Father stays grounded as Di Resta makes F1 debut

Di Resta

Di Resta

Di Resta

Di Resta

Di Resta

FEW parents would pass up the opportunity to see their child racing in a grand prix – but a Scottish Formula One driver’s father’s fear of flying stopped him making the 10,000-mile trip to watch his son’s debut.

The father of Paul Di Resta and the rest of his family in Bathgate and around Italy all woke up early yesterday to watch the hotly tipped driver win a point in his first grand prix.

Di Resta, 24, roared to 12th place in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for his Force India team but was promoted to 10th after the race finished because Sauber duo Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi were disqualified – a result Di Resta described as “mega”. The race was won by current world champion Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull.

At home in West Lothian, the young driver’s family were happy enough to see him finish the race in Albert Park, Melbourne, without incident and were delighted when the chequered flag came down.

Louis Di Resta, 50, who runs a nightclub in Bathgate, told The Herald: “I was excited. This is the start of his F1 career and he got a point in his first race.

My dad has sacrificed a lot of his life and been very committed to me. I’m sure he will be a proud man sat on his sofa at home

“To get in the points is fantastic, especially not being in one of the four big teams.

“At first we thought he did a good job, brought the car home with no smashes, no crashes, nothing.

“Just a good solid job. But when we heard he got a point, we were all really happy. That’s just what I was looking for. That was my goal.”

The father and son have been in constant contact since the race, in which Di Resta at one point almost overtook former world champion and fellow British driver Jenson Button in his McLaren.

“He is very happy. He made two or three schoolboy errors in his first race, but that was it,” said Mr Di Resta.

The proud father has supported his son’s career since it began.

“Everybody thinks they would love to get their eight-year-old into F1,” he said. “You work away and work away, but for me it’s paid off.

“F1 is a revolving door. Generally, when you get through the door it’s very hard to be pushed out of it. Once you do a reasonable job, you’re in. It can be a long career if you work right.”

Since his son hit the big time, the local community has rallied round to show their support. “When I go out walking the dog, I often get stopped and people tell me he’s doing really well,” said Mr Di Resta.

“Community-wise it’s great, due to the amount of people who wish him all the best.”

Earlier, Di Resta, who was paraded before the race-day fans in a vintage car, described his sadness that his father would not be able to make it to see his first race.

He said: “My dad has put equally as much effort into getting here as I ever have. He has sacrificed a lot of his life and been very committed to me. I’ve obviously stayed in close contact with him and I’m sure he will be a proud man sat on his sofa at home.”

Di Resta has already gone one step further than his cousin, two-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, who never raced in F1.

When he was told about the disqualification decision, Di Resta said: “If the news is true then this is a mega result for me and the team.

“It is exactly what we set out to achieve and I am delighted to have scored my first point in my debut race. It was quite productive for a first race. I made a reasonable start and really had a battle with Kamui Kobayashi.

“But I didn’t come off the best from that battle and I think our speed showed where we finished.

“Relatively, looking at it, our performance was better than we expected this weekend.”

McLaren pair fastest in Australian GP practice

Jenson Button & Hamilton

Jenson Button

McLaren F1 races

Bridgestone Motorsport Friday Practices

McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button set the fastest times in Friday's rain-affected second practice session for Formula One's Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's time of one minute, 26.801 seconds put him a quarter of a second ahead of teammate and British compatriot Button around the Albert Park circuit.

Red Bull's Mark Webber was third fastest, ahead of Mercedes' Michael Schumacher and Renault's Vitaly Petrov.

The best times were set in dry conditions at the start of the session, with some passing light showers preventing any improvement.

Hamilton had said Thursday that McLaren would use practice to learn how to set up the car for qualifying rather than the race, believing that the grid position would be the key to winning Sunday's race.

That explained the big gap from the McLaren times to some of its rivals. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were 15th and 17th on the time sheets, more than three seconds off the pace, as they instead concentrated on their race set-up.

"It's only practice and I'm sure we're running less fuel than the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but we'll see tomorrow," Button said. "At the moment we've just got to focus on how the car feels, and it feels pretty good.

"As soon as I jumped into the car here I was reasonably happy with the balance and it's just got better throughout the day."

Schumacher outperformed Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for the first time in any practice, qualifying session or race this season, with the fellow German coming 10th.

"As often on Fridays, the performance is difficult to judge as everybody seemed to be on different programs," Schumacher said. "Having said that, I am quite happy with today's sessions, even if we did not run too much overall."

Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi was sixth quickest after he and teammate Jaime Alguersuari completed the most practice laps of any drivers.

Force India pair Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi were seventh and eighth respectively on the time sheets.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel lost control and slid off the track late in the second session, illustrating the dangers of pushing slick tires on a track marginally affected by rain. Intermittent spells of wet weather were forecast for both Saturday qualifying and Sunday's race.

Teething problems persisted for the new teams, with neither Hispania driver setting a time in the second session. Karun Chandhok's car came to a halt 100 meters after he exited the pits for his installation lap, while Bruno Senna never made it out of the garage because of a fuel pressure problem.

Virgin's Timo Glock suffered a gearbox malfunction that restricted him to nine laps, while teammate Lucas di Grassi did not set a time due a telemetry failure.

Despite the rain, the times in the second practice session outdid those of the early session, when Renault's Robert Kubica set the fastest time.

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi had the most eventful first session. First he snapped off a front wing when he hit a cone positioned to prevent corner cutting, then later the replacement wing fell off under heavy breaking, spearing him across a gravel trap.

F1 rookie Petrov had a good day in terms of times, but not so good for his bank balance after being fined $7000 for speeding in the pit lane. The speed limit for practice is 60 kph rather than 100 kph usually in place for qualifying and race. A decision was taken Friday to keep the 60 kph limit for Saturday and Sunday after a request by the safety delegate.

Mark Webber sets scorching Hungaroring pace

Mark Webber quickest in F1 Practice

Mark Webber Red Bull

Mark Webber

F1 – Final Test Day 1 – Webber easily quickest


Mark Webber

Mark Webber (1:19.574) set the fastest time in the final session of free practice ahead of qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Australian, the only man to have won three times in 2010, was half a second down on Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel on Friday, when many drivers reported feeling more understeer on Bridgestone's super soft tyre.

Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima explained: "How much teams are affected by the option tyre depends on front wing set-up. For example, between Vettel and Webber, Webber mistook the set-up of the front wing and felt big understeer, which is why his best lap time was much slower than Vettel, but maybe he could adjust the set-up. Everyone felt a bit more understeer with the supersoft."

Webber, who found a full second from his Friday best, looks like he has found a set-up he is happy with as the Red Bulls continued to dominate. Vettel was second fastest with 1:20.058.

Fernando Alonso (1:20.724) was more than a second from Webber's pace but still Red Bull's closest challenger, while Robert Kubica set fourth quickest time for Renault (1:21.066). Felipe Massa (1:21.264) produced a lap that was good enough for fifth fastest but remains half a second shy of Ferrari team mate Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton (1:20.376) put the first McLaren sixth, with Martin Whitmarsh stressing that in what looks as if it could be a tough race for the team, an error free race day picking up maximum number of points is the target.

Vitaly Petrov (1:21.399) continues to do a strong job in the second Renault at a circuit he knows well, while Nico Rosberg's Mercedes (1:21.422) just pipped Jenson Button's McLaren (1:21.473) to eighth place and Nico Hulkenberg's Williams (1:21.533) completed the top 10, a couple of tenths in front of team mate Rubens Barrichello (1:21.705).

Rule changes to revolutionise F1

Barrichello and Schumacher disagree over near-miss

Hopes are high that the 2011 Formula 1 season could top even last year's all-time classic for drama, action and entertainment.

With five world champions on the grid - all in top teams - there is certainly every reason to suppose it will be at least as gripping as 2010.

But as the F1 drivers and teams gear up for action in Melbourne this weekend, one thing is certain.

However thrilling the twists and turns of the year turn out to be, the racing on the track that creates them will be very different, thanks to a series of major rule changes.

