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2017 Renault Alpine still looks like a Lotus

Two years ago, an oddly modified Lotus Exige was photographed speeding around the Nurburgring. While that car looked British, at the time Renault's engineers were reportedly developing the suspension for the future Alpine sports coupe underneath with some help from the folks at Ohlins. Now, our spies have spotted this weird Lotus-bodied mule out testing, and it might be a major hint that development for the reborn French brand is getting serious again. Unfortunately, it's hard to pull many details about the future Alpine just from this mule. Up front the air extractors are noticeably covered, and at the rear there's now a panel hiding the engine with just some small vents near the very back. The roof-mounted scoop appears to be the major means of sending cool air to the powertrain. Alpine has been back in the news as of late. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the brand's Celebration Concept was unveiled but without many real details. Then, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the car was filmed actually moving under its own power. Earlier reports suggest that a production version, possibly called the AS1, might come in 2017 with around 250 horsepower on tap from an engine mounted behind the driver. Engineers would keep weight as low as possible to make the most from that power. While no version in the US is likely, prices in Europe might be about the equivalent of $34,000 to $40,000.

Lotus next F1 team to collapse?

With the big post-season game of musical chairs finally over, the FIA recently released the final entry list for the 2015 Formula One World Championship. And while most of it is exactly as we've reported along the way (with Sebastian Vettel switching to Ferrari and Fernando Alonso moving to McLaren), the list does have a couple of small surprises. Reigning champ Lewis Hamilton, for example, has opted to race under his own Number 44 instead of the Number 1 to which he is entitled, but it's the asterisks that are raising some eyebrows. Both the Caterham and Marussia teams (the latter listed as Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd, the name of the racing outfit that technically owns the entry slot) are listed as "subject to confirmation," and while Caterham (unlike the liquidating Marussia team) is still fighting to recover in time for next season, its tentative listing comes as no big surprise. What is a surprise, however, is the inclusion of the Lotus F1 Team with the same caveat, prompting speculation that the Enstone-based outfit might not make the grid next year. Those schooled in F1 history will know that the Lotus team of today shares little in common with the British sports car manufacturer and engineering consultancy of the same name, or with the historic F1 team that previously raced under that banner. It started out as Toleman (the team with which Ayrton Senna got his start) before being bought out by Benetton (where Michael Schumacher won his first two World Champion titles). It was then taken over by Renault (where Alonso won his two titles) before Genii Capital took over and fostered a relationship with Lotus that allowed it to use the name. In a final breaking of ties with Renault, the team is switching to Mercedes power for next season. The Enstone team has struggled recently, however. From the title-winning operation it once was, Lotus dropped down to eighth place in the 2014 Championship, failing to land on the podium (let alone win a race) even once this season, suffering a dozen DNFs out of nineteen grands prix. Without factory backing, the team has struggled financially as well, and without an injection of funds, it could drop off the entry list altogether.

Race Recap: 2013 German Grand Prix is old beginnings, new endings [spoilers]

Just like at Silverstone last weekend, the German Formula One Grand Prix started with Lewis Hamilton putting his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on pole. The only thing missing at the pointy end of the grid was his teammate Nico Rosberg, who lined up beside him in England but back in 11th in Germany because of a team error in qualifying. So instead it was Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull in second, his teammate Mark Webber in third, the Lotus duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.
Again, just like at Silverstone - and Canada - Daniel Ricciardo used his magic beans to impress with the Toro Rosso, lining up in sixth, followed by Felipe Massa in the first Ferrari, Fernando Alonso in the second. Jenson Button in the McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg finished up the top ten.
When the lights went green, it didn't take long for the race to become a black-and-blue affair...