The highlights of race 2, in which Edo Mortara showed great fighting spirit to win.

In the first night race on Friday evening on the street circuit of Al Diriyah in Saudi Arabia, Edoardo Mortara made up six positions at the wheel of his Mercedes-powered Venturi. Despite a bent steering system due to a slight contact with a wall, the man from Geneva brought his electric racing car home in sixth place.

Meanwhile, Mercedes achieved a one-two victory with defending champion Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne.

Third victory in Formula E
The next day, Mortara won his battles in qualifying - direct duels introduced for the first time - and thus took second place on the grid alongside Nyck de Vries, who was again the fastest driver.

In the race, however, the Swiss driver with Italian roots did better than anyone else and celebrated his third victory overall in the FIA Formula E, his second with world championship status. It ended under yellow due to an accident involving Alexander Sims (Mahindra).

Home to Geneva as world championship leader
Mortara's new team-mate Lucas di Grassi, who previously raced for Audi Sport (retired) for many years, completed the success for Venturi with a third place behind de Vries.

The team from Monaco thus also leads the team standings, while Mortara leaves as the first world championship leader in 2022 (see table). Edo finished last season as runner-up in the world championship,

Hard bread for Buemi
Sébastien Buemi's feelings were completely different. In his Nissan, the man from Vaud remained well outside the top ten and points on both occasions. His weaknesses were the qualifying sessions, but his speed in the races was so good that he is confident for the next event on February 12 in Mexico City.

Diriyah E-Prix Race 1 Diriyah E-Prix Race 2 World Championship Standings

fiaformulae.com

The infrared camera hidden at the front under the new Vizor mars face detects people and animals up to 100 meters ahead of the Grandland in the direction of travel based on their temperature difference from the surroundings.

As soon as Night Vision detects a pedestrian, biker or deer on the side of the road, it shows their position in the twelve-inch driver info display of the digital cockpit.

To do this, the person or animal in front of the vehicle is highlighted in color. This enables Grandland drivers to recognize potential danger earlier.

Combination with adaptive Intellilux LED pixel light
Night Vision is available in the new Grandland in combination with the adaptive Intellilux LED pixel light. With a total of 168 LED elements - 84 per headlight - the lighting technology ensures a flowing light pattern appropriate to each situation without dazzling other road users.

The matrix function brackets out oncoming vehicles within milliseconds, while the remaining areas continue to be illuminated with full high beam.

opel.ch

Renault Suisse SA has appointed Christoph Krienen as its new Sales Director. The Fleet Division and Mobilize Services will now also report to him.

The 38-year-old Krienen will take up his new post on February 1. In this position, the German business graduate will be responsible for sales and dealer network development for the Renault, Dacia and Alpine brands in Switzerland.

Philippe Mörgeli becomes branch manager Zurich Albisrieden
Christoph Krienen moved to Renault Suisse from alliance partner Nissan, where he had been responsible for sales of the Nissan brand in Switzerland as Sales Director Nissan Switzerland since July 2018.

Prior to that, he was Manager Fleet & Corporate Sales, where he was responsible for sales to business customers since April 2017. Christoph Krienen succeeds Philippe Mörgeli, who is moving to the Group's own Renault Retail Group and will become Branch Manager of the RRG Zurich Albisrieden branch on February 1.

Focus on implementing the strategic plan

Christoph Krienen: "The implementation of the Renaulution strategy plan together with Claudia Meyer and our 213 Renault, Dacia and Alpine partners as well as the entire Renault Suisse team is a great challenge."

Claudia Meyer, Managing Director, Renault Suisse SA: "I am looking forward to working with Christoph Krienen, whose extensive experience in the automotive industry will support us in achieving the ambitious Renaulution goals. The merger of Sales, Fleet Division and Mobilize Services will ensure close cooperation and coordination between these areas".

renault.ch

With nearly 100 registrations in a market of 266 units, the Fiat E-Ducato has become the leader in the large electric van segment with a 37 percent market share in its segment just six months after its launch. At the same time, with a market share of seven percent, it is also the only large van among the top 5 electric commercial vehicles.

Suitable battery size to choose as required
The E-Ducato is modularly configurable, available with the two battery sizes 47 and 79 kilowatt hours, and with high electric power as well as four charging modes, three of which are already available from market launch.

Soon the range of electrically powered models at Fiat Professional will be completed by the new E-Scudo. It is scheduled for launch in April and will enable the manufacturer to further develop the entire electric range.

fiatprofessional.com

On the occasion of a visit by French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to the Alpine site in Dieppe, Luca de Meo and Laurent Rossi announced that the production facility will be renamed Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé. Jean Rédélé founded the Alpine brand in 1955.

Production of the new model is part of the Renaulution strategic plan. By 2026, Alpine will introduce three new all-electric models: a sports car to succeed the A110, a new compact model and the freshly announced GT X-Over.

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi alliance platform
Alpine models have been produced at the Dieppe plant since 1974.

Luca de Meo: "In the last twelve months, Alpine has developed a new dynamic. Now the historic industrial site is being given a clear perspective for the future. Substantial investments are being made for the construction of the new model."

The Alpine GT X-Over will benefit equally from the Renault Group's expertise in developing electric cars and Alpine's experience in building sports cars.

The brand's first X-Over model will be based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance's newly developed CMF EV platform designed specifically for electric vehicles.

Eight Swiss bases represent the brand
In Switzerland, Alpine is represented by eight locations. The operations located in St. Gallen, Winterthur, Zurich, Altendorf, Ecublens, Cortaillod, Porrentruy and Conthey specialize in customer advice, customer support and workshop services for the French sports car brand.

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Even snow and ice should not be able to slow down the energy of the Maserati Grecale. During the mission, the SUV prototypes were tested to fine-tune their handling in extreme temperatures, check vehicle dynamics on different surfaces such as asphalt, snow and ice, and ensure comfort in the vehicle in all weather conditions with temperatures as low as minus 30°C in Lapland.

In the drift circle and on handling courses
Further tests of traction and self-steering behavior were conducted in different driving modes and with different tire types and sizes to further highlight the characteristic properties of the driving modes.

Even under extreme conditions, the Grecale showed that it can easily master the most difficult driving situations with low grip. It had to prove this during numerous high-performance laps from the drift circle and on demanding tracks with tight corners, various inclines, long straights and fast dips.

maserati.com

The current incumbent, François Launaz, had already announced his retirement on this date at the end of 2020. In the view of the Board of Directors, Albert Rösti brings with him excellent qualifications for the presidency of auto-schweiz.

François Launaz, president of auto-schweiz since 2014: "I am delighted that the search committee, led by vice-presidents Marcel Guerry and Donato Bochicchio, has nominated such an accomplished political professional to succeed me."

Master of Business Administration
Born in Kandersteg in 1967, Albert Rösti holds a doctorate in technical sciences and a degree in agricultural engineering. In addition to his two degrees from ETH Zurich, he also holds a Master of Business Administration.

During his professional career, Albert Rösti has held positions including Secretary General of the Canton of Bern's Department of Economic Affairs and Director of the Swiss Milk Producers SMP. In 2013, he founded his own company for services in the areas of public affairs and project management as well as consulting for business and politics.

Political concerns of the automotive industry

Albert Rösti: "If elected, I will champion the political interests of the automotive industry and road transport, both of which are of enormous importance to our country. I want to do my part to ensure that Switzerland is fit for the mobility of the future, which is becoming increasingly prevalent on many levels, from drive systems to automated driving."

car.swiss

Swiss Formula One driver Sébastien Buemi, a three-time Le Mans winner and 2016 Formula E champion, is committed to developing the automotive market by helping to improve Formula One hybrid cars and Formula E vehicles.

In addition, the racer wants to help the online store Gowago.ch promote the all-in-one model with monthly payment. This will make it easier for drivers to switch to more sustainable vehicles.

Sébastien Buemi: "I am proud to be an ambassador for Gowago.ch and look forward to helping shape the future of mobility."

Better customer experience on the Swiss market

Rutger Verhoef, CEO of Gowago.ch: "Our vision is to create a better customer experience in the Swiss market. Sébastian Buemi is very successful in racing and is a successful ambassador for sustainable forms of mobility."

Sébastien Buemi is one of the few in the world to have won championship titles in two FIA elite series. He is a reserve driver for the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, a regular Formula E driver for Nissan e-Dams and a factory driver in the World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

gowago.ch

Porsche's LMDh prototype will compete for overall victories in the biggest endurance races from the 2023 season.

Porsche's new LMDh prototype will compete for overall victories in the world's biggest endurance races at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring from the 2023 season.

The car will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the North American IMSA Championship under the team name Porsche Penske Motorsport. The testing program has just started in preparation for the race premiere in January 2023.

V8 engine with bit turbocharging
In its choice of combustion engine to complement the standard hybrid elements specified by the regulations, Porsche has opted for a large-volume V8 power unit with bit turbocharging. The engine is designed to run on renewable fuels. The system output of the hybrid drive is around 500 kW (680 hp) in the race.

Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Porsche Motorsport: "We were spoilt for choice when it came to selecting the engine for our LMDh prototype, as the product range offers several promising basic units."

Many freedoms for the designers
The engine regulations for the LMDh vehicle class allow great freedom in terms of displacement, design and number of cylinders. The maximum speed is 10,000 rpm, the maximum pass-by noise 110 decibels. The engine, including air intake and exhaust tract as well as peripheral components for cooling, must weigh at least 180 kilograms, and maximum power must be in the range between 480 and 520 kW (653 and 707 hp).

The unit components for recuperation, storage and delivery of electrical energy are from Williams Advanced Engineering, Bosch and Xtrac.

porsche.ch

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur conceived the suite for the 60th birthday of the legendary R 4 as a kind of mobile hotel room in the open air.

The R 5 Prototype is to be the starting point for an electric model that will be launched in two years.

Awards for DS Automobiles and Peugeot
The DS 4 was named the most beautiful production car, while the award for the "most beautiful hypercar of the year" went to Peugeot for the 9×8.

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