RED BULL SET PACE IN AUSSIE GP PRACTICE

TYRES

Arguably the most exciting race of 2010 was the Canadian Grand Prix, which featured multiple pit stops and several lead changes, involving all five title contenders, before Lewis Hamilton's McLaren eventually came out on top.

And the reason for all the activity and excitement? Tyres.

The Bridgestones that F1 used last year were normally very durable, but the unique track surface in Montreal made them degrade faster than normal - hence more pit stops.

F1's stakeholders, who realised some of the races last year tended towards the soporific even if the season itself was thrilling, decided this was a good thing and asked new tyre supplier Pirelli to supply rubber that degraded faster than the Bridgestones.

Pirelli has done exactly that. Pre-season testing suggests drivers will have to do a minimum of two pit stops in each race, possibly three or even four depending on exactly how the tyres behave.

There were worries that the tyres were 'going off' too quickly. These fears seem to have cooled recently, but tyre management will still be a crucial part of a driver's armoury and race strategies will be much more complicated than they were last year.

A number of drivers have complained about tyres wearing out too quickly but those drivers who excel at caring for tyres - the likes of Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button - are not among them.

McLAREN PUT PRE-SEASON WOES TO ONE SIDE

MOVEABLE REAR WINGS

Remember last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? The world title slipped inexorably out of Alonso's grasp and into Sebastian Vettel's because the Spaniard could not get past Vitaly Petrov's Renault, which was slow around the corners but prodigiously fast down the straight.

Such a scenario is unlikely to happen in 2011 following the introduction of perhaps the most controversial of the rule changes - the moveable rear wing.

The idea is simple. A driver trying to overtake will be able to press a button in the cockpit that adjusts one of the flaps on the rear wing to reduce drag and give him extra speed on the straight.

It is controversial because it introduces an element of artifice into the racing. But the idea is not to make overtaking easy, just possible.

As race director Charlie Whiting puts it, the moveable rear wing will be "tuned with the intention of assisting the following driver, not guaranteeing him an overtaking manoeuvre".

The idea is for a driver who is much faster to be able to pass relatively easily, but for one who is only marginally quicker still to find it a major challenge.

Initially, drivers will be able to use the wing if they are within a second of the car in front at a designated point on the track. The device can be used from a given point on the following straight.

But these parameters can be adjusted if the device is working too well - or not well enough.

To assist with tuning car set-up, drivers will be able to use the wing freely in practice and qualifying, when it gives a lap-time advantage of about 0.5 seconds.

KERS

This season sees the return of the Kers energy recovery and power-boost systems, which were used by some teams in 2009 but abandoned last year on cost grounds.

These systems recover kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost during braking and store it in batteries. This energy can then be used during acceleration to boost a car's speed by about 80bhp for approximately seven seconds a lap. That results in an overall lap-time advantage of about 0.3secs.

Every team will have Kers apart from Lotus, Hispania and Virgin will have the systems, so its usage will be more tactical than anything else. The power can be supplied in one big boost, or in a number of smaller boosts around a lap.

Mark Webber sets pace in opening practice of Australian F1 GP

SPORTING CHANGES

As well as the technical changes detailed above, there will be a number of modifications to the sporting rules.

Most high-profile and controversial will be the removal of the ban on team orders, which comes as a result of the furore that followed Ferrari's veiled request to Felipe Massa to hand the lead of last year's German Grand Prix to team-mate Alonso.

Fans are sensitive to the idea of races being manipulated but the removal of the ban will, in reality, change nothing.

Teams have always operated internal orders/tactics. It is just that, since the ban on team orders was introduced in 2002, they have been more subtle about it than Ferrari were at Hockenheim.

This will remain the case but Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren et al will now have the ability to employ them publicly without fear of censure.

Potentially more wide-reaching is the widening of the powers of the race stewards and the formal outlawing of certain driving actions.

Remember when Michael Schumacher almost edged Rubens Barrichello into the pit wall in last year's Hungarian Grand Prix? Well, the long-standing gentleman's agreement that allows a driver to defend his position by changing his line no more than once is now in the rule book.

Among the other offences listed are causing an avoidable accident, unfairly blocking another driver, impeding another driver when being lapped, speeding in the pit lane, or gaining an advantage by leaving the track.

