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F1's Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton face off again in Austria

SPIELBERG, Austria - Sebastian Vettel celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday, but it can be safely assumed that Lewis Hamilton will not be bringing any gifts to Austria this weekend. After the "road rage" of Azerbaijan two weeks ago, the Formula One title rivals head to the bucolic surroundings of the scenic Red Bull Ring and its backdrop of hills and forests, with controversy still simmering. Vettel, Ferrari's championship leader, had risked a heavy penalty for his moment of madness in driving into Hamilton's Mercedes behind the safety car in Baku but instead the German arrives in Austria with no further sanction and the matter officially closed. Vettel has had to accept full responsibility, and apologize to Hamilton, and will have to stay on best behavior with a race ban looming if he collects any more penalty points on his license this weekend. The FIA said Monday's meeting was attended by top officials including race director Charlie Whiting and safety director Laurent Mekies. "Following detailed discussion and further examination of video and data evidence related to the incident, Sebastian Vettel admitted full responsibility," the FIA said. "In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologize to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realize that I was not setting a good example." A formal apology was published on Vettel's personal website. "During the re-start lap, I got surprised by Lewis and ran into the back of his car. With hindsight, I don't believe he had any bad intentions," he said. "In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologize to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realize that I was not setting a good example. "I love this sport and I am determined to represent it in a way that can be an example for future generations." But the incident, the sport's major talking point post-Baku, is unlikely to die down immediately even if Mercedes say they have moved on. Hamilton, for one, has said nothing. But he has kept social media buzzing with news he had "liked" a fan's supportive post on Instagram that said the Paris decision had sent the message that "you can do whatever you want on track, smash into each other but if you suck up and just apologize and you get away with it." Hamilton is now 14 points behind Vettel after eight of 20 races, with a loose headrest costing the Briton victory in Azerbaijan.

Mercedes reveals F 015 Luxury in Motion concept at CES [w/videos]

Whatever you think of the idea, autonomous vehicles are emerging as the way of the future in the automotive industry, and Mercedes is showing its vision for that driverless destiny with the F 015 concept at CES this week. Billed as Luxury in Motion, the F 015 first popped onto our radar back in October when it was snapped under wraps and then again when the German automaker released the first teaser image previewing its silhouette, but has now taken center stage at the electronics expo in Las Vegas. So what is it exactly, you ask? Well, aside from being entirely autonomous – bringing together a suite of advanced technologies to take the driver out of the equation – it's also big. It's marginally larger than an S-Class, in fact, and with a more spacious one-box form that turns the cabin into a rolling living room. That's where you'll find four individual bucket seats that swivel towards each other, and pivot towards the giant doors for ease of ingress and egress. The doors open a full 90 degrees and the back ones swing suicide-style like on a Rolls-Royce, but without a B-pillar to get in the way. An array of six display screens turn the cabin – clad in wood, aluminum, glass and leather – into an all-enveloping "digital arena," with gesture-based controls, touch-sensitive screens and eye-tracking technology. Made of carbon fiber, aluminum and high-strength steel, the concept is some 40-percent lighter than a conventional automobile of its size. And while Mercedes isn't saying exactly what would provide the motivation (and to what effect), it does state that "the bodyshell of the F 015 Luxury in Motion was designed to allow the impact-protected integration of an electric drive system with fuel cell." The concept follows the debut of the Future Truck 2025 concept big-rig at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover a few months ago, and is earmarked to make transportation through and between the world's growing cities a smoother, safer and less human-intensive ordeal. Whether that's the kind of future you want to live in is another matter, but you can scope it out in the videos and press release below and in the extensive gallery of images above for a closer look. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mercedes highlights dangers of counterfeit wheels

Mercedes-Benz Australia is getting the word out that consumers need to make sure they get the real deal when purchasing auto parts. To demonstrate that concept in dramatic fashion, the company bangs an imitation and genuine wheel through a pothole at Holden's proving ground to see what happens. The results speak for themselves. While counterfeiting is often associated fashionable goods like handbags or sunglasses, it wreaks havoc on the auto industry, too. A 2007 study estimated Ford lost $1 billion a year from fake parts, and Aston Martin had to recall a huge swath of vehicles because a sub-supplier used knock-off plastic. To fight the problem here, the US government and some states have passed laws to ban counterfeit components. In this case, Mercedes uses the stunt to argue the fake parts are a safety issue Down Under. While the two wheels look practically identical at first, they definitely don't perform the same. The slow-mo footage of the impact clearly shows just how differently the pair takes the punishment, and why counterfeit wheels are such a safety issue. Related Video: