MOTOR SPORT

Ms Sandiford to be executed for drug trafficking.

2013-01-22T02:26:00.001-08:00

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after she tried to enter the Indonesian holiday island with illegal drugs worth £1.6 million hidden in her suitcase.

Local prosecutors had called for the 56-year-old housewife to be jailed for 15 years. But today there were gasps in the Bali courtroom when a panel of judges announced Ms Sandiford would be executed for drug trafficking.

As the shock verdict was announced, Ms Sandiford, from Gloucestershire, slumped back in her chair in tears before hiding her face with a brown sarong as she was led out of the courtroom.

yellow jacket stun gun case for iphone

2012-08-04T03:56:00.001-07:00

yellow jacket is a case that transforms the iPhone 4 & 4S into that 650,000-volt stun gun you've always needed.

scheduled to hit the US market in fall 2012 the case is advertised as being able to
easily stop an aggressive male attacker, and ready for use in less than two seconds.
its designer seth froom, a former military policeman came up with the product after
being robbed in his home at gunpoint.

what is the demand for such a hostile product you might ask? well, yellow jacket
has managed to receive over 100,000 USD worth of backing on the crowd-funding
website indiegogo which means that there must be quite a few people out there
who feel the need to transform their phone into a weapon.

detail of the stun gun nodes

the iPhone's designers could never have conceived half of the the weird and wonderful accessories
that have been designed for use with the iPhone since its launch, but even in the name of self defense
a stun gun seems a bit much, doesn't it?

Now You Can Buy a $250,000 Nail Polish

2012-08-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, because we just got a press release for the “most expensive nail polish in the world.”

That title was previously held by Models Own, which produced a $130,000 bottle (featuring a 24-carat gold, diamond-encrusted lid) back in 2010. However, the self-professed “king of black diamonds,” Azature, has doubled that figure. A bottle of black nail polish containing a whopping 267 carats of black diamonds in the actual polish will go for $250,000. Yikes. You won’t be able to just walk into Duane Reade and buy this sucker, however–only one bottle of the stuff will be produced.

For those of us who can’t afford a quarter of a million dollars for a manicure, Azature is offering a $25 version (see, now doesn’t $25 nail polish sound downright cheap in comparison?) containing one measly black diamond. You’ll be able to pick it up in LA at Fred Segal starting this month.

Estepona Town Hall sacks 176 municipal workers

2012-08-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

The news was given on Wednesday by the Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares Estepona Town Hall has sacked 176 municipal workers. The PP Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares, announced on Wednesday that the 176 workers are victims of the ERE Employment Regulation which the Town Hall put forward in June. The workers will be compensated with 2.5 million € and they will be given their ‘finiquito payments of 408,000 € between them. Pilar Fernández-Figares said one they were sacked the Town Hall will start to work on a new ‘training program for the reinsertion of the sacked workers’.

BMW to sell luxury cars for less online

2012-07-29T11:23:00.001-07:00

The BMW i3 concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January. (John T. Greilick / Detroit News)

BMW will sell cars over the Web for the first time as the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles seeks an inexpensive way to reach more buyers to recoup spending on its electric models.

A direct online sales platform for BMW's new I sub-brand will be unique in an industry where, outside of small-scale experiments, competitors leave Internet orders for cars to dealers. BMW's range of strategies for the models, including a roaming sales force backing a limited showroom network, reflects the challenge carmakers face as low-emission vehicles trickle into dealerships to sluggish demand after years of development.

"There is considerable risk in BMW's approach of promoting the I brand so prominently," said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Science in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "There is the image risk, if they don't succeed as quickly as expected, and then there's the main risk of costs, which can only be countered with high deliveries."

BMW opened the I models' first showroom Tuesday in London, although only prototype cars and informational materials will be displayed at first because the vehicles themselves won't go on sale before next year. BMW is spending about $3 billion developing the i3 battery-powered city car and i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, according to an estimate by Frost & Sullivan. Industry sales of electric cars last year, at 43,000 vehicles, were only 57 percent of the 75,000 deliveries predicted by Sarwant Singh, a London-based automotive partner at the consulting company.

