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Hungarian GP qualifying: Rosberg on pole for Mercedes – Hamilton out of qualifying after car fire

Hungarian GP qualifying: Rosberg (pictured) on pole for Mercedes Lewis Hamilton seems to have had most of the unreliability problems that have hit Mercedes this year, but a fire in his car before he even set a time in qualifying for the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix today in Budapest was a cruel blow to his title chances. Hamilton managed to limp his stricken car in to the pits as flames licked round the back after what appears to have been a fuel leak, but that means Hamilton will start from the back of the grid tomorrow, making it incredibly difficult to get even close to Rosberg who finished qualifying on pole. Behind Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel managed to put the Red Bull in second, with Williams’ Botas in third during a final qualifying that saw rain drench the first corner, nearly claiming Rosberg and sending McLaren’s Magnussen in to the tyre barrier and out of Q3.

Drivers make New Year Resolutions

MORE THAN half of British drivers have made a New Year’s Resolution, with many promising to drive more courteously or more economically. A survey by motoring organisation the AA found that 14% of drivers will make the effort to drive for greater economy, while 11% said they would walk more to save fuel. A further 6% are aiming to drive less and 5% want to cycle more to cut down on car use.

Cash-for-clunkers deal to end Monday night, government says

The Obama administration plans to cut off dealer funding for the cash-for-clunkers program on Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern, after finding that the $3 billion fund is nearing depletion, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "The overriding objective was to be conservative and to provide an adequate window for a soft landing," a senior administration official said in a conference call with reporters Thursday.