AUDI ON TOP IN ELECTRIFYING HYBRID DEBUT

A dream debut Audi's new hybrid e-tron R18 as the #1 car driven by Fässler, Lotterer and Treluyer, the winning trio of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2011, setting the fastest time of day one in the lead up to the Spa 6 hour race this weekend. Audi dominated taking the top four places in a dry practice. Former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld in the Lola-Toyota #12 of Rebellion Racing was the quickest of the petrol powered cars but he was well off the pace set by the dominant Audi team. Olivier Pla led the way in LMP2 with the Morgan-Judd #24 of OAK Racing with a time of 2'10'058, improving by nearly six tenths of the time achieved by Soheil Ayari before the lunch break. The Lola-Judd of Status GP occupied second place, (as it did in the first free practice session), before leaving the track. Third was the Oreca-Nissan #26 of Signatech-Nissan driven by Nelson Panciatici, a rookie in endurance racing who has adapted quickly to his new discipline.

WEBBER TO RACE WITH FERRARI CLAIMS SPANISH NEWS SITE

Spanish digital new media outlet El Confidencial has claimed that Mark Webber has all but signed with Ferrari for 2013. The site claims that the Australian will come to the Prancing Horse on the back of his good relationship with Fernando Alonso and their mutual managirial relationship with Flavio Briatore. The story claims that the Australian’s signing [...]

TOYOTA RETURN TO TESTING AS AUDI DEBUT AT SPA

Although they won't be at Spa for round two of the World Endurance Championship the Toyota TS030 hybrid will be a the track this weekend. The team will complete a functionality test of its new chassis at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. Following the accident at Paul Ricard on 4 April, which damaged the monocoque of the first TS030, the team has worked hard to accelerate production of a second car. This will be completed directly before transportation to the one-day functionality test. A total of seven test days were cancelled in April as a result of the testing accident, giving the team no opportunity to validate the aerodynamic and hybrid system specifications intended for its first race. So the team had no choice but to miss the WEC Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps event, which takes place on 3-5 May. Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “I would like to express my thanks to the staff members at Toyota Motorsport GmbH who have worked so hard to deliver our second monocoque ahead of schedule. Now we have a very intense testing programme to prepare for Le Mans, beginning with an initial functionality test to shakedown our systems.”

FIGHT TO THE END AT PHILLIP ISLAND

The glorious uncertainty of endurance racing played out once again as Jim Pollicina and Ryan Simpson took out the Phillip Island 6 Hour, round two of the Australian Manufacturers Championship. In a thrilling  duel to the end, Formula Ford star Simpson - chased down and passed - reigning champions Stuart Kostera and Inky Tulloch, to take the lead with just two laps to go. The winners had to do one more pitstop than the TMR prepared car, but still had the pace to pull off a remarkable victory. The father and son team of Tony and Klark Quinn started from pole position and stormed to an early lead. But their race ended in bizarre fashion when a trolly jack went through the driver’s side floor during a routine pit stop.

CLASSIC 70’s F3 ACTION

22 CARS FOR ISLAND 6 HOUR SHOWDOWN

A field of 22 cars will face the starter for this weekend's Phillip Island Six Hour Endurance race. With entries representing most leading Australian car companies, the fight for the top step of the podium will be very keenly contested. The race is the second round of the Australian Manufacturers Championship as well as the opening round of the Australian Production Car Endurance Championship. Defending race and series champions Stuart Kostera and New Zealand's Ian ‘Inky’ Tulloch, driving the Team Mitsubishi Ralliart-prepared Evo X, are once again favourites for the race. But Jim Pollicina teamed with Ryan Simpson and the father and son pairing of Tony and Klark Quinn are also in the latest racing Class A Extreme Performance Mitsubishis and will match the TMR boys for pace while perennial placegetters Dylan and Dave Thomas should again be very consistent.

WET WEATHER HITS TARGA TASMANIA

Lamborghini driver Jason White remains the man to beat at Targa Tasmania after stretching his lead to 48 seconds over defending champion, Tony Quinn, during a wet second day loop out to St Helens and back to Launceston. Victorian Rex Broadbent leads Classic Outright by 18 seconds in his ultra-reliable 1974 Porsche [...]

DELTAWING GETS A DRENCHING

The Nissan DeltaWing  kicked off its European testing program in England at Snetterton, in Norfolk, yesterday with Scotsman Marino Franchitti and German Michael Krumm getting the opportunity to sample the car in wet conditions. Steady rain throughout the morning enabled the team to undertake wet weather development with tyre partner, Michelin, with the hugely innovative 1.6-litre Nissan DIG-T turbo-powered car. With the famous Le Mans 24 Hour race just two months away, the Nissan DeltaWing team gained valuable information about the ground-breaking car's performance in typical European track conditions, having conducted all of its development work so far in America.

AUDI BUYS DUCATI, What’s next ? The Vatican?

AUDI AG is acquiring from Invest industrial Group the tradition-steeped Italian sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., which has its registered office in Bologna. The transaction will be completed as quickly as possible once authorised by the competition authorities. The Supervisory Boards of AUDI AG and Volkswagen AG approved the acquisition today in Hamburg. Ducati is known worldwide as a leading brand in motorcycle manufacture, with outstanding expertise in engine development and lightweight construction. Alongside the traditional Italian brands Lamborghini and Italdesign, Ducati is now a third pillar for AUDI AG in Northern Italy. Another building block in the Company’s growth strategy thus falls into place.

IN PIT LANE IS “ON THE ROAD”

From Australia's longest running live motorsport show In Pit Lane comes "ON THE ROAD" a new weekly online news update featuring the latest news from the world of general motoring, the automotive industry and road safety issues. OTR will feature new product reviews, consumer tips, interviews and road tests. The show has come from the demand of many In Pit Lane viewers for more general motoring news, but without the need to sacrifice In Pit Lane's traditional hardcore motor racing and high performance focus. "There's lots of interesting news comes in every week about new models, new technologies and interesting products and services." said In Pit Lane producer Brett Ramsey.