Starting prices posted

The four-seat i3, scheduled to reach the market in late 2013, will be priced at about 40,000 euros ($48,500), Bratzel estimated. That compares with a 23,850-euro starting price ($29,388) in Germany for the 1-Series, the cheapest BMW-brand car. The i8, targeted for sale in 2014, will cost more than 100,000 euros ($123,221), according to Ian Robertson, BMW's sales chief.

Details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are "still in the planning process" and will be communicated later, Linda Croissant, a spokeswoman at Munich- based BMW, said last week. Sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, she said.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet, and will be an extension of the car configuration that most automakers offer customers to view models with desired options such as interior colors, seat materials and roof styles.

Test drives not an option

The Internet platform may take a while to catch on because "many customers will still want to go somewhere to look at and drive the vehicle before buying," said Ian Fletcher, an auto analyst in London at research company IHS Global Insight.

"With new technologies, there may be even greater skepticism about buying a car over the Internet, as in many cases you'll have to win the confidence of customers that it works and there is support for them," Fletcher said in an email.

The setup may help BMW reduce expenses: Internet sales require less than half the cost of distributing through a dealership, according to Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. That allows online car prices to be 5 percent to 7 percent less than showroom tags.

Still, BMW sees standard dealerships as "the backbone of what we are doing in the interface with the customer" for the I models, Robertson said in June at a press presentation at the sub-brand's Park Lane showroom in London.

Dealer selection criteria

Outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material, Robertson said. The carmaker has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, he said.

Dealers will be designated as agents for the I models, which provides an "advantage" by keeping the vehicles on the carmaker's books, the association of BMW distributors in Germany said in an email.

Electric vehicles' disadvantages versus conventional cars include costly battery packs, limited ranges and the time needed to recharge. Consumer reception to models like the Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf and General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt has been tepid.

"Currently available electric cars have a limited market success because they are a big compromise," said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at Credit Suisse AG. "Customers are not willing to compromise and spend a lot of money."

Carbon fiber bodies lighter

BMW Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer started Project I at the end of 2007 as tighter emissions regulations threatened the viability of sporty sedans. BMW chose to create all-new vehicles that use expensive carbon fiber for a lighter body to make up for the weight of the battery system.

The approach contrasts with a decision by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars division to convert existing models, such as the van-like B-Class or two-seat Smart, to electric power.

To make its electric vehicles more attractive, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's Smart brand offers to lease the battery separately from the car. The automaker has a target of selling more than 10,000 of the models next year, with a starting price of 18,910 euros plus monthly battery rental at 65 euros.

The I models' new technology poses risks for BMW, "but they have no choice if they want to keep their premium and image as an innovation leader," Ellinghorst said.

The i3 and i8 will probably be among BMW's lowest-selling models through 2024, alongside the existing Z4 roadster, according to IHS estimates. In 2014, the first full year of production, BMW will probably deliver 31,380 i3s, compared with 564,760 of the best-selling 3-Series model and 18,101 Z4s, a study by the research company shows.

BMW's stance is that the models should produce earnings from the start, sales chief Robertson said.

"We clearly, as a company, go into any product launch with the view of making profit, which is no different with the I brand," Robertson said. "This is a car line just as every other car line, and we intend to make profit from Day 1."

Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books

2012-07-26T02:38:00.001-07:00

Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper* magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books. I suppose it can be alternated with "In the Library," a perfume that smells like old books.

Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.
“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.” Karl Lagerfeld.

It comes packaged with inside a hollow carved out of a book with "texts" by "Karl Lagerfeld, Günter Grass, Geza Schoen and Tony Chambers."

HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS TODAY

2012-07-18T10:34:00.001-07:00

Grabbing a cup of coffee

Dining out at your favourite restaurant

Spending some time at the museum

Meeting at a popular fast food centre

Relaxing at the beach

Going to a game

Going out on a date

Taking a drive around town

I am thankful I belong to another generation !!!!

“It’s become appallingly clear that our Technology has surpassed our Humanity” -- Albert Einstein

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary feelings

2012-07-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

'It's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce.' Photograph: Gary Powell/Getty Images

Tattoos are permanent reminders of temporary feelings – at least if you believe the report in Thursday's Daily Mail, which looked at "embarrassing" matching couple tattoos – designs that complement or complete each other across two, romantically involved bodies.

