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Lewis Hamilton takes pole as Mercedes speed stuns rivals

MELBOURNE, March 16 (Reuters) - Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton blazed to a record-extending eighth pole and sixth in succession at the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday to lead Valtteri Bottas to a Mercedes sweep of the front row of the grid. Hamilton struggled with a brake problem during the frenetic final session at Albert Park but edged his Finnish team mate by 0.112 seconds with a searing second lap of one minute 20.486 seconds that set a record at the lakeside circuit. The one-two punch by Mercedes left Ferrari and their championship rivals stunned, with Hamilton's chief challenger Sebastian Vettel, who qualified third, more than seven-tenths of a second off the five-times champion's pace. "Oh man, I'm shaking it was so close out there," Briton 34-year-old Hamilton said after extending his pole record to 84 on a warm, sunny afternoon in Melbourne. "Coming from winter testing, we had no idea where we would be. We were hoping to be where we are ... Valtteri did an exceptional job out there, it was very close." Hamilton matched Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher for the record number of poles at a single race track. Senna took his eight at Imola, with Schumacher dominating the Suzuka circuit. Four-times champion Vettel, bidding for a third successive win at Albert Park, was separated from his new team mate Charles Leclerc by fourth placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull. It would have felt like 'deja vu' for Ferrari, having trailed Mercedes by nearly seven-tenths of a second in qualifying at last year's race. "Certainly Mercedes are the clear favorite," Vettel told reporters with a touch of resignation. "I'm certainly surprised (by their pace), I think everybody is, probably even themselves." "I think, there is still a bit of margin (to improve) but certainly the gap is there today, and it was a surprise," the four-times champion told reporters. "We didn't expect it coming here but now it is that way. ... Obviously there is a lack somewhere, because we are too slow – but didn't feel like it." German Vettel's new team mate Charles Leclerc qualified fifth fastest behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen but the highly regarded 21-year-old was harder on himself than the car. "I'm not happy with myself. I didn't do the job in Q3, which is a shame," said the Monegasque, who locked up in turn one of a "messy" second lap.

Aston Martin confirms Mercedes-AMG boss Moers to replace CEO Palmer

Aston Martin confirmed on Tuesday that Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, would become chief executive on August 1, replacing Andy Palmer, who stepped down on Monday. The Financial Times newspaper reported over the weekend that Palmer would step down, before he had been informed. A source familiar with the situation had also confirmed to Reuters the planned move. "The board has determined that now is the time for new leadership to deliver our plans," Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin Lagonda's Executive Chairman said. The company said Moers, who will be based at its headquarters in Warwickshire, had built a reputation for transforming businesses in tough environments during his 25 years in senior roles at Daimler. Germany's Daimler AG owns a 5% stake in Aston Martin and supplies the carmaker with Mercedes-AMG engines. "Under Tobias’ leadership, Mercedes-AMG has more than doubled its product portfolio and quadrupled the number of AMG units sold, with a clear pipeline of further expansion opportunities, especially in electrification of powertrains in the performance segment," Aston Martin said in a statement. "TobiasÂ’ focus on operating and manufacturing efficiency has delivered significant margin expansion. This strong financial performance was supported by the introduction of a clear brand management strategy, which delivered a measurable increase in brand value and awareness." Aston Martin has seen its share price plummet since floating in October 2018. The 107-year old British luxury carmaker earlier this month posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by almost a third due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. "All of my and TobiasÂ’ energy will be dedicated to building on the CompanyÂ’s inherent strengths, its brand, its engineering prowess, and the skills of its people to enable Aston Martin to become one of the pre-eminent luxury car brands in the world," Stroll said. Related video:

Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet fetches record $1.4 million at auction

Alas, G-Wagen fans: The last available 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet has sold to a private Belgian buyer, with all proceeds to benefit the children's sports charity the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. The price tag at the Zoute Sale at Bonhams was a record ˆ1.2 million, or about $1.4 million. We previously dubbed the luxury off-roader " the ultimate safari machine" for its super-extravagant features. Its soft top can be raised or lowered electronically, as can a glass partition to the driver's compartment (wouldn't be a Landaulet without that, now would it, Jeeves?). What's more, the two rear seats can be fully reclined, with leg rests extending from below, and with access to folding tables, 10-inch LCD screen and heated, cooled and illuminated (!) cup holders. As it has the number 650 in its name, however, the Landaulet also features a twin-turbocharged V12 that generates 630 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Bringing up the G-Wagen part of the bargain is a four-wheel-drive system with front, center, and rear differential locks, that sends power to solid portal axles front and rear, which move the differential and drive axles above the wheel centers for additional ground clearance. The grandest G sold Friday in Brussels was reportedly straight from the factory and one of only 99 to be built. No G650 Landaulets were sold in the United States. The Bonhams Motoring Department's fifth annual Zoute Sale also saw the purchase of a 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC Coupe for ˆ805,000 euros ($945,000), the second most-valuable lot of the sale. Related Video: