was on the verge of switching to Mercedes from McLaren next year, Formula 1 has been awash with speculation about the 2008 world champion's future.

McLaren did their best at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix to dismiss the story - team boss Martin Whitmarsh even joked: "Any sentence that begins, 'Eddie Jordan understands' is immediately questionable, isn't it?"

But it was noticeable that not only did McLaren not deny the story was true, they said very little to suggest Hamilton was staying with them.

From Whitmarsh, it was: "Lewis and his management have made their position clear to us", "my understanding is we're talking to him" and "I'm pretty convinced we will have a very good, competitive driving line-up next year."

None of which translates as "Hamilton is staying".

From second left - Lewis Hamilton, Martin Whitmarsh, Jenson Button

Hamilton was triumphant at Monza, but how many more races will he win with McLaren? Photo: Getty

As for the doubts cast on the veracity of the story, the source is strong and credible, and the core information - that Hamilton has agreed terms on a contract with Mercedes for next year - is based in fact.

That does not necessarily mean Hamilton will move but it does mean he is thinking about it seriously. And you can make what you will of his downbeat behaviour throughout the Monza weekend - even after he won the race.

In the paddock, the general view was that a move would be a mistake - but it is a much more complicated decision than that.

Firstly, McLaren have undoubtedly been more competitive than Mercedes in the last three years. Between them, Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button have won 16 races since the start of 2010; Mercedes only one, with Nico Rosberg in China this season.

Over an extended period, McLaren have a winning pedigree beyond that of any other team. Only Ferrari have won more grands prix, and they have been in F1 for 16 years longer.

Hamilton, who has been nurtured by the team since he was 13, says: "I want to win." On pure performance, there's only one choice, right?

In F1, things are rarely that simple.

Yes, McLaren usually have a good car, but until this year it had been a long time since they had unquestionably the best.

It was close with Ferrari in 2007-8, although hindsight would suggest now that the McLaren was probably not quite as good then. In which case, you probably have to go back to 2005 to find the last time McLaren had conclusively the fastest car in F1.

This is known to have irked Hamilton in 2010-11, and played some part in the cocktail of issues that led to his difficult season last year, when his frustration at the car's inability to compete for the title and problems with his family and his girlfriend led to what he admitted was his worst season in the sport.

That all changed this season. The McLaren is again setting the pace. But a series of operational problems in the opening races badly affected Hamilton, costing him 40 points. Add those points to his current total and he would be leading Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, not trailing him by a win and a fourth place.

Hamilton has done well to disguise his disappointment publicly, but it was around this time that his management started approaching McLaren's rivals about job opportunities.

On top of that, McLaren are entering an uncertain period. For the first time next year, they will have to pay for their Mercedes engines - that's in the region of eight million euros they cannot spend on the performance of the car unless they find it from other sources.

Tied in with this is the question of salary. McLaren have made it clear they cannot afford Hamilton at any price. The word is they have offered him a cut in money for next season, on the basis that they cannot afford anything more. This might be offset by other compromises, such as over PR appearances, flights and so on.

Already on about half of what Alonso earns at Ferrari, one can imagine how that has gone down with Hamilton - especially as McLaren's portfolio of sponsors makes it very difficult for a driver to do personal deals elsewhere to top up his earnings. That's because almost anywhere he looks there's a clash with a company that has links with McLaren.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.


Meanwhile, Mercedes are by definition a "works" team with factory engines, have the might of an automotive giant behind them. They can pay Hamilton a lot more than his current salary - believed to be about �13m - if they want to. And at Mercedes there is also a lot more freedom for a driver to do personal sponsorship deals.

The funding for Mercedes' F1 team comes entirely from external sponsors - and the budget is reputedly significantly less than enjoyed by Red Bull and Ferrari. But it is underwritten by the parent company so even if there is a sponsorship shortfall it doesn't affect the team.

Performance-wise, the team that is now Mercedes actually won the world title more recently than McLaren, when they were Brawn in 2009. Ironically, the man who won it was Button. His success - and what he interpreted as the team's ambivalence about him staying - led to him moving to McLaren.

Admittedly, Brawn's success in 2009 was tainted by the row over double-diffusers that clouded that season. Once everyone had them, the car was no longer as competitive as it had been.

