Motorsports

Three Grand Prix wins have made zero difference to Dan Ricciardo.

V8 Supercars declares it's an open grid in the biggest shake-up in the sport's history.

Former Formula One driver Mark Webber will return to Britain later this week after crashing in Sao Paulo during the final race of the World Endurance Championship season."Mark spent the night in a local hospital in Sao Paulo where he underwent further checks," a statement on his website said Monday."He sustained bruising and concussion in the accident he suffered in Sunday's six-hour race."The Australian driver was quoted as saying: "I'm quite sore this morning and am pretty bruised and have got a stinking headache."I've got no recollection of the accident or how it happened — the team is looking into the details to find out more."Thanks to the medical team at the track and here at the hospital who did a great job and are looking after me very well."In the closing stages of the race in Brazil, the 38-year-old Webber's Porsche crashed into a concrete barrier after a collision with the Ferrari of Matteo Cressoni, who was not seriously hurt.Webber skidded into the pit lane and the rear of his car caught fire.He was able to wave to the crowd as he was carried into an ambulance.

V8 Supercars boss James Warburton has called on Ford fans to find a new team to support after the Blue Oval officially killed off its famous rivalry with Holden by confirming they would quit the sport by 2016.On the week of the season-ending V8 event in Sydney, Ford yesterday robbed Australia of one of its greatest sporting rivalries by announcing they would not sponsor reigning Bathurst-winning team Ford Performance Racing after next year.More than one million Ford supporters - almost half the sport's fanbase - have been bracing for almost eight weeks since The Daily Telegraph revealed on the eve of the Bathurst 1000 the carmaker's plan to abandon the sport. Warburton, who has spent the last 18 months negotiating to keep the Holden v Ford rivalry alive, urged Blue Oval fans to follow their favourite drivers to other teams."I am certainly disappointed for their fans," Warburton said. "They are the ones who are losing out. We are now going to have to get the Ford fans to barrack for other brands. The fans are also very loyal to the drivers they support so we would encourage them to keep on following them." With the Falcon to be axed in 2016 amid a global manufacturing restructure, Ford cut V8 Supercars from its $60 million marketing warship in a move Ford Australia boss Bob Graziano confirmed in a statement yesterday.We will provide technical support to teams racing Ford Falcons in 2015 but will not renew our sponsorships after the season."Ford is transforming our entire business - from our product line-up to consumer experience - that meant we had to make difficult decisions such as not renewing our V8 Supercars teams' sponsorships after the 2015 season," the statement said."Performance is part of our DNA, and will continue to be, as we increase our vehicle offerings and enthusiasts look for a wider range performance of models such as smaller cars like Mustang, Fiesta ST and Focus ST. Ford is proud to launch the FG-X Falcon, including building on our performance heritage by racing the new model in V8 Supercars in 2015. We will provide technical support to teams racing Ford Falcons in 2015 but will not renew our sponsorships after the season""We are proud of the teams and our history in the series but have made this decision so we can move forward by focusing our attention on our great products and consumer experience." Ford will continue to sponsor television programs like The Bachelorette in a move Warburton said would do little to rescue the suffering business from being outmuscled by Asian car manufacturers.Ford have ignored thousands of fans who said they will stop buying their cars if the company quits V8s. "I certainly don't think pulling out of the third-most attended sport in the country will help their cause," Warburton said."Clearly I am going to say it is the wrong move and I truly believe that. The size and the scale of the platform is there for all of them to see." Warburton was amazed the company would announce they were quitting the sport just days before Ford hero Marcos Ambrose is due to make his V8 comeback at the Sydney 500, starting Friday."I find it amazing they are making this announcement ahead of the series finale this week when we have a global star in Marcos Ambrose campaigning in a Ford," said Warburton. "I am sure they will be back at some point.""I don't want to let emotions take over and say too much. The reality is that it is a disappointing result and they are having a tough time. Pulling out will not help them. They have pulled out before and come back and I have no doubt that at some point in the future they will be back."

Toyota Racing claim manufacturers' WEC titles at the final round in Brazil.A second-place finish behind Porsche at the Six Hours of Interlagos was enough to secure Toyota Racing the manufacturers' title in the FIA World Endurance Championship.Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi brought their #8 Toyota Hybrid home to finish on the second step of the podium behind the #14 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb. The #1 Audi R18 of Lucas di Grassi, Loic Duval and Tom Kristensen finished the race in third.A nasty accident involving the #20 Porsche of Australia's Mark Webber and the #90 Ferrari of Matteo Cressoni brought out the safety car with 20 minutes of the race remaining, and the event was concluded without being restarted. Thankfully, both drivers reportedly avoided serious injury.The title win for Toyota is the first for the Japanese manufacturer since returning to prototype endurance racing in 2012. The Davidson/Buemi combination picked up four wins during the season, and claimed the WEC Drivers' Championship at the previous race in Bahrain. Team mates Alex Wurz, Stephane Sarrazin and Mike Conway claimed a single race win.The World Endurance Championship win for Toyota unseats German outfit Audi, who had held the crown since its inception in 2012.