Yet there are millions of people who feel no embarrassment about the tattoos they share with their friends, lovers and even exes. Moreover, as with most perceived "new trends" in tattooing, this practice is one with a history far older than the current generation; it's a phenomenon that provides both an insight into human beings' fundamental relationships with their own bodies and the bodies and lives of those close to them.

Tattoos have been used as markers of association for probably as long as human beings have walked the earth, to mark tribal affiliations, regimental membership in the military, membership of fraternal orders such as the masons or US college Greek letter groups, and to signify gang membership.

The most common of these types of affiliative tattoos, though, is marking an attachment to a loved one. There's an old adage in tattooed circles that suggests getting your lover's name tattooed on you is a sure kiss of death for that relationship, and it's an old gag too: Norman Rockwell's famous 1944 Saturday Evening Post cover painting, The Tattooist, shows a salty sailor in the tattooist's chair, having yet another name added to an arm already full of the crossed-out names of past paramours. Even earlier, a cartoon in Punch from 1916 shows a "fickle young thing" – a well-turned-out young woman, as it happens – revisiting her tattooist to seek an amendment to the ornamental crest tattoo on her arm as she has, euphemistically, "exchanged into another regiment".

None of this seems to have affected the long-standing popularity of having names or symbols tattooed to commemorate couples' love and bond. Magazines in the 1920s reported the latest fad for newlyweds was getting matching tattooed wedding rings; preserved tattooed skins in the Wellcome Collection from the late 19th century feature names and portraits of lovers; studies of tattoos in the American navy in the 18th century reveal a large percentage of seamen of the period bore tattoos of the names of women; even Christian pilgrims in the 16th century were recorded to have borne the names of their wives on their skins, as tokens or identificatory marks; and records attest to romantic tattooing even in ancient Rome – St Basil the Great (329-380) is said to have condemned the tattooing of a lover's name that he observed on someone's hand. While I'd certainly never advocate getting a permanent mark of your relationship too hastily, it does seem that the instinct to inscribe a permanent token transcends the ages. Caveat amator.

Single tattoos that span multiple bodies appear to be a more recent phenomenon, however. In 1977, New York-based tattoo artist Spider Webb undertook what was probably the first conceptual art project to use tattooing, in a piece called X-1000, in which he tattooed single, small Xs on to 999 individuals, and, as a culmination, one large X on the final, 1,000th skin, conceived as one contiguous work. This tattoo, potentially spanning thousands of miles at any one time, was, Webb said, "the largest tattoo ever done at any point in history". In 2000, as the culmination to a performance art project begun in 1998 designed to highlight the horrific lives and plights of the homeless and hungry in Mexico City, Santiago Sierra produced his piece 160cm Line Tattooed on Four People, a single black line tattooed across the backs of prostitutes in exchange for wraps of heroin, as a symbol of their desperation, interdependence, and utter powerlessness. Sierra would later remark: "You could make this tattooed line a kilometre long, using thousands and thousands of willing people." In 2003, author Shelley Jackson famously published her short story Skin on the bodies of 2095, one tattooed word per person. These tattoos bring together strangers in common cause.

My favourite set of matching tattoos, though, are probably the ongoing collection of work worn by twins Caleb and Jordan Kilby, tattooed with matching work by influential and extraordinarily talented New York-based artist Thomas Hooper. If you must get matching tattoos with someone, it's wisest to pick someone whom you cannot break up with or divorce, and to get the work carried out by a tattoo artist who will produce a piece of work that will stand the test of time on its own terms.

Latvian company creates leather bound Ferrari

2012-07-13T04:22:00.001-07:00

We're familiar with seeing tight leather on smoking hot women, and weird old men, but it's a first for us seeing a leather bound Ferrari F430.

There seems to be a lot of fuss over this leather bound Ferrari F430 in the UK with both The Sun and The Daily Mail reporting about it recently.

However, this isn’t a new car by any means as US motoring blog Jalopnikreported on the F430 way back in August last year. It’s a pretty cool, albeit manky, car so we thought we’d show you anyway.