Mercedes have certainly been under-performing since then, but that can at least partly be explained by the fact that Brawn, facing serious financial problems, slashed their staff by 40% in 2009. As Mercedes, they have been slowly building levels up again.

The pressure on the team to up their game is massive - hence the huge investment in terms of staffing and resources in the last 18 months or so.

And while they are a long way behind McLaren this season, they are on an upward trend, even if it is significantly slower than either the team or the Mercedes board would like.

Equally, few in F1 would disagree that Hamilton is one of the three best drivers in the world, alongside Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes don't have any of them.

It's impossible to know how much faster the car would go in their hands than it has done so far in those of Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. Some might argue not at all. But, that's not how Hamilton, who raced and beat Rosberg in their formative years, will look at it.

Add all that up, and the decision doesn't seem so easy after all.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamiltons_tough_decision.html

Carl Forberg Gene Force Franco Forini Philip FotheringhamParker AJ Foyt

Schumacher: Time to call it quits

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/08/schumacher-time-to-call-it-quits.html

Noritake Takahara Kunimitsu Takahashi Patrick Tambay Luigi Taramazzo Gabriele Tarquini

What Ralph Lauren can teach Mr. E

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/07/what-ralph-lauren-can-teach-mr-e.html

Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James JeanPierre Jarier Max Jean

Tom Higgins put ’shine on the NASCAR experience

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/04/3984993/tom-higgins-put-shine-on-the-nascar.html

George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage

Fiat Chrysler Plans 20 New Models By 2016


In a move that would see an expansion to challenge the likes of General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp., and Volkswagen AG, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is looking to invest $55.5 billion to expand the Alfa Romeo, Jeep, and Maserati lineups, with 20 new models hitting the road by 2016 to attract customers around the globe. The new models would include two new Alfa Romeos and the Maserati Alfieri.

According to a report from The Detroit News, CEO Sergio Marchionne hopes to boost sales by 60 percent to seven million cars in 2018, following a boost in sales to over five millions cars this year. The automaker expects increased demand in worldwide markets including Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America. 

The Detroit News also reports that FCA is adding over 1,000 new workers to the Italian plant building the Jeep Renegade in order to help meet demand. 

So far, the automaker hopes to cut debt by raising $5 billion with a separation of the Ferrari brand and the selling of a 10 percent stake in the unit on a stock market later next year. 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was created last year through the merger of Fiat S.p.A and Chrysler Group, and is represented by numerous brands, including Dodge, Lancia, Ram Trucks, Abarth, Mopar, and SRT.

Click past the jump to read more about Fiat Chrysler’s new 20 models.

Fiat Chrysler Plans 20 New Models By 2016 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 30 January 2015 14:00 EST.

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Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/hR-Hr2jft7s/fiat-chrysler-plans-20-new-models-by-2016-ar167330.html

Alfonso de Portago Sam Posey Charles Pozzi Jackie Pretorius Ernesto Prinoth

Hungarian Grand Prix Preview ? The Soap Opera Lands Again

Next stop for the Formula One soap opera carries on this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg overtook Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ Championship on his home patch at the German Grand Prix. The star, who was born and raised in Monaco, was not allowed to wear his racing helmet he created especially [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/DcWUfIs_fYc/hungarian-grand-prix-preview-the-soap-opera-lands-again

Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino Jerry Hoyt Nico Hulkenberg

Nissan creates Juke Nismo RSnow with tracks [video]

Nissan has prepared a special Juke Nismo RS equipped with tracks suitable to tackle snowy roads.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/2-yNVyuVILk/nissan-creates-juke-nismo-rsnow-with-tracks-video

Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari

Vettel takes over at the top

As Sebastian Vettel put down his winner’s trophy after holding it up in celebration on the Korean Grand Prix podium, Fernando Alonso tapped him on the back and reached out to shake his hand. It was a symbolic reflection of the championship lead being handed from one to the other.

After three consecutive victories for Vettel and Red Bull, the last two of which have been utterly dominant, it does not look as though Alonso is going to be getting it back.

Alonso will push to the end, of course, and he made all the right noises after the race, talking about Ferrari “moving in the right direction” and only needing “a little step to compete with Red Bull”.

“Four beautiful races to come with good possibilities for us to fight for the championship,” he said, adding: “Now we need to score seven points more than Sebastian. That will be extremely tough but we believe we can do it.”

Alonso (left) and Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel won the Korean GP by finishing ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (left). Photo: Reuters

Indeed, a couple of hours after the race, Alonso was quoting samurai warrior-philosophy again on his Twitter account, just as he had in Japan a week before.

"I've never been able to win from start to finish,” he wrote. “I only learned not to be left behind in any situation."

Fighting against the seemingly inevitable is his only option. The facts are that the Ferrari has been slower than the Red Bull in terms of outright pace all year, and there is no reason to suspect anything different in the final four races of the season.

Vettel’s victory in Korea was utterly crushing in the manner of so many of his 11 wins in his dominant 2011 season. The Red Bull has moved on to another level since Singapore and Vettel, as he always does in that position, has gone with it.

Up and down the pit lane, people are questioning how Red Bull have done it, and a lot of attention has fallen on the team’s new ‘double DRS’ system.

This takes an idea introduced in different form by Mercedes at the start the season and, typically of Red Bull’s design genius Adrian Newey, applies it in a more elegant and effective way.

It means that when the DRS overtaking aid is activated – and its use is free in practice and qualifying – the car benefits from a greater drag reduction, and therefore more straight-line speed than its rivals.

Vettel has been at pains to emphasise that this does not help Red Bull in the race, when they can only use the DRS in a specified zone when overtaking other cars. But that’s not the whole story.

The greater drag reduction in qualifying means that the team can run the car with more downforce than they would otherwise be able to – because the ‘double DRS’ means they do not suffer the normal straight-line speed deficit of doing so.

That means the car’s overall lap time is quicker, whether in race or qualifying. So although the Red Bull drivers can’t use the ‘double DRS’ as a lap-time aid in the actual grands prix, they are still benefiting from having it on the car.

And they are not at risk on straights in the race because the extra overall pace, from the greater downforce, means they are far enough ahead of their rivals for them not to be able to challenge them, let alone overtake them. As long as they qualify at the front, anyway.

It’s not all down to the ‘double DRS’, though. McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe said in Korea: “They appear to have made a good step on their car. I doubt that is all down to that system. I doubt if a lot of it is down to that system, actually. You’ll probably find it’s just general development.”

BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson will go into more details on this in his column on Monday. Whatever the reasons for it, though, Red Bull’s rediscovered dominant form means Alonso is in trouble.

While Red Bull have been adding great chunks of performance to their car, Ferrari have been fiddling around with rear-wing design, a relatively small factor in overall car performance.

They have admitted they are struggling with inconsistency between the results they are getting in testing new parts in their wind tunnel and their performance on the track, so it is hard to see how they will close the gap on a Red Bull team still working flat out on their own updates.

The Ferrari has proved adaptable and consistent, delivering strong performances at every race since a major upgrade after the first four grands prix of the year.

But the only time Alonso has had definitively the quickest car is when it has been raining. It is in the wet that he took one of his three wins, and both his poles.

But he cannot realistically expect it to rain in the next three races in Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Austin, Texas. And after that only Brazil remains. So Alonso is effectively hoping for Vettel to hit problems, as he more or less admitted himself on Sunday.

How he must be ruing the bad breaks of those first-corner retirements in Belgium and Japan – even if they did effectively only cancel out Vettel’s two alternator failures in Valencia and Monza.

If anyone had reason on Sunday to regret what might have been, though, it was Lewis Hamilton, who has driven fantastically well all season only to be let down by his McLaren team in one way or another.

Hamilton, his title hopes over, wasted no time in pointing out after the race in Korea that the broken anti-roll bar that dropped him from fourth to 10th was the second suspension failure in as many races, and a broken gearbox robbed him of victory at the previous race in Singapore.

Operational problems in the early races of the season also cost him a big chunk of points.

Hamilton wears his heart on his sleeve, and in one off-the-cuff remark to Finnish television after the race, he revealed a great deal about why he has decided to move to Mercedes next year.

“It’s a day to forget,” Hamilton said. “A year to forget as well. I’m looking forward to a fresh start next year.”

In other words, I’ve had enough of four years of not being good enough, for various reasons, and I might as well try my luck elsewhere.

There was another post-race comment from Hamilton, too, that said an awful lot. “I hope Fernando keeps pushing,” he said.

Hamilton did not reply when asked directly whether that meant he wanted Alonso to win the title. But you can be sure that remark is a reflection of Hamilton’s belief that he is better than Vettel, that only Alonso is his equal.

Whether that is a correct interpretation of the standing of the three best drivers in the world, it will take more than this season to tell.

In the meantime, if Alonso and Ferrari are not to be mistaken in their belief that they still have a chance, “keeping pushing” is exactly what they must do. Like never before.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/as_sebastian_vettel_put_down.html

Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan

Vettel - and others - get lucky in Monaco

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/05/vettel---and-others---get-lucky-in-monaco.html

George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader

Mark Webber ? The TEN Best Moments

After 12 years, one of Formula One?s most charismatic characters left F1 for good. Mark Webber has always been one of the most popular drivers on the grid with the fans ? his mixture of Aussie wit, spirit and grit (the latter reflected in his Twitter name) has charmed the crowds and made the Queensland [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/nzKSUtXuO_I/mark-webber-the-ten-best-moments-5

Geoff Duke Len Duncan Piero Dusio George Eaton Bernie Ecclestone

David Coulthard & Red Bull

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blogvasion/FormulaOne/~3/MSUQpiVG3qA/david-coulthard-red-bull.html

Robert OBrien Pat OConnor Jackie Oliver Danny Ongais Rikky von Opel

Friday, January 30, 2015

Arrivabene targets two wins for Ferrari in 2015 | 2015 F1 season

New Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has set a goal of winning two races this year with its new car, the SF-15T, which was launched today.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/sgQY8w-Nrr4/

Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen Danny Kladis

Arrivabene targets two wins for Ferrari in 2015 | 2015 F1 season

New Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has set a goal of winning two races this year with its new car, the SF-15T, which was launched today.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/sgQY8w-Nrr4/

Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr

Jean-Marie Balestre Dies

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blogvasion/FormulaOne/~3/iY-zmsnMhdI/jean-marie-balestre-dies.html

Vic Elford Ed Elisian Paul Emery Tomáš Enge Paul England

Kahne edges Smith for Nationwide win at Daytona

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/04/3985858/kahne-edges-smith-for-nationwide.html

Mark Blundell Raul Boesel Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto

Bits and bobs

I am travelling for the rest of the day, in places where Internet access on planes is still just a dream, so I am just going to do a quick round-up of the news. There are rumours about the financial health of Force India. This is no surprise, but it has to be said that […]

Source: https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/bits-and-bobs-2/

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori

J. Earnhardt breaks collarbone in motorcycle crash

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/04/3985728/j-earnhardt-breaks-collarbone.html

Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa

Ferrari Launch Their 2011 Car The F150

Ferrari have become the first team to launch their 2011 Formula One car – named the F150. Thw F150 name comes from the fact it is 150 years since Italian unification, the flag bearer for the nation decided it was important to increase exposure of the major event in the country’s long history. �The cars […]

Source: https://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/ferrari-launch-their-2011-car-the-f150/

Ingo Hoffmann Bill Holland Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino

Toyota FV2


After making its original debut at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota?s FV2 concept has put on a world tour in the last few years, including stops at the Geneva Motor Show and Detroit Auto Shows. Even though this wild-looking, four-wheeled, super-sleek transportation pod is just a concept, it?s making the rounds as a product specifically designed to win over the public through sheer charm.

As an evolution of Toyota?s 2011 Fun-Vii concept, the FV2 (or ?Fun Vehicle 2?) is meant to exemplify the Japanese carmaker?s ?fun-to-drive? philosophy. It?s intended to enhance the relationship between a vehicle and its pilot, thus nurturing ?aspects of trust and understanding, similar to those a rider will have with a horse.?

The FV2 is part of Toyota?s Heart Project, a line of research intended to create an emotional connection between humans and artificial intelligence. The Kirobo and Mirata communication robots are also part of this project, with the former making a trip to the International Space Station in August of 2013.