There are a number of other changes but another potentially significant one is the re-introduction of the 107% qualifying rule. This states that any driver who does not lap within 107% of the fastest time in the first qualifying session will not be allowed to start the race.

For the Hispania team, who go to Melbourne having never run their car, the rule may be giving some cause for concern.

Formula One and IndyCar Series begin their seasons Sunday

Formula 1 Racing

Racing Cars

Formula 1 Racing

After the cancellation of Formula One's scheduled opener in Bahrain, the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the season. IndyCar starts its series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Formula One and the Izod IndyCar Series kick off their seasons Sunday, with Formula One opening with the Australian Grand Prix and IndyCar taking to the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Formula One race at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne was supposed to be the second race on the calendar, but the opener in Bahrain scheduled for March 13 was canceled due to unrest in the Persian Gulf nation.

Reigning title holder Sebastian Vettel, who last year became the youngest champion in Formula One history at 23, returns with the Red Bull team along with driver Mark Webber. The pair combined to win nine of the series' 19 races last season.

Fernando Alonso, who fell just four points short of Vettel last year in his quest to win a third championship, again will drive for Ferrari with teammate Felipe Massa.

The McLaren Mercedes team will again have 2008 Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton plus 2009 title winner Jenson Button on board. Hamilton was a three-time winner last season.

Australia also will be an early test of whether Michael Schumacher, 42, can regain his luster.

The seven-time champion came out of retirement last year to race again for the Mercedes GP team, but he struggled throughout the season and finished a mediocre ninth in the title standings.

"We are well-prepared" this year, Schumacher, a four-time winner in Australia, told Formula One's website this week. "All of the hard work over the winter will start to come together over the first few races."

A key change for all the drivers is that Pirelli replaced Bridgestone as the series' tire provider and Pirelli deliberately is making tires that wear out faster, which could lead to more passing and pit stops that enhance competition.

IndyCar, meanwhile, launches its 17-race schedule at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The teams owned by Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske are expected to dominate the series once again.

Ganassi's Dario Franchitti won his third championship last year by five points over Penske's Will Power and by 55 points over third-place Scott Dixon, Franchitti's teammate. Franchitti won three races last season, including the Indianapolis 500.

IndyCar's start also means Danica Patrick, the sport's most popular driver, has left her part-time stint in NASCAR stock-car racing to rejoin her IndyCar series team of Andretti Autosport.

Tony Kanaan, the 2004 series champion, formerly drove for Andretti Autosport before losing the ride after last season due to lack of sponsorship. But KV Racing Technology-Lotus said Monday it had signed Kanaan to drive for that team this year.

Mercedes Rolls Out Hotrod C63 Coupe

Mercedes car

Mercedes

New Mercedes Car

Mercedes

Mercedes cars

Mercedes-Benz is showing the production version of the 2012 C63 AMG coupe it plans to begin selling in the U.S. in September. By adding a two-door version of its souped-up small C Class car, the German car maker is trying to keep pace with rivals including Audi, BMW and Cadillac, all of which offer fast, flashy, overpowered coupes.

The new Benz also reflects a gradual comeback across the auto industry for two-door models that haven’t been very popular since the 1960s and 1970s, when they were known as personal cars.

Aimed largely at performance-obsessed single people and the midlife-crisis set, coupes like the C63, Audi S5 and Cadillac CTS-V Coupe try to make up for their lack of practicality with sleek, provocative styling that four-door sedans can’t match.

The new C63 coupe uses the same 6.3-liter engine as the much larger CL63 AMG and CLS63 AMG. The eight-cylinder power plant puts out 451 horsepower in standard trim and 481 horses if you order an option called the AMG development package. The package includes forged pistons and connecting rods, and a lightweight crankshaft like the one used in the company’s exotic SLS sports car.

The special parts save 6.6 pounds, make the engine more responsive and allow it to rev higher than the standard version. The extra power cuts the car’s zero-to-60 mph acceleration time to 4.3 seconds from 4.4 and boosts top speed to 174 mph from 155 mph for the standard AMG version. In both cases the car’s top speed is electronically limited.

