May 10 2012 – vol 208 no 6 CONTENTS

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

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REPORTS 44 World Endurance Championship Spa 6 Hours Intra-Audi scrap goes the way of non-hybrid car. For now… 48 DTM Lausitz Spengler gets the verdict for emotional BMW win 50 World of Sport NASCAR; Auto GP; V8 Supercars; Super GT;

Scandinavian Touring Cars; ADAC GT Masters 58 Formula Renault 3.5 Aragon

Yelloly shocks to take first blood in series’ new era 60 World Touring Car Championship Hungaroring

Michelisz foils the Chevy challenge on home ground

NEWS 8 Ferrari still looking for the key to 2012 form

Upgrades are an improvement – but they’re not enough 10 Mugello test updates assessed

McLaren’s high nose, and all the other key developments 12 Toro Rosso expands to the next level

New facilities mean team gains distance from Minardi roots 15 This week in F1 16 Spanish Grand Prix preview 21 David Coulthard column 24 Renault says teething troubles are under control

‘No repeat’ for new Formula Renault 3.5 glitches 26 Ekstrom admits Audi in DTM trouble

Ex-champion and cohorts struggling against Merc and BMW 29 Toyota plays Le Mans catch-up after test crash

Japanese giant to test at Aragon and Ricard pre-24 Hours 30 Corsica to provide answers on IRC future

Super 2000 machines go head-to-head with 1600 turbos

FEATURES 32 Sergio Perez: Ferrari’s man for the job?

Talking to the Mexican Formula 1 starlet – and those around him – on his chances of becoming a racing megastar 38 Nelson Piquet and a title won by stealth

Looking back to 1987, and the Brazilian’s recovery from his enormous Imola crash to earn his third world crown 62 GP3 season preview

Interview with Mark Webber’s protege Mitch Evans, plus other likely leading lights and all the dates for 2012

REGULARS 5 From the editor 6 Snapshot 23 Mark Hughes column 80 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

Pau’s first Formula 3000 race in 1985 102 Race of my life

Richie Ginther, Monaco Grand Prix, 1961

SPORTS EXTRA 77 Damon Hill to race in Scirocco DTM support at Brands

F1 king joins Blundell, Donnelly, Bailey, McCarthy, Brabham 78 Renault racers injured in Spanish Eurocup crash

Dan Cammish and Hans Villemi break bones 82 National reports

Donington Historic Festival; Snetterton 6 Hours & supports; Silverstone BARC; Castle Combe CCRC/BARC; Brands Hatch CSCC; Brands MGCC; Knockhill SMRC 92 Interview

We sat down with the bigwigs from our governing body the MSA to find out how motorsport is run in the UK

COVER IMAGE: FERRARO/LAT INSET: DUNBAR, EBREY/LAT, GUILLAUMOT/DPPI

May 10 2012 autosport.com 3