Nicosia, Cyprus  - World champion Sebastien Loeb of France achieved another milestone in his illustrious rally career on Sunday when he won his 50th event, at the Cyprus Rally.

The Citroen driver Loew, 35, held off Finnish title rival Mikko Hirvonen for his third win in as many season races.

"This is incredible ... 50 is a big number," he said. "But I am not finished yet, now I am going for 51."

Barcelona  - The McLaren-Mercedes team of world champion Lewis Hamilton have a lot of work to do with less than three weeks to go until the start of the 2009 Formula One season, if this week's testing at Barcelona is any indication.

"We aren't yet where we want to be," admitted Mercedes motorsport director Norbert Haug to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"We are far too slow at the moment but are going to work hard to get back to the front."

Barcelona - Toro Rosso was the final Formula One team to unveil its car for the 2009 season Monday when it presented the new STR4 at the Circuit de Catalunya just outside Barcelona where the team is testing this week.

"Our target has to be that we leave the circuit on Sunday evening conscious that we have done the best possible job," said team boss Franz Tost.

Drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi have just under three weeks to get used to the car before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 29.

Wolfsburg, Germany - Dakar champion Volkswagen on Saturday said that they would be entering the 2010 Dakar rally.

The German car manufacturer finished one-two in this year's race, which was held in Argentina and Chile and will again be staged there next year.

There was some speculation that Volkswagen, for whom South African Giniel De Villiers won their first-ever Dakar rally this year at their sixth attempt, would follow Mitsubishi, who announced a month ago that they would pull out of the race next year.

Geneva - The former Honda Formula One team could make a return in the 2009 season in some guise, it emerged Thursday.

Chief Executive Nick Fry confirmed at the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) meeting in Geneva that an announcement either way would be made very soon.

"I can't say any more at this stage," said Fry.

Geneva - The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) revealed its plans Thursday to ensure all F1 teams make it through the global economic crisis safely and can participate in the sport until the end of the 2012 season.

Among the proposals presented at a press conference in Geneva is a new points-scoring system whereby the points for a race win would rise from 10 to 12, with nine points for second and seven for third.

Positions four to eight would continue to score in the current 5- 4-3-2-1 manner.