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Max Verstappen beats Charles Leclerc to win Austrian Grand Prix

SPIELBERG, Austria — Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix after beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a wheel-banging battle of the 21-year-olds on Sunday, subject to a Formula One stewards' enquiry. The Dutchman's victory for the second year in a row at Spielberg also dealt champions Mercedes their first defeat of the season. Verstappen seized the lead from Leclerc, who had led from pole position, two laps from the end with the dueling pair making contact into the tight uphill turn three as the crowd roared. Race stewards investigated the contact after the race, and ultimately cleared Verstappen. He crossed the line, acclaimed by thousands of orange-shirted Dutch fans at a circuit owned by Red Bull, 2.7 seconds ahead of the Monegasque. The pair were the sport's youngest ever top two. Valtteri Bottas was third for Mercedes, who saw their streak of 10 successive wins — eight this season — come to an end. Championship-leading teammate Lewis Hamilton, winner of the previous four races, finished fifth and behind Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Five-times world champion Hamilton remains well in front in the standings, 31 clear of Finland's Bottas after nine of 21 races. HONDA FIRST The victory was the first for a Honda-powered car since Britain's Jenson Button won in Hungary in 2006 for the Japanese manufacturer's own team, and a welcome antidote to last weekend's dull French Grand Prix. Verstappen, now with six career wins, was also the last driver to beat Mercedes — in the Mexican Grand Prix last October. "For Honda to win again here is incredible," said the youngster, who had to fight back from eighth at the end of the first lap after getting bogged down on the front row at the start. The Red Bull came into a league of its own after the pitstops with Verstappen scything through the field one car at a time and then chasing down Leclerc. "After that start, I thought the race was over," said Verstappen. "It's hard racing, otherwise we have to stay at home. If those things are not allowed in racing, then what's the point of being in Formula One," he added when asked about the summons. The Monegasque, forced wide as Verstappen went through, said he would let the stewards decide. "On the incident for me it was pretty clear in the car," he said. "I don't know what it looked like from the outside but we'll see what the decision is.

Honda fielding 11 entrants at Pikes Peak, including 532-hp Odyssey

Is it possible for a minivan to be more exciting than an Acura NSX? Well, Honda is trying to find out by entering a 532-horsepower Odyssey into the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with IndyCar racer Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel.
Starting with a stock Odyssey, Honda dropped in a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 producing an estimated 532 hp and 460 pound-feet of torque as well as racing suspension, tires and brakes and one of the biggest roll cages you're likely to ever see. If this van looks familiar to you, you aren't alone - it's a veteran of the Tire Rack One Lap of America.
In addition to this super minivan, Honda will also be entering a first-gen NSX, CR-Z hybrid, Fit EV and Acura TL into the competition as well as five motorcycles and an all-terrain vehicle. Scroll down for the full details on Honda's comprehensive assault on Pikes Peak.

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid launches with best-in-class fuel economy

After a one-year hiatus, the Accord Hybrid is back. Billed as a 2017 model, it goes on sale this spring. Honda has not detailed pricing for the new version, but American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel says it will be similar to the 2015 model. The big items are 212 horsepower, an increase of 16, and EPA fuel economy ratings of 49 city, 47 highway, and 48 combined miles per gallon. All of those numbers are class-leading for midsize hybrid sedans. On paper the city figure is lower than the previous Accord Hybrid, rated at 50 mpg, but there's a reason. In 2017 the EPA is revising the fuel economy numbers downward to bring them more in line with real-world results. A similar adjustment happened in 2008. The new Accord Hybrid is certified for 2017, while competitors like the Chevrolet Malibu (47 city/46 hwy/46 combined) and Toyota Camry (43/31/39) use the current rules. Honda says the improvement is about four percent, so if the new car carried a 2016 sticker, the highway figure would be as high as 52 mpg. View 19 Photos Honda's reveal is light on other details about the new Accord Hybrid. The company stated only that the fuel economy gains come from a total re-engineering of the powertrain that includes new electric motors and a revised 2.0-liter Atkinson-cyline gasonline engine. A lithium-ion battery pack in the trunk eats up about two cubic feet of cargo space. The physical layout of the hybrid drive is the same as in the previous Accord, with two motors and a single-speed transmission for the gas engine. An explanation of the three drive modes is below. Honda engineers clarified that while the generator motor near the engine usually charges the battery it will also assist the drive motor in sending power to the front wheels at high speeds or loads. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda Sensing, the brand's name for its suite of autonomous and electronic safety system, is standard in the Accord Hybrid. That includes lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and blind-spot warning. You can't tell that the Accord Hybrid has an aluminum hood by looking, but sharp eyes will pick up the unique wheel and blue accents to the headlights and taillights. Otherwise the 2017 Accord Hybrid looks and feel exactly like a conventional Accord, save for the "EV Mode" button on the right side of the center console.