The C63 is scheduled to make its world debut at next month’s New York auto show. Lower-powered C250 and C350 versions of the coupe will also go on sale in September. Mercedes says it expects to release pricing for the coupes in August.

F1: Sutil eyes sixth spot for Force India

Racing cars

Racing cars

Adrian Sutil

Adrian Sutil

Adrian Sutil

MUMBAI: Force India driver Adrian Sutil said he was eyeing a top 10 finish for himself and a top six finish for the team in the upcoming Formula One season which begins in Melbourne on March 27.

"We had a good season last year. I want to improve myself. Individually, I would like to finish in the top 10 and as a team at least in the sixth position. It's not easy but what is easy in life," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Saturday.

"Last year we tried our best to end in the sixth position, but missed out by just one point. We were unlucky of course. We had a strong beginning but towards the end began to have problems. This year we want to be more consistent," added the German, who is into his fifth season with the Silverstone-based Force India outfit.

Sutil, flanked by team-mates Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, said the team's car, though, needed some improvement going into the 2011-12 season.

"We had a new system in the car and that made a difference also. We had new tyres as well. The general baseline is good. We don't have too much general under fuel or over fuel problems. We need to concentrate on the downforce area. We need to work on it a little bit," he said.

"We have a partnership with McLaren and engines from Mercedes. That's a good combination," he added.

To a query on the new turbo engine rules (that pave the way for small four-cylinder engines) to be implemented from 2013, Sutil said, "Every year, we have new rules. Sometimes you think as a driver there are too many. All engines are going green. So, we have to look after our planet as well. The cars will still be fast."

Commenting on the Pirelli tyres that will be used from this season onwards, and which have been criticised by F1 champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel for degrading too fast, Sutil said the tyres will make the game more exciting.

"They don't last long. It was introduced that way by Pirelli. Bridgestone (the earlier used tyres) was good and sometimes lasted the whole race. We want to have more pitstops anyway."

However, he added that the unpredictability of the tyres would be bit difficult to adjust for the drivers.

Asked about the testing sessions earlier this year, Di Resta said it was nice to get a feel of the car that he will be driving for the rest of the season.

"It was an official F1 test. It's nice to get a feel of it. The car seems reliable, we got valuable information on where to develop it in the future," he said.

On whether Force India's drivers would fulfill team owner Vijay Mallya's wish of finishing at the podium during India's first Grand Prix at Noida later this year, he said, "It's like any challenge Vijay has. We have to be realistic. We want to do well at not only this race but all the races.

"But we have a lot of challenges. We have a big task ahead of us to try and do well to improve the car as much as possible before coming here. There are a lot of preparations. We would like to be ahead in the grid when we come here."

"For India, it (the Indian Grand Prix) would be a big weekend, a new culture to follow. It would be another home Grand Prix for the team, the first being Britain because the team is based there," he added.

Asked about seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's comeback to Formula 1, Hulkenberg said the German's unsuccessful return last year may have taken some shine off his days from Ferrari.

"Michael was the king of Formula One. Last year his image wasn't destroyed but he wasn't as successful as people would have expected him to. Mercedes (his car) wasn't too good (for him). His teammate Nico Roseberg was ahead of him in most of the races. His first aim should be to finish ahead of Nico and then target podium finishes.

"He is coming after three years which is a long time in Formula One. The shine of Schumacher from Ferrari may have been lost due to last year's performance but who knows, he may bounce back next year."

David Coulthard analyses Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull

BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard knows Sebastian Vettel well as a former rival and in his position as a consultant to the German's Red Bull team.

As the youngest champion in Formula 1 history prepares to start the defence of his title in Australia on Sunday, Coulthard analyses the 23-year-old's status in F1.

"Drivers go through various stages in their career. Winning the title will move Vettel out of the first one - when, if you like, you're young and somewhat naive and everything's new and exciting and you're driving on your instincts - into the next one, when you're established and starting to mature.

"Drivers are very young when they come into F1 these days - and Sebastian was no exception; he made his debut at 19. So they have not had the chance to develop fully into adult life before being put under the spotlight of the media and public, and all the adulation that comes with that.