It’s the work of a Latvian custom car company called Dartz who hit the headlines in 2009 when they created a $1.5 million ruby red SUV with whale foreskin-covered seats. Yes, foreskin…

Anyway, some high roller with more cash then sense decided it would be a great idea to cover his €170,000 Ferrari in dark leather.

The owner of Dartz, Leonard Yankelovich, said: "One of our very rich customers from the Cote d'Azur wanted a leather exterior and knew we could deliver.

"It took three of my staff 16 working days to apply the leather and finish. He was more than happy when he picked it up."

He won’t be too happy when he scratches it though.

Is this the most expensive way to ruin a Ferrari?

A female test driver for Formula One has sustained 'life-threatening' injuries after an accident in Cambridgeshire this morning ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.

2012-07-03T05:07:00.001-07:00

Maria De Villota, 32, was taking part in her first test for the Formula One team at Duxford Airfield when she 'inexplicably accelerated' to about 40mph into a support truck after completing her opening lap.

After treatment by trackside paramedics, the Spaniard was taken to the local Addenbrooke's hospital.

Scroll down for video

Maria De Villota at a photo call this morning, and in the Marussia car at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, shortly before the accident

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after De Villota had pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day and 'inexplicably accelerated' into a support truck

Emergency workers and Marussia F1 staff at the scene at Duxford today

Marussia test driver Maria De Villota is said to be fighting for her life

Gary Sanderson, spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: 'A woman has sustained life-threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrookes hospital for further care.'

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after De Villota had pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day, during which she reached speeds of about 200mph.

As the mechanics approached to wheel the car back for service, it accelerated forwards and crashed into the stationary vehicle parked nearby.

The front of the Marussia car was destroyed in the crash and De Villota's helmet was seen to impact with the side of the truck.

The 32-year-old Spaniard was taken to Addenbrooke's hospital

The front of the Marussia car was destroyed in the crash and De Villota's helmet was seen to impact with the side of the truck (file photo)

De Villota was reportedly motionless for around 15 minutes as paramedics attended to her but was seen to move her hands before being transported to hospital.

BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who was at the Imperial War Museum-owned airfield when the accident happened, said the car 'inexplicably accelerated' into the back of the team's parked support truck.

'The driver's helmet was impacted on the side of the truck,' he reported. 'It just happened suddenly, a very shocking incident.

Racing in the blood: De Villota is the daughter of former Formula One driver Emilio de Villota

'The car slowed down for it to be reversed into the pits which was actually a tent. But at the last second it just suddenly accelerated again so by the time it hit the truck, it was doing 30 or 40 miles an hour.'

He added: 'It appeared to me that she wasn't moving for about 10 or 15 minutes. We saw her move her hands after about a quarter of an hour and it took almost an hour for the ambulance (staff) to feel confident to take her out of the car.'

De Villota is the daughter of Spanish former F1 driver Emilio de Villota.

She was appointed test driver of Russian-licensed Marussia in March, making her the only woman in such a role at the time although Williams have since handed a similar development role to Suzie Wolff.

This year is the first season the team has competed as Marussia after the Russian sports car manufacturer bought a controlling stake in the former Virgin team.

Marussia has not yet scored any points this season.

The team's race regulars are German driver Timo Glock, who missed the last grand prix in Valencia through illness, and Frenchman Charles Pic.

De Villota was given a test drive by Renault in August last year when she clocked up just under 200 miles, and has previously raced in Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, the Euroseries 3000 and Superleague Formula Championship.

A statement from Marussia read: 'At approximately 09.15 BST this morning, the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team’s MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time.

'The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck.

'Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed, a further statement will be issued.'

A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: 'We were notified by the ambulance service of a slow-speed crash involving a racing car and a lorry.

'It looks like the driver has suffered a serious injury and we will be notifying the Health and Safety Executive as it happened on private land.'

VIDEO: Watch Maria talk to CNN about her driving career only a month before the accident...

BUGATTI VEYRON - SUPERSPORTS 16.4 - WORLD RECORD EDITION - No.1 of 5 Made.

2012-06-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

BUGATTI VEYRON - SUPERSPORTS 16.4 - WORLD RECORD EDITION - No.1 of 5 Made.

