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Race recap: 2016 Belgian Grand Prix is a dozen angry laps

The calm of the Formula One summer break ended with the tumult of the Belgian Grand Prix. The first two days included unusual tire pressures and grid penalties; Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton started 21st because of a 55-place grid penalty for engine and gearbox changes, McLaren's Fernando Alonso started 22nd due to a 60-place penalty for the same offenses. The bedlam rolled right into what was effectively an 11-or 12-lap race. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took off from pole and the cameras barely bothered with him until he took the checkered flag 44 laps later. Red Bull's Max Verstappen bogged from second on the grid, got swallowed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the way to Turn 1, then attempted to recover by sticking his Red Bull's nose between Raikkonen's sidepod and the apex at the first corner. Vettel, who didn't see Verstappen, turned into La Source leaving only enough room for Raikkonen. Three cars don't fit in a space for two cars. Vettel spun, Raikkonen and Verstappen clobbered one another and all three drivers had to pit for repairs. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg zig-zagged his way into second ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, Williams' Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez in the second Force India. On Lap 6 Kevin Magnussen lost his Renault at Raidillon at the top of Eau Rouge and flew backward into an enormous crash. Magnussen escaped with just a cut ankle. The Safety Car paraded the field for four laps before officials red flagged the race to repair the barriers. When racing resumed on Lap 10, Rosberg led Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Hamilton. Ricciardo stayed ahead of Hamilton to keep second place at the end of the race, Hamilton easily got around Alonso and Hulkenberg to lock up third. Hulkenberg – who'd given up second to Ricciardo by pitting during the Safety Car period – earned another career-best fourth position ahead of teammate Perez in fifth, followed by Vettel and Alonso on recovery drives, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa taking 10th in the second Williams. Rosberg reignited his Driver's Championship charge with the victory, closing to nine points of leader Hamilton. We could argue that Hamilton had an equally good day by driving from 21st to third, limiting his loss to only 10 points. About that Verstappen, though... We've seen far more experienced drivers attempt the same move Verstappen made into Turn 1 – Raikkonen on Bottas in Russia in 2015, for instance.

The cars of notorious dictators

It's good to be the king, at least until your people have had enough of you. Last week, we brought you famous presidential cars. This week, we're going to the opposite end of the political spectrum, looking at what history's mad men drove throughout their repressive and violent regimes. These dictators were absolutely powerful, and absolutely corrupt. More nightmares for their people than rulers, their iron-fisted control gave them the ability to satisfy any wild desire with nearly limitless funds. While they all splurged on luxury goods, cars were a particular passion of many dictators. Cars make a powerful statement to the public about wealth, status and control. It's how you are presented at ground level to your adoring masses or mortal enemies. A custom luxury car with plenty of armor plating reinforced the specialness and "otherness" of the ruler to friend and foe alike. Muammar Gaddafi, Libya, 1969 - 2011 Lybia's President for Life Muammar Gaddafi fancied himself not just a car enthusiast, but a car designer for the masses as well. He supposedly designed a car called the "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya" or Libyan Rocket. It had a 230-horsepower V6 and the nose and tail of a rocket. He was trying to produce a safer car. What makes it safe car? Tough to say. Not a lot was ever released it. Apparently the el-Jamahiriya did come with airbags and collapsible fenders in case of a collision. A spokesperson said "The invention of the safest car in the world is proof that the Libyan revolution is built on the happiness of man." We'll just have to take his word for it. When he wasn't designing his own cars, Gaddafi was ordering up custom rides, large and small. Besides a heavily armored BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes S-Class stretch limo, Gaddafi had this custom Fiat built at a cost of $260,000. The gold in the trim is real gold (of course) and comes with some touches that are pure Gaddafi. For instance, the Fiat badge was replaced with an outline of the continent of Africa, with Libya cut out in green. Rebels seized the Fiat and Gaddafi's other trappings of power after putting an end to Gaddafi's 42 years in control. Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti, 1971 - 1986 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was the second-generation dictator of Hati from 1971 to 1986. He made life hell for his people for 15 long years, starting when his father died when he was just 19 years old. Imagine if Justin Beiber was given a tiny island nation to run.

Mercedes-Benz GLE gets official before NY Show

Hot off the debut of the GLE-Class Coupe just a few months ago at the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz is now all set to unveil that SUV's more utilitarian sibling. The new GLE-Class will offers buyers a model that's a little more traditional looking, while still bringing heaps of available power and luxury to the table. The new GLE-Class replaces the ML-Class in Mercedes' newly renamed lineup. At the front, there's a new nose with a clear family resemblance to the Coupe. It sports big openings all over, and standard models wear an attractive two-bar grille or a just a single crosspiece for AMG trims. Once your eye moves past the A-pillar, the design becomes more of an evolution of the current ML. The prominent C-pillar and wraparound rear glass are still present, while the creases running down the profile appear a little sharper and more pronounced. As you might expect, the interior for the GLE-Class is practically identical to its Coupe counterpart. That means drivers get a thick, multi-function steering wheel to hang on to, and there's a large infotainment display poking up above the dashboard in the center. A center-console-mounted dial controller is found below. When it comes time for buyers to pick their GLE-Class, they're going to have a long list of powertrains to choose from. Lowest in terms of horsepower is the GLE300d 4MATIC with a 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel making 201 hp and 369 pound-feet of torque. Next, there is the gasoline-fueled GLE350 with a 3.5-liter V6 making 302 hp and 273 lb-ft, and it's also available with 4Matic. The GLE400 4Matic uses a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 to make 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of twist, and the GLE550e 4Matic adds a plug-in hybrid to that mill to bring total output to 436 hp and 479 lb-ft. Finally, for those that really want some power underfoot, the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and GLE63 S boast twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8s putting down 550 hp and 577 hp, respectively. The standard models all use versions of the 7G-tronic gearbox, and AMG models get the Speedshift MCT seven-speed. We look forward to getting a good look at the GLE-Class at its grand unveiling at the New York Auto Show on April 1. The posh SUVs start arriving at dealers a few months later in August. Buyers wanting the GLE550e 4Matic have to wait just a little longer until it comes along in mid-September. View 19 Photos View 11 Photos World Premiere for the Mercedes-Benz GLE and Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Efficiency meets performance Stuttgart.