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F1 cancels season-opening Australian Grand Prix over coronavirus

Workers pack up in pit lane after the cancellation of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, Friday. / AP   MELBOURNE, Australia — As thousands of fans queued to get into the Australian Grand Prix, seemingly unperturbed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Formula One teams and drivers were packing up to leave. The rapid spread of the virus left organizers with little choice Friday but to cancel the season-opening race, particularly after McLaren withdrew because a team member tested positive for the COVID-19 illness and following heavy criticism from six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The two practice sessions that usually showcase what the teams have been improving in the off-season were less than two hours from starting when the decision was publicly announced. Principals of nine F1 teams and organizers met overnight and “concluded with a majority view of the teams that the race should not go ahead," a joint statement by FIA, motorsport's governing body, local organizers and F1 said. “It's been a very fluid situation," F1 chairman Chase Carey said. “We're all disappointed not to have it, but I think we've made the decision we had to make." “It's not like it came out of the blue," Carey told a news conference beside the F1 paddock that ended in light rain. “A week ago, when teams started traveling here, we felt it was the right decision (to stage the race). Clearly the situation changed in the interim." Practice, qualifying and Sunday's race were all scrapped, casting doubt over the Bahrain Grand Prix which is scheduled to be held next week and the Vietnamese GP, scheduled for April 5. Authorities in Bahrain have already said no fans will be allowed into the circuit. Carey said a decision on whether or not to go ahead with the the race would be made in coming days. The Chinese GP has already been postponed from April. Hamilton used the first official news conference with F1 drivers in Melbourne to say he was shocked that organizers planned to proceed with the Australian Grand Prix, which regularly attracts more than 300,000 people over four days. McLaren's decision to withdraw was ultimately the catalyst for the cancellation. That person and 14 other McLaren team members have been placed in quarantine in a Melbourne hotel for 14 days. Hamilton's Mercedes-AMG Petronas team said it sent a letter to the FIA and F1 requesting the cancellation and had commenced preparations to leave before the decision was publicly announced.

European automakers overstate fuel economy by 40% on NEDC cycle

Volkswagen is apparently not alone among European automakers when it comes to giving out funny emissions or fuel economy numbers. It turns out that pretty much everyone across the Pond is doing it. So much, in fact, that, on average, the difference between European vehicles' fuel-economy and emissions figures and real-world driving results is about 40 percent, Bloomberg says, citing a report from Brussels-based Transport & Environment. Yes, 40 percent. Mercedes-Benz was the worst offender, as the Daimler division on average overstated its vehicles' fuel economy by 48 percent, said the study, which used data from International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That automaker isn't exactly a world-beater for fuel economy in the US. In fact, two of its models, the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG and the G550 (pictured), showed up on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) annual list of cars that are "meanest" to the environment. "The information provided by manufacturers on fuel consumption is based on the NEDC test cycle, which is prescribed by law and conducted in a laboratory. Since real driving conditions generally deviate from conditions in the laboratory, the consumption figures can also deviate from the standardized figures. Since T&E has unfortunately not published the test conditions used in its study, it is not possible to provide a useful analysis of the test results," Mercedes-Benz wrote in an e-mailed statement to Autoblog. "The data pool used also does not allow a thorough scientific assessment. Mercedes-Benz emphatically supports the introduction of the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure). This is supposed to replace the NEDC with the aim of bringing the rated fuel consumption and the actual consumption closer together. We also actively support the dialog between industry (ACEA) and the authorities, and are in regular contact with the EPA and the ARB in the US." The ICCT is the group that helped spur the investigation that led to the Volkswagen diesel-emissions scandal we're all still talking about, so it shouldn't expect Christmas cards from the largest German automakers this year. This new study came from data taken from about 600,000 cars. That's a lot of funky air floating over Rome. The overstatements were pretty widespread, too. The fuel-economy of the BMW 5 Series was overstated by almost 50 percent, as was the Peugeot 308's.

Which car companies are creating new jobs in America?

Since January, automakers have announced investments totaling $9.5 billion in U.S. plants, creating or retaining more than 12,000 jobs. Some of those companies have yet to announce just how many jobs will be created given their investments, with the location of many of those jobs still to be determined. Specifically, the 4,000-job Toyota-Mazda joint venture plant still hasn't announced its location, with numerous states jockeying for it. Hyundai has plans to invest $1 billion but has not announced a jobs number yet. And likewise Ford is investing $1.2 billion in Michigan without specifying a number of jobs. Volvo this week announced plans to add a second line to its factory under construction in South Carolina, spending another $500 million and adding 2,500 jobs to the 2,000 it was already trying to fill. Then Thursday, Daimler announced a $1 billion expansion to its facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to produce EV batteries and electric SUVs, a move that will add 600 jobs to its hiring this year. Above, we've created a handy pie chart showing you which companies have announced new jobs and how many there will be. Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit News Source: Reuters Plants/Manufacturing BMW Chrysler Ford GM Honda Hyundai Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo jobs