UNREGISTERED (European Type Approval) Delivery Mileage - 465 Km.LHD

Exterior colour - Black carbon/Arancia

Upper leather colour - Beluga Black/Arancia - Sport Comfort Seats

Max Power - 1200 bhp (1,068 PS)

WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD 267 MPH

Interest Canvassed Privately at - 2.700.000 EUROS (Net)

Enquiries - performance@holmesandco-london.com

George Washington's copy of US constitution sells for $9.8m

2012-06-23T03:46:00.001-07:00

Portrait of George Washington, whose personal copy of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights fetched $9.8m at auction. Photograph: Stock Montage/Getty Images

George Washington's personal copy of the US constitution and bill of rights sold for $9.8m (£6.3m) at auction on Friday, setting a record for any American book or historic document.

Bidders at Christie's New York salesroom and others on the telephone competed for the first US president's signed, gold-embossed volume dating to 1789, which had a pre-sale estimate of up to $3m.

The non-profit Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, which maintains the historic Mount Vernon estate in Virginia that was Washington's home and is now open to the public, was the successful bidder.

"The unique book had been in the Mount Vernon library until 1876, and will soon be returned to that library," said Chris Coover, senior specialist of books and manuscripts at Christie's.

The bound volume was Washington's personal copy of the Acts of Congress and is noteworthy for his bold signature marking it as his own.

The Acts of Congress include the Constitution, whose preamble promises to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity," and the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the constitution, which establish such fundamental liberties as the right to free speech, press, assembly and religion.

Christie's described the book as being in near-pristine condition after 223 years. It was specially printed for Washington in 1789, his first year in office as president.

The margins include Washington's handwritten brackets and notations highlighting key passages concerning the president's responsibilities.

The Acts of Congress volume was sold from Washington's library at Mt Vernon in 1876 and eventually bought at auction by collector Richard Dietrich in the 1960s. It was being sold by the family's estate.

Similar volumes created for Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state and third US president, and attorney general John Jay, are in Indiana's Lilly Library and a private collection, respectively.

Rare books and manuscripts have achieved impressive prices in recent years.

An autographed manuscript of Lincoln's 1864 election victory speech sold for $3.4m in February 2009, which set a record for an American manuscript at the time. A 1787 letter written from Washington to his nephew on the subject of the ratification of the Constitution fetched $3.2m in December 2009.

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

2012-06-23T03:02:00.001-07:00

performance@holmesandco-london.com

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

Car No.40 of 77 Made.

The Client is seeking 1.2 Million Sterling for the Car.

The Cars were originally sold by Aston Martin for 1Million, plus costs.

Equivalent cars are available for 2 Million Sterling – 2.7 Million Dollars.

We are Offering the Car at 1.4 Million, but it should be considerably more.

Our Client wishes for the Sale to be Confidential, and approaching clients will need to provide documents

Anthony Davidson in hospital after Le Mans 24 Hour race accident

2012-06-16T15:36:00.001-07:00

Anthony Davidson in hospital after Le Mans 24 Hour race accident Britain's Anthony Davidson is in hospital following a huge accident five hours into the Le Mans 24 hour race. His Toyota flipped into the air and crashed heavily into a barrier after being clipped by Italy's Piergiuseppe Perazzini's LMPGTE Ferrari. A Toyota statement said: "Doctors at the circuit have confirmed that Anthony is suffering from shock and back pain. "However, there are no signs of any injuries and he is walking and talking with no problems." Perazzini walked away from the accident but Davidson, 33, was treated by medical staff at the scene. The race continued behind the safety car for more than 30 minutes as marshals reconstructed the tyre wall which had been badly damaged by Davidson's car. The Hertfordshire-born driver was taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks.

Man stranded in desert builds motorcycle out of his broken car

2012-06-11T00:58:00.001-07:00

According to Merriam-Webster, ingenuity can be defined as "skill or cleverness in devising or combining" or "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance." We'd say that's an apt description of a Frenchman named Emile who reportedly found himself stranded in the deserts of Northwest Africa after breaking a frame rail and a suspension swingarm underneath his Citroën 2CV.