"I remember people saying to me: 'Don't change.' But the reality is you have to change. Your environment changes, you're growing as an individual, you develop tastes.

David Coulthard analyses Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 90 seconds (UK users only) BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard knows Sebastian Vettel well as a former rival and in his position as a consultant to the German's Red Bull team. As the youngest champion in Formula 1 history prepares to start the defence of his title in Australia on Sunday, Coulthard analyses the 23-year-old's status in F1. WILL WINNING THE TITLE MAKE VETTEL A BETTER DRIVER? "Drivers go through various stages in their career. Winning the title will move Vettel out of the first one - when, if you like, you're young and somewhat naive and everything's new and exciting and you're driving on your instincts - into the next one, when you're established and starting to mature. mates and rivals "Drivers are very young when they come into F1 these days - and Sebastian was no exception; he made his debut at 19. So they have not had the chance to develop fully into adult life before being put under the spotlight of the media and public, and all the adulation that comes with that. "I remember people saying to me: 'Don't change.' But the reality is you have to change. Your environment changes, you're growing as an individual, you develop tastes. "That's a long-winded way of saying what I've been impressed with about Sebastian is how inwardly calm and confident he is without being arrogant. "If you compare him to Michael Schumacher, Michael was often pigeon-holed as having what appeared to be an arrogant persona. At no time has Seb displayed that in his short time in F1. "Whether that's the way he's wired, the way he's been brought up, we'll find out in time. But I would be surprised if he became a slightly distant and aloof champion.

He has achieved a goal and a milestone in his life and reset the counter and is now going to try to do it again, in the same way as Fernando Alonso has always had the same approach to his racing, whether he was at Minardi, Renault, McLaren or Ferrari.

"Fernando has a steel edge to him - his whole demeanour shouts: 'Don't mess with me, otherwise I'll use all the tools at my disposal to screw you back.' But if you don't poke him, he doesn't come looking for trouble.

"I've always respected his position, even when it was easy to give him a bashing when it was Lewis and him in the same team and it was the Brit and the 'nasty Spaniard'.

"You've got to respect someone's position if they're consistent in what they ask for and how they react. I think that's a quality not a negative and it's one Vettel has, too."

Renaultsport to make roadster

Renault is planning to turn its highly rated Renaultsport division into a stand-alone brand with its own unique models — starting with a roadster based on the stunning Dezir concept.

The French manufacturer has decided to build upon Renaultsport’s reputation for fine-handling hot hatches instead of reviving the classic Alpine badge.

Renault product manager Beatrice Foucher told Autocar, “Renaultsport is key to Renault’s strategy. It already has excellent loyalty and is perceived by some owners as a brand in its own right, and we can develop that further. “We will continue working on derivative versions of the Mégane, for example, because that’s a terrific car and excellent for us. But we also need specific models only for Renaultsport. We have started working on that; we’re thinking of small volumes, where there are good business models.”

Foucher insisted that no decision has been taken — but admitted that Renaultsport could potentially support “two or three” unique models beyond its breathed-on hatchbacks.

That line-up is likely to start with a version of the Dezir, which previewed Renault’s new front-end styling. The concept will influence the firm’s entire next generation of models (including the Clio, due at the 2012 Paris show) — but one senior insider said it is now “highly probable” that a version of the sports car will make production.

The source also indicated that the car would be a convertible, that it would be produced as a limited-run Renaultsport model, and that it “won’t be cheap”. A figure of £30k has been mooted.

When asked if a production Dezir would still be an EV, Foucher said, “My dream is that we’ll be able to sell EV sports cars.” But Autocar understands that while the production car is likely to retain the concept’s spaceframe construction and rear-drive, mid-engined layout, elements such as the lithium ion battery pack and Kevlar panels could prove too expensive for even its elevated price point.

The most likely powerplant is a version of the Renaultsport Clio’s venerable 2.0-litre motor, producing around 200bhp — although Renault could also offer the car with a hot diesel motor.

The production Dezir won’t be the first bespoke Renaultsport two-seater to reach customers; the firm produced the ultra-hardcore, Clio Williams-engined Spider 15 years ago.

