CONTENTS

October 27 2011 – vol 206 no 4

“I tried to be sensible, but it’s hard to be sensible when you’re stupid enough to drive the stage in the first place” MADS OSTBERG’S AMUSING TAKE ON DUST CLOUDS IN CATALUNYA

NEWS

Up-to-the-minute news and reports from F1, WRC and more. Subscribe for must-read opinion, stats and images

COVER IMAGES: REX FEATURES INSETS: GILHAM/GETTY, ABBOTT/LAT

COVER STORY

85 The number of DTM victories scored by Mercedes’s C-class, in

159 starts. The first came for Kurt Thiim at Hockenheim in April 1994, while Jamie Green took the final win last weekend,

also at Hockenheim

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REPORTS

10 India vital for F1 future Inaugural race at Buddh ranks among most important for series’ global appeal 12 Two US GPs on the cards New Jersey set to join F1 calendar in 2013 in boost to American F1 interest

14 FIA outlaws flexi-floor plan No go for secret breakthrough, says governing body 17 David Coulthard column 18 Indian GP preview 24 IndyCar boss in unity call Randy Bernard: we must unite over oval-circuit criticism

F1 gets ready to embrace India, p10

26 Calado gets ART GP2 seat GP3 star graduates to top F1-feeder series squad in 2012 28 Sportscars grounded New plan to stop aerial shunts 31 Tweets, polls, top-fives 32 Meeke slams night-running Mini star fury over safety issue

FEATURES

34 Indian pioneers Vijay Mallya and Vicky Chandhok recall the 1982 Madras GP 38 Karthikeyan and Chandhok India’s two drivers on putting their country on the F1 map

40 Kovalainen opens up Lotus number one Heikki Kovalainen admits he’s learned from his mistakes 68 Introducing Kiwi F3 racer Richie Stanaway

,H O R S B U R G H / L AT,B E R E H U L A K/G E T T Y

E DWA R DS

:A Z

P IC S

44 WRC Catalunya Loeb wins to take points lead into Wales Rally GB finale 48 DTM Hockenheim Jamie Green gives Mercedes C-class a victory send-off 50 Tandy’s Carrera break German title glory for Nick 60 Gold Coast 600 Whincup/Bourdais and Winterbottom/Lyons on top

Holden and Ford share surfboards, p60

64 WTCC Suzuka Menu and Coronel big in Japan 67 World of Sport Clint Bowyer gives Childress its 100th Sprint Cup victory

Green day for Jamie and Merc

REGULARS

7 From the editor 8 Snapshot 23 Mark Hughes column 66 Subscribe for a free gift 96 Final drive Letters and Latest Gear

98 On track/on screen The best action in the next week 101 From the archive Ian Taylor wins FFord Festival, 1972 102 Race of my life Oscar Larrauri, Miami IMSA 1988

SPORTS EXTRA

Vee Festival action at Brands

81 Silverstone International More races for new track layout 86 National reports Action from Brands, Silverstone, Snetterton, Lydden, and Oulton 94 Caterham Academy review

October 27 2011 autosport.com 5