What to do? Why, disassemble the broken hulk and build yourself a motorcycle from its pile of parts, of course! As the story goes, Emile was able to use the inventive machine to escape the desert, though not before convincing the local authorities that he wasn't an insurgent and paying a fine for importing a non-conforming vehicle...

Since Emile was the only soul in the area, nobody has been able to confirm the veracity of the events that led to the little French runabout's conversion into a makeshift motorcycle. That said, judging by the images you can see here (apparently from the March 2003 issue of 2CV Magazine), this Citroën-bred two-wheeler does indeed exist, and it was definitely fashioned from parts scavenged from an old 2CV.

Emile, wherever you are, we take our hats off to your real-life MacGyver skills, sir.

'McLaren to offer Hamilton £100m deal'

2012-05-25T08:34:00.001-07:00

McLaren are reputedly poised to offer Lewis Hamilton a new contract worth £20m per year and £100m over its full duration as speculation mounts that the 2008 World Champion's future is finally set for resolution. Hamilton's current deal with the Woking outfit, which has nurtured him since the age of 13, expires at the end of the year. Although the 27-year-old has repeatedly stressed in recent months that he is in no rush to finalise his future, McLaren - presumably mindful of reports linking their star asset with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, all of whom are set to have a driver vacancy for 2013 - are reputedly preparing to make Hamilton an offer seemingly too lucrative to refuse According to a host of reports, Hamilton and his advisors will soon be presented with a £20m-per-year deal by McLaren that would tie the driver to the team through his peak years until the age of 33. However, although The Daily Mail suggests that 'talks are likely to begin in earnest around early July', The Daily Telegraph believes 'any contract is unlikely to be signed until later this summer, or even this autumn, as the finer points are hammered out and Hamilton continues to assess his options.' Although his relationship with Fernando Alonso has thawed of late, the possibility of Ferrari pairing Hamilton with the Spaniard remains remote given that their solitary season together at McLaren proved to be one of the most mutually-destructive and controversial driver pairings in the sport's history. Mercedes, meanwhile, are yet to commit their long-term future to F1, while Red Bull boss Christian Horner has previously ruled out signing a driver hardly renowned for living a quiet life. Hamilton's talent, however, has never been in question, and a scenario in which they have to race against their former protégé is the stuff of nightmares for McLaren. Hence the reputed determination of Martin Whitmarsh and the Woking hierarchy to retain their 'dream team' of Hamilton and Jenson Button, who signed a three-year contract extension with McLaren in October, whatever the cost - even, it seems, if that cost works out at £100m.

Michael Schumacher's weekend in Spain went from bad to worse on Sunday afternoon as he was slapped with a grid penalty following his incident with Bruno Senna.

2012-05-14T00:16:00.001-07:00

Both drivers crashed out of the Spanish Grand Prix on lap 14 after Schumacher drove into the back of Senna's Williams.

Schumacher, who called Senna an "idiot" over the radio, refused to accept blame for the incident, telling Sky Sports F1 HD: "I want the stewards to clarify what happened. He moved to the right, but he shouldn't move back in the braking phase to the left that sharply."

Senna, meanwhile, felt it was just one of those incidents.

"At the end of the day, I was not expecting him to hit me, I thought he was going to dive for the inside," he told the BBC.

The stewards though have found Schumacher was the guilty party and handed him a five-place grid penalty for the Monaco GP.

Webber could be joining Alonso at Ferrari next year

2012-05-01T07:18:00.001-07:00

Friendship ... Webber could be joining Alonso at Ferrari next year, according to reports. Source: Greg Baker / AAP

Formula One star Mark Webber has firmed as a potential replacement for the struggling Felipe Massa at Ferrari in 2013.

Webber, who has floated on and off Ferrari's radar over the years, will replace Massa in a one-year deal, according to reports from Spain.

The Australian seven-times grand prix winner is out of contract at Red Bull next year but wants to remain in a competitive team.

Red Bull are keen to promote either Webber's compatriot Daniel Ricciardo or Ricciardo's Torro Rosso teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.

The young guns are in a shoot-out for Webber's seat but Red Bull could face a dilemma if the veteran outpoints world champion Sebastian Vettel through the season.

