Wheelies: The Hot Seat Edition

September 28, 2012, 2:25 pm

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

In which we bring you motoring news from around the Web:

- Mercedes AMG Petronas, the Formula One factory team of Mercedes-Benz, announced on Friday that it signed Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 Formula One champion and driver for McLaren Mercedes, for the 2013-15 seasons, joining Nico Rosberg and replacing seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. McLaren, meanwhile, announced it would fill the seat vacated by Hamilton by Sergio Pérez, the No. 1 driver for Sauber, to complement its de facto No. 1, the 2009 champion Jenson Button. Pérez is ranked ninth over all in the 2012 driver's championship and Hamilton fourth. (Autosport)

- The F.I.A., the governing body of Formula One, released the confirmed race calendar for the 2013 season on Friday. Dovetailing with a provisional calendar circulated last week, the street-course race at Valencia, Spain, was left off the calendar, while the inaugural running of the Grand Prix of America, to be held on streets from Weekhawken to West New York, N.J., appeared on the calendar with an asterisk, an incongruous indication that the race was yet to be confirmed. Last week, Bernie Ecclestone, the president of the series, said the contract with the race's promoters was scrapped. In a media release on Friday noting the race's presence on the calendar, Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial did not address Mr. Ecclestone's comments. (F.I.A.)

- Seeking his ninth title in the World Rally Championship, Sébastian Loeb announced on Thursday he would maintain a reduced competition schedule in the series in 2013. Loeb said the cutback was made so he could better prepare for a transition into the World Touring Car Championship, noting he wo uld remain with Citroën, his rally team, in the W.T.C.C. (W.R.C.)

- As noted by multiple sources, Chris Economaki, one of the most prominent figures in print and broadcast motorsports journalism for more than half a century, died on Friday morning at age 91. Economaki was known to be in poor health in recent years, but a cause of death was not identified by most outlets. Though he was the longest-running editor of National Speed Sport News, he was perhaps best known as a racing correspondent for ABC's “Wide World of Sports.” (ESPN)