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Formula One's Valtteri Bottas can turn it up to 11 in Spain

BARCELONA - Valtteri Bottas can add his name to one of Formula One's longest sequences by following up his breakthrough win in Russia with another triumph when the European season starts in Spain this weekend. The Finn, fresh from his first Grand Prix victory with champions Mercedes in Russia, is the man most likely to become the 11th different winner in a row at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. No other track on the calendar has had such a variety of winners over the past decade, an ironic fact given that it is the most familiar to drivers from winter testing and was once famed for its predictability. Last year it was Dutch 18-year-old Max Verstappen who became the sport's youngest winner when he triumphed for Red Bull, on his team debut, after both Mercedes drivers collided at the start. In 2012, it was now-departed Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado -- a one-hit wonder -- who handed Williams a surprise victory that remains their most recent. Ferrari's championship leader Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton, 13 points behind the German, will start as favorites and success for either could be an omen given that both went on to take the title last time they won in Spain. But Bottas, who joined Mercedes from Williams in January as replacement for retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, is the best bet to continue the streak of different winners in Spain even if he has yet to finish higher than fourth there. "Getting that first win definitely gives me a lot of confidence that I can do it, even though I always knew I had the ability," he said after Sochi. "And now it's done, I just want to do it again and again." RICCIARDO REVIVAL The only other driver from the leading trio of teams yet to triumph in Barcelona is Verstappen's Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo, but the Red Bull has lagged Mercedes and Ferrari on pace so far this year. That will surely change, with the flow of upgrades set to speed up now that teams are closer to their factories, and Red Bull have some big chassis modifications in the pipeline with engine improvements still to come. "I hope the upgrade will give us a chance to really fight with Mercedes and Ferrari or at least get us closer," said Ricciardo. The driver of car number 11, Force India's Mexican Sergio Perez, has racked up 14 successive points finishes and he too will have aerodynamic updates on his car.

One of only two McLaren F1s in LM-Specification headed for auction in Monterey

Of all the McLaren F1s out there (106 of them, including racecars and other variants), this 1994 F1 in LM-Specification is about as special as they get. Incredibly, it’s going up for auction in Monterey at the RM SothebyÂ’s auction house during Monterey Car Week. Why a McLaren F1 owner would ever want to sell their car is beyond us, but weÂ’re sure the millions of dollars on the other side of the gavel look pretty alright. This F1 happens to be one of two in existence in LM-Specification. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with the model, McLaren upgraded two standard F1 road cars to this particular specification at the factory after the production run had finished. That means the engine was upgraded to the unrestricted 680-horsepower GTR spec. An extra-high downforce kit was also added, consisting of a huge rear wing, revised nose and different front fender vents. Other differences between this and a normal F1 include race-spec dampers and springs adjusted to their softest settings, 17-inch wheels, a transmission cooler, two more radiators and a modified exhaust system. What it doesnÂ’t have is the barren interior from the hardcore LM. Instead, McLaren gave it an upgraded air conditioning system, radio, new headlights and a different steering wheel. That means you have the more aggressive performance with a slightly more comfortable living space, a combination we like. McLaren says it made all these changes over two rounds of modifications in 2000 and 2001. The car was also repainted from its original blue to the silver you see now in that timeframe.  This particular F1 has 13,352 miles on the odometer, and it has been given a full written history and evaluation by MSO. WeÂ’re sure itÂ’s going to nab many millions of dollars. To whoever ends up purchasing this fine McLaren, we envy you greatly.

Ron Dennis vacates McLaren F1's CEO position after 35 years

McLaren's Ron Dennis, one of the biggest names in F1 history, is stepping down from his CEO position after 35 years. Dennis was told on Tuesday he must give up his position as McLaren's chairman and chief executive, reports the BBC. Dennis, who holds a 25-percent stake in McLaren, attempted to contest the shareholders' decision to put him on so-called "gardening leave" redundancy. Reports say McLaren's other owners, TAG Group CEO Mansour Ojjeh and the Bahrain-based investment fund Mumtalakat, ousted him due to being at odds with Dennis' management style. Ojjeh holds another 25-percent stake in McLaren, and Mumtalakat holds the remaining 50 percent. According to Dennis, the rest of the management team warned Ojjeh about the possible consequences of removing him from McLaren. As Dennis says, "My management style is the same as it has always been and is one that has enabled McLaren to become an automotive and technology group that has won 20 Formula 1 World Championships and grown into an GBP850m-a-year business." Due to differences in vision regarding McLaren's future, there was no other option for Dennis than to leave the company. Dennis will still retain his 25-percent stake in the company and remain on the boards of both McLaren Technology Group and McLaren Automotive. Dennis states he plans to launch a new technology investment fund as soon as his contractual commitments expire; he also pledges to "use his McLaren board seat to protect the interest of the business and its 3,500 employees." McLaren has failed to win a F1 title after Lewis Hamilton's drivers' championship eight years ago and the latest constructors' title was won in 1998, 18 years ago.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: BBC SportImage Credit: Mark Thompson via Getty Images Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports McLaren