Rumours about Massa's departure from Ferrari have been persistent over the past 18 months and Webber has entered the picture, according to Spain's El Confidencial, because of his "great relationship" with their lead driver Fernando Alonso.

In the long term, it is widely believed Ferrari will sign young Mexican sensation Sergio Perez, who has performed brilliantly for the Ferrari-engined Sauber team this year.

But it is understood they want Perez to have at least another year's experience before stepping up, increasing the chances of Webber being signed as a stop-gap driver.

Motorcycling-Spain Grand Prix Moto3 qualification result

2012-04-28T06:24:00.001-07:00

Spain Grand Prix Moto3 qualification result on Saturday. 1. Alex Rins (Spain) Honda 1:57.507 2. Sandro Cortese (Germany) KTM 1:57.519 3. Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Honda 1:57.975 4. Alexis Masbou (France) Honda 1:58.301 5. Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic) Honda 1:58.438 6. Jack Miller (Australia) Honda 1:58.793 7. Isaac Vinales (Spain) Honda 1:58.911 8. Arthur Sissis (Australia) KTM 1:59.023 9. Maverick Vinales (Spain) Honda 1:59.101 10. Romano Fenati (Italy) Honda 1:59.155

Rally car slams into pole, continues on to finish second

2012-04-25T23:40:00.001-07:00

Most accidents in motorsport will immediately terminate any chance you have of winning the race. Not so when you're nickname is "Crazy Leo." Rally driver Leonid Urlichich demonstrates in the videos below how you can shake off an accident like a boxer recovers from a right hook.

The footage comes from the 2012 Rallye Perce-Neige held in early February where Leo and his navigator Carl Williamson were competing in the woods of Maniwaki, Quebec. Leo reportedly tapped the brakes while careening flat out down a snowy straight and his Subaru WRX STI doth protested. The car spun around backwards and slammed, rather violently, into a telephone pole. Amazingly, the damage was mostly cosmetic and the car wound up facing the right way on the track, so Crazy Leo just hit the gas and continued on to ultimately finish the rally in second place.

Scroll down to watch a trio of videos showing the accident as well as the crowd's reaction to Leo's recovery.

Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna's 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix debut steering wheel up for auction

2012-04-25T23:31:00.001-07:00

Pricey ... Ayrton Senna's steering wheel from his debut at the 1984 Brazillian Grand Prix. Source: Silverstone Auctions / Supplied

As far as Formula 1 memorabilia goes, very few items could match this.

Silverstone Auctions will place the steering wheel which they claim was used by the late, great Ayrton Senna in his Formula 1 debut at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix under the hammer.

The wheel was personally signed by the man himself, who also left no doubt as to when was in his hands by writing "Brazil '84".

Silverstone auctions called the wheel in it's ad "utterly irreplaceable and far more easily displayed than a Grand Prix car.....How amazing will this look framed up?"Pricey ... Ayrton Senna's steering wheel from his debut at the 1984 Brazillian Grand Prix. Source: Silverstone Auctions / Supplied

As far as Formula 1 memorabilia goes, very few items could match this.

Silverstone Auctions will place the steering wheel which they claim was used by the late, great Ayrton Senna in his Formula 1 debut at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix under the hammer.

The wheel was personally signed by the man himself, who also left no doubt as to when was in his hands by writing "Brazil '84".

Silverstone auctions called the wheel in it's ad "utterly irreplaceable and far more easily displayed than a Grand Prix car.....How amazing will this look framed up?"