Using the FV2 as a concept platform, Toyota hopes the project will one day allow interactions between machines and humans that transcend simple commands and action through the use of expressions, gestures, and recollection of past events. Therefore, the FV2 was designed to learn as it is driven, picking up on the driver?s moods and habits to solidify its bond with the pilot.

This vehicle is every bit an expression of personality as it is a tool for transportation. While many fret over the possible disconnect presented by technology like autonomous vehicles, Toyota looks to forge ahead to a more connected future.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Toyota FV2.

Toyota FV2 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 30 January 2015 08:00 EST.

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Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/runppk1S2j4/2014-toyota-fv2-ar167299.html

Jan Flinterman Ron Flockhart Myron Fohr Gregor Foitek George Follmer

Top FIVE Drivers ? Hungary 2014

What a difference rain can make to a Grand Prix! After an age without a damp track on a race day, we were treated to rain showers prior to lights going out at the Hungaroring, which made the opening exchanges perilous for the drivers around a tight and twisty circuit. Safety cars and changeable track [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/bIp73AWxu3M/top-five-drivers-hungary-2014

Nico Hulkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

Video: Fernando Alonso on McLaren and Honda

Fernando Alonso’s return to McLaren is one of the biggest stories of the 2015 season. Here’s what he has to say about the team and the new relationship with Honda.

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2015/01/29/video-fernando-alonso-on-mclaren-and-honda/

David Piper Nelson Piquet† Nelson Piquet Jr Renato Pirocchi Didier Pironi

First pictures: Sauber C34 revealed | 2015 F1 testing

Sauber has revealed its 2015 F1 contender, the Ferrari-powered C34.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/STJmQU7r3UQ/

Aguri Suzuki Toshio Suzuki Jacques Swaters Bob Sweikert Toranosuke Takagi

Skoda Octavia vRS police car in Belgium gets automatic number plate recognition system

Police authorities in Aalter, Belgium have taken delivery of a Skoda Octavia vRS fitted with an ANPR system.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/yKu8ACLk0h8/skoda-octavia-vrs-police-car-in-belgium-gets-automatic

Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Home Racers Assessed

The German Grand�Prix provided an opportunity to add the garnish to an already euphoric population, who are still celebrating their World Cup win. With four countrymen on the grid, and one driving a silver arrow, there was a high chance of German success once the lights went out. The Hockenheimring gave Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/b0XFeG5hVG0/the-home-racers-assessed

JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham

Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks to stay strong at Daytona

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/04/3985430/dale-earnhardt-jr-looks-to-stay.html

Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill Peter Hirt David Hobbs

The latest on Sutil vs Lux

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/05/sutil-not-giving-anything-away.html

Peter Whitehead Bill Whitehouse Robin Widdows Eppie Wietzes Mike Wilds

Video: Fernando Alonso on McLaren and Honda

Fernando Alonso’s return to McLaren is one of the biggest stories of the 2015 season. Here’s what he has to say about the team and the new relationship with Honda.

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2015/01/29/video-fernando-alonso-on-mclaren-and-honda/

Chico Serra Doug Serrurier Johnny ServozGavin Tony Settember Hap Sharp

General Motors says they don't miss Saturn, SAAB, Hummer or Pontiac

General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the company doesn't miss any of the Saturn, SAAB, Hummer and Pontiac brands.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/d8vS5Fk3oH0/general-motors-says-they-dont-miss-saturn-saab-hummer

Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli

McLaren launches silver MP4-30 [video]

McLaren on Thursday launched its works Honda-powered MP4-30 on the internet. The British team contradicted reports of a dramatically new white or black livery by showing the 2015 car in McLaren's cu...

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/W2sFXiuCqug/mclaren-launches-silver-mp4-30

Adrian Sutil Len Sutton Aguri Suzuki Toshio Suzuki Jacques Swaters

More potent Ford Fiesta planned; could be an RS version

Ford has announced a hotter version of the Fiesta is in the works and will sit above the current range-topping ST model.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/7e4yHqucpj0/hotter-ford-fiesta-planned-could-be-an-rs-version

JJ Lehto Lamberto Leoni Les Leston Pierre Levegh Bayliss Levrett