FIA announced last week that negotiations conducted with Eurosport for the transmission of World Rally Championship failed, so WRC will have no promoter for the 2012 season. The WRC 2012 season will not be transmitted internationally by any television, so that promoting competition will be very modest. “FIA regrets to announce that it was not possible to find an international promoter of the 2012 season World Rally Championship. FIA was involved in lengthy and detailed discussions with stakeholders, but some problems proved impossible to reconcile, and finally decided to withdraw from negotiations”. Following this decision, FIA rally informed the organizers that for this season, they will have to find their own TV stations that will broadcast WRC stages. The only alternative is the videos made ​​by manufacturers and partners in the 2012 WRC season, and videos taken with cameras mounted on cars.

Ferrari Formula 1 drivers: Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have been given a copy of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, because of the European launch of the SRT Jeep performance division (Street and Racing Technology). Because of the relationship of ownership between Fiat and Chrysler Group, is easy to understand how the new Jeep Grand Gherokee SRT8 stopped in court of the Scuderia, making the new car of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Under the hood lies a 6.4 liter V8 HEMI engine capable of delivering 465 horsepower and624 Nm. This great SUV can reach 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 257 km/h. To prove that not everything is for the engine, Jeep public the braking distance from 100 km / h to 0 : 35 meters. The debut of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 on the European market will be from March this year.

After two seasons in second place, Alain Prost (56 years old!) and Dacia Lodgy Glace managed to winfirst place in the Andros Trophy 2011/2012 after the final stage of the competition, held in the French resort of Super Besse. Quadruple world champion in Formula 1 in the 80s, managed to win both qualifications and final race though, the last weekend of the 2011/2012 edition of the Andros Trophy did not start with Alain Prost, in the main favorite position. Although Alain Prost dominate the 2 qualifications, finishing with more than one second in both first and second race, Prost was hit by Villeneuve in the first race. Dacia engineering team had time to fix his car and Prost won in a categorical manner, the second race. Alain Prost’s victory in the General Top, was accompanied by a good ranking of Stievenart Evens, in the second Dacia team, who finished on a respectable 5th place,on their first participation in the Andros Trophy competition

The only tire supplier in Formula 1, Pirelli, presented today, on Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, the new range of tires to be used in Formula 1 this year. Main features of the new tires that were developed by Pirelli with Formula 1 teams are to have a higher profile square, grip better and more competitive compositions. To be more easily recognized, especially in TV broadcasts, the colorful mark on the sides became larger and more visible and have the following meanings: the most commonly used in the 2011 season tires, soft tires have yellow markings. Medium composition tires are marked with white. Hard composition tires hard are marked with silver. Supersoft tires, the fastest tires Pirelli products are marked in red. Intermediate tires are marked with green and the rain tires with blue.

Former Finnish Formula 1 driver returns to the circuit, starting the Intercontinental Le MansCup competition, with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport team. After ten years in which Mika Hakkinen decided to put aside F1 for DTM racing, which he would also leave in 2007, the former Formula 1 world champion decided to participate in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup competition. The pilot will race for the Mercedes Benz Motorsport team and his debut will be at the wheel of the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3. Mika Hakkinen’s teammates will be Lance David Arnold and Chinese CongFu Cheng. According to Norbert Haug, the Mercedes Benz team president, the popularity of the pilot in China is very high and the Finn is an important part of the German manufacturer family.

With the new Ferrari 599X Evolution, Ferrari knows how to make money out of pocket customers. A technical and aerodynamic update for a fireball that may not run on public roads. Evolution brings a package consisting of active aerodynamic rear spoiler with two activefins is similar to DRS system derived directly from Formula 1.
The two flaps are controlledelectronically and have the function to balance downforce between the front and rear.
Ferrari 599XX exclusively for running on the track had an initial price of 1.3 million. Customers who want to install the package Evolution 599XX have to out of pocket about 185 000 euros more.

According to Portuguese magazine Auto Hoje here are the Top 6 Highest Paid F1 Drivers. Michael Schumacher who came back in Formula 1 this year, is still in the top list despite he is not doing very much (only 8th place in 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship), but he is not the highest paid driver. For this list, it was consider how much they make in total, including salary and sponsors.

1. Fernando Alonso – €28 million (Team: Ferrari)
2. Michael Schumacher – €18 million (Team: Mercedes GP)
3. Lewis Hamilton (tie) – €15 million (Team: McLaren)
3. Sebastian Vettel (tie) – €15 million (Team: Red Bull Racing)
5. Felipe Massa – €14 million (Team: Ferrari)
6. Jenson Button – €12 million (Team: McLaren)

The 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship winning Driver title goes to Sebastian Vettel (RBR-Renault) and The Winning Constructor goes to RBR-Renault. Sebastian Vettel won his second World Championship F1 title, becoming the youngest World Champion driver in history of Formula 1 at only 24 years and 98 days. In 2011 Vettel broke Nigel Mansell’s record of fifteenth pole positions in a season also.
Another record in 2011 for Formula 1 was that all 24 cars finishing the race. Narain Karthikeyan from Hispania Racing, became the first man in the sport’s history to finish a Grand Prix in 24th position to broke the record for the most classified finishers

After weeks of speculation Kimi Raikkonen confirmed that he will make a comeback to race in Formula 1 for the Renault team in 2012. Raikkonen, who left F1 at the end of 2009 to pursue a World Rally Championship (WRC) career, has signed a two-year agreement. “I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula One after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity”, said the 32 year-old racer. At the beginning of the 2012 F1 Championship, after the return of Kimi in F1, six world champions will be lined : Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen, a true premiere in the “Great Circle”.

The Citroen Total World Rally Team crew win the title, despite having to retire on the final day of the rally. Their DS3 WRC was involved in a collision with a car, no one was injured, but the damage forced Loeb to retire, ending his thrilling duel for the rally win with Jari-Matti Latvala.

Sebastien Loeb said: “I’m proud to have become the most-titled racing driver, even if one shouldn’t really try and compare the different branches of the sport. I never thought I’d achieve this when I started my career!”

Number of victories: 67
Victories per start percentage: 44.3%
Victories in a season: 11 (2008)
Number of victories in the same rally: Germany 8, Spain 7, Argentina 6, Mexico and Monte-Carlo 5, Cyprus and Sardinia 4, Turkey 3
Number of podiums: 103
Number of consecutive podiums: 15 (Between Sardinia 2008 and Argentina 2009)
Points scored: 1281
Number of consecutive finishes in the points: 28 (Poland 2009 to Australia 2011)
Number of stage wins: 808