Watch the Lotus F1 team's semi-trailer jump over one of their F1 cars to set a new world record.An oft-quoted factoid in motorsport circles is that a Formula One racer can drive upside down in a tunnel.A never-quoted factoid is that you can jump a Formula One transporter over a Formula One racer.Enter stuntmen Mike Ryan and Martin Ivanov who went out and did just that, and set a world record in the process.Martin - whose credentials as a stuntman include work on the James Bond movies - slides the Lotus F1 racer underneath the team's semi-trailer.The truck - with The Fast and the Furious alumni Mike behind the wheel - sails majestically through the air before landing a world record-setting 83 feet 7 inches away from where it took off.Whether or not you can drive a Formula One transporter on the roof of a tunnel remains to be seen.

Paul Gover climbs aboard with Marcos Ambrose for his first day on the job with the reshaped Penske/DJR V8 Supercar team.Wow, can Marcos Ambrose drive. Or, I should say, he can still drive.Fresh back from his nine-year NASCAR experiment in the USA, we’re heading for the flat-out kink at Lakeside Raceway north of Brisbane with the speedo winding around towards 250km/h. I’m sucking in my breath, ready for a big scare on one of the toughest corners in Australia, but Ambrose is all business and there is not even a tenth-of-a-second of worry.He is sublime. Fast but totally relaxed, even though this is just his fifth lap back in a right-hand drive racer. The V8 Supercar Falcon is being coaxed around at massive speed but, like all the best sportspeople in any game, he seems to have more time than he needs.Only twice does the back end slide wide on the Xbox racer, and both times Ambrose is ahead of the car and gently pulls it back into line. After less than two minutes we’re back in the pits and he’s smiling his familiar smile.“Well?”, he asks.“Bloody marvellous,” I manage to stammer.That’s the big difference in Ambrose 2014. He is asking because he really wants to know. And he cares.The Ambrose who left for the USA was pumped-up on racing, but totally focussed on himself and his results. Even he admits it.I think I’m a better driver now. I’m certainly no worse than I was."My last time around in V8 Supercars I was so focussed that I just didn’t see anything beyond the track. That is part of my rounding from NASCAR. I appreciate what I’ve got more. I’m just looking forward to giving my fans and the sport my very best,” Ambrose said.He is one of the most talented and focused touring car drivers in the history of the sport, and that bit has not changed. As he confirms.“I think I’m a better driver now. I’m certainly no worse than I was. Whether I can bring those skills and adapt them to a modern V8 Supercar I don’t know. Yet.“I am totally immersed in this new deal, and highly motivated to make this thing a success. It’s a dream opportunity. I’m going to throw everything I’ve got at it. I’ve certainly got a lot of drive and determination.”With that, Ambrose goes back to work. Lakeside is his first shot at a V8 Supercar and he wants to maximise his track time ahead of two official tests at Queensland Raceway ahead of the Sydney 500.Ambrose is not making any bold predictions, but only a fool would write him off. And, after those hot laps at Lakeside I’m no fool.“Today is the first step. Me behind the wheel and getting going. I’m not too worried about Sydney. I think it’s all going to be worthwhile once we get into 2015.” 

Hoonicorn Mustang makes its video debut in Los Angeles with Ken block's Gymkhana 7.Proving that 1.8-litres was never enough - even bolted to a whopping turbocharger and purpose-built Fiesta gymkhana weapon, Ken Block has returned for his seventh blast to internet stardom.This time set around the crumbling concrete of downtown Los Angeles, Block's latest effort proves that his new 630kW, 6.7-litre all-wheel drive Ford Mustang can be just as spectactular when thrown rearwards with all four wheels spinning forwards, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.Officially named the Hoonicorn RTR, the 1965 Mustang-based mechanical monster made its static debut at SEMA earlier this month.Gymkhana 7 opens in an industrial warehouse with Block introducing the new car by way of his latest trick - doing a burnout whilst the car is chained to a wall.The restraints are released and Block heads off on his tour of Tinseltown.Past the burnt-out shell of a Subaru WRX rotting in the pristine waters of the LA River before indulging in a few doughnuts at the famous Randy's, and into Chinatown.Block also enjoys an unusual traffic-free run down one of the city's freeways, drives circles around and under a bouncing Chevy low-rider before finishing in typical style atop Mount Lee, looking over the City of Angels and its smog-filled sky from the iconic Hollywood sign.The occasional-World Rally Championship driver and part-time shoe salesman's heavily choreographed Gymkhana videos have earned him global praise for his ability to navigate obstacle courses, city centres and the odd movie set with guile and a liberal application of the handbrake.

Toyota global boss Akio Toyoda drives prototype 86 rally car as part of Australian visit.

Watch a Volvo FH truck take to the track against the Koenigsegg One:1 in a battle of pure speed around the Knutstorp circuit in Sweden.There are some motor races that are steeped in history. The Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Monaco Grand Prix and Bathurst 1000 to name a few.Volvo FH truck versus Keonigsegg One:1 supercar is not that we're likely to see on that list any time soon.That said, this "demonstration" of the FH's new dual-clutch transmission featuring former-racer-of-most-things-turned-TV-presenter Tiff Needell does show quite aptly how a dual-clutch transmission can improve performance and driveability of a heavy-duty hauler.Volvo often use unorthodox methods to show off their wares. In 2012, world record-holding tightrope walker Faith Dickey bridged the gap between two speeding FH tracks in Croatia. This was followed a year later by Jean-Claude Van Damme doing it sans rope.The CEO of Volvo Trucks has been hung over Gothenberg Harbour, a hamster has driven a truck through a Spanish quarry and they've also taken part in the Running of the Bulls in previous videos.