Like that car, the new model is likely to be assembled at Renaultsport’s production facility in Dieppe. The plant — the former home of Alpine, ironically — has capacity because while previous Renaultsport hot hatchbacks have been assembled there, the current Mégane 250 is completed on the regular line in Spain.

Bespoke Renaultsport models are likely to mean the end of dreams for an Alpine revival. Foucher said, “Alpine is a brand we’d like to have. But we’d need to be able to fulfil Alpine’s values in the model, which means having a car that fits in with the Alpine DNA. Anything else would just damage the brand.”

The move is part of a push within Renault to expand its range into ‘niche’ areas that potentially offer greater profit margins. The strategy, an indirect reaction to the success enjoyed by Citroën with its DS3, has even prompted discussions within Renault about a revived, premium R5.

Hot Honda car CR-Z will be a hybrid

Honda

Honda R&D chief Tomohiko Kawanabe has confirmed that the firm is working on a high-performance CR-Z hybrid.

In an exclusive interview with Autocar, Kawanabe admitted that development work on the more powerful two-door has started, and that — contrary to earlier reports — it will keep its IMA hybrid system.

“It’s true: we are working on a more powerful CR-Z,” he said. “Our problem with the car as it stands is that it looks very good, but it doesn’t have the performance some customers expect.”

Autocar’s sources suggest that Honda might turn to a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine for the new CR-Z, but Kawanabe refused to confirm this.

"The decision on the engine hasn’t been made,” he said. “Turbocharging is an option, but a high-compression petrol engine would work better in tandem with a hybrid assist system.”

It is highly likely that the faster CR-Z will use Honda’s next-generation IMA system, which will appear first in the US-market Civic Hybrid next year.

Featuring lithium ion batteries, the new IMA will be capable of producing twice as much power as Honda’s nickel-metal hydride system, without requiring a larger battery.

A more sophisticated coupling should also allow it to fully disengage from the engine during brake energy regeneration (something the current IMA system can’t do), allowing it to recapture more kinetic energy to recycle as electric power.

The problem for the CR-Z’s performance will be Honda’s efficiency targets. “It will not be acceptable for the new car to be less fuel efficient than the current one,” Kawanabe said. “The CR-Z must deliver low CO2 emissions, as well as be fun to drive.”

That being the case, a combined petrol-electric power increase to 160bhp is likely, delivered without compromising fuel efficiency thanks to that more powerful hybrid system.

Honda civic

Honda 2011

Honda car

New honda car 2011

New Audi Q6 to fight BMW X6

New Audi

BMW

New Audi 2011

Audi has kicked off development of a new performance orientated crossover model to counter the BMW X6.

Set to be called the Q6, the five-seat crossover is rumoured to be based around the same four-wheel drive underpinnings as the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, both of which use a short wheelbase (2895mm) version of the Volkswagen Group’s so-called Colorado platform that in long-wheelbase (3000mm) form is also used beneath the Audi Q7.

Nothing has been made official, but in an interview with German media representatives at the recent Geneva auto show, Audi boss Rupert Stadler, alluded to the new German crossover, saying, “We can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7... a coupé-like, four-wheel driven model.”

Audi’s decision to add the Q6 to its line-up comes after lobbying calls from its North American and Chinese subsidiaries for a standard-sized SUV to counter the BMW X6, global sales of which have more than doubled original estimates since its launch in 2008.

As with its key rival, the Q6 is likely to arrive in the US with a range of V6 and V8 petrol and diesel engines, together with a V6 gasoline engine-electric motor hybrid drive option similar to that used by the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne Hybrids.

The decision to provide the new model with what Stadler describes as “coupé-like” styling and standard “four-wheel drive” also paves the way for an outwardly sporting variant from Audi quattro, the same division responsible for the company’s diverse range of RS models. While still early days, Audi is thought to be considering a range-topping Q6 RS model powered by the new turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine, set to make its debut in the new-generation RS6 at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Despite doubts about the sales potential at launch in 2008, the BMW X6 has proven a remarkable success. The latest figures provided by BMW reveal overall sales of 110,622 – some 43,322 of which were recorded in 2010, including 3082 X6Ms.