Michael Schumacher has launched a scathing attack on Pirelli

2012-04-22T20:11:00.001-07:00

Michael Schumacher has launched a scathing attack on Pirelli, calling on the tyre supplier to rethink its approach to Formula One. The seven-times World Champion believes drivers are unable to drive on their limits because of Pirelli's rubber. The majority of the field in Bahrain, as in China last week, were forced to adopt three-stop strategies and it could have been more but for drivers adopting a conservative approach to preserve their tyres. "The main thing I feel unhappy about is everyone has to drive well below a driver's, and in particular, the car's limits to maintain the tyres," said the veteran German ace. "The main thing I feel unhappy about is everyone has to drive well below a driver's, and in particular, the car's limits to maintain the tyres." Michael Schumacher Quotes of the week "I just question whether the tyres should play such a big importance, or whether they should last a bit longer, and that you can drive at normal racing car speed and not cruise around like we have a safety car. "I'm not happy about the situation, let's see what happens in future. If it was a one-off car issue, you could say it's up to us to deal with it. "But basically it is everybody, with maybe one or two exceptions, and if it is 80% of the field that has this problem, then maybe the tyre supplier should think about that." Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembery was left surprised at Schumacher's comments, telling Autosport: "I'm disappointed to hear those comments from someone of Michael's experience. "Others were getting on with the job and getting their tyres to work. "His comments during winter testing were that he was very happy with the tyres, and now he seems to have changed his tune."

Journalists held by Bahrain police

2012-04-22T19:43:00.001-07:00

The controversial Bahrain Grand Prix has gone ahead without disruption but British journalists are facing deportation after being held by police elsewhere on the Gulf island. Violent disturbances have been intensifying in recent days with around 50,000 anti-government protesters gathering around the capital Manama, just 25 miles away from where the race meeting took place. Opponents fought pitched battles with security officials, with claims surfacing that protester Salah Habib Abbas, 37, was killed by shotgun pellets fired by riot police on a rooftop during an overnight raid. The race itself passed peacefully, despite rumours leading opposition party al-Wefaq had purchased tickets and planned a protest inside the track. But Channel 4 News' foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller was arrested along with his cameraman Joe Sheffer and producer Dave Fuller. They were detained at a police station for several hours before being driven to an airport where they are awaiting deportation. The news crew were unharmed, but concerns were raised about the welfare of their local driver and British-Bahraini human rights activist Dr Ala'a Shehabi, whom they were travelling with. The driver was arrested and assaulted in front of the team and appeared to be bleeding from cuts to his arms, while Dr Shehabi had her arm slammed in a car door by riot police, said the journalist. Mr Miller revealed the team, which was filming a small demonstration in a village, was arrested by "scores" of balaclava-clad riot police after "a short car chase" during which their vehicle was tracked by a police helicopter. The team was then held at a police station and interrogated by local police officers. In an interview broadcast on Channel 4 News, Mr Miller said they had been unable to obtain official accreditation to report on the race due to restrictions by the authorities and were "under the radar". He said that once caught, police were "very aggressive" towards the crew. Mr Miller later told BBC Radio 5Live the security officials were "particularly verbally abusive" to the two Bahrainis they were with. He said: "Today I have witnessed at first hand the the abusive behaviour of both riot police and formal police." Amnesty International said human rights violations are continuing in the country despite government promises that the country is on the road to reform.

Bahrain protester found dead on eve of grand prix

2012-04-21T05:32:00.001-07:00

An anti-government protester has been found dead following clashes with riot police on the eve of the controversial Bahrain Grand Prix , according to opposition activists. The opposition group al-Wefaq named the dead man on Saturday as Salah Abbas Habib and said his body was found on the roof of a building after he and other protesters were beaten by riot police who suppressed a demonstration in the village of Shakhoura late on Friday night. Bahrain's interior ministry said it had launched an investigation. News of the protester's death spread quickly on Twitter amid reports of intensified security in the Shakura district, where his body was reportedly found.

city burns but Bernie Ecclestone insists the show must go on

2012-04-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

Rarely, though, can it have found itself on the horns of a dilemma such as it encounters now, at the centre of a complex row over human rights, money, politics, even international diplomacy. The decision to push ahead with Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in spite of ongoing civil unrest was always a big gamble. Now it has turned into a potentially ruinous one. With Force India skipping second practice on Friday — they were worried about returning to their hotel in the dark — after a firebomb incident on Wednesday night, and Sauber admitting that a bus-load of their mechanics were approached by masked men brandishing Molotov cocktails the following night, everyone out here is jittery. An estimated 10,000 people swarmed the highway north of the circuit on Friday to protest against the ruling Sunni regime, with rioting expected to break out across the city as it has most nights this week. Every day the protesters become more encouraged by the international attention they are garnering, with news reporters being denied visas as they scrabble to get in on the action.