The first stage of the Mercedes-Benz Challenge Cup will come to an end this week, when golfers at Stoke Park compete for a place in next year’s national final.

Some 12 teams of four have already qualified for the Dubai extravaganza and the golfers who perform the best on Thursday will join them on the plane in February 2008.

The event, organised by the Times and the Sunday Times, has been a roaring success, with amateur enthusiasts playing some sensational golf at a number of Britain’s most impressive courses.

The Belfry, Gleneagles, Royal Lytham St Annes and Celtic Manor are just four of the world-renowned courses that have been used, in a competition that has been as much about camaraderie as it has been about sporting prowess.

Winning teams have all been offered an opportunity to compete at one of Dubai’s many championship courses. Along the way, participants have also collected Callaway golf balls, a Mercedes-Benz towel and cap, subscriptions to Golf International magazine and a whole range of other freebies.

For those talented or lucky enough to achieve a hole-in-one, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class has also been on offer. Golfers winning nearest-to-the-pin competitions, meanwhile, have picked up Hugo Boss watches.

With a stableford score of 89 points, The Billy Bunters have been the most impressive team so far, but their score will count for nothing when the grand final commences in Dubai. All of those who secure a place in the final will receive return flights to the city, four or five nights five-star accommodation, three rounds of golf as well as a Gala dinner and drinks reception.

Click here for more information about the Mercedes-Benz Challenge Cup

This year’s thrilling Formula One championship will arrive in Hungary this weekend, with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton both hoping to emerge on top.

Hamilton is leading the hugely competitive drivers’ championship by just two points and Alonso will feel he has gathered some significant momentum in recent weeks.

But the young Englishman impressed again during a test day in Spain last week and he may well believe he is due some luck at the weekend.

"We had a productive test in Jerez. I was there for a day and spent the time focusing on set-up and development work for Hungary, in the hot and dusty conditions.

"I quite like the circuit; it is quite quick considering how tight it is. It is a real classic as well," he added.

"We have a great car and it is important that I go with a clear mind and the same approach as normal, but there is no reason why we can’t go there and win."

Some exceptional driving in Germany allowed Alonso to win the last Grand Prix and the Spaniard is certainly in good form. The 26-year-old also won his first ever race at Hungary, which makes it a particularly special circuit for him.

"I usually enjoy the race so am looking forward to racing there this year with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," he said.

"The MP4-22 has performed well at this type of track so far this season, so I am feeling positive for the race."

Norbert Haug, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, is expecting an exciting race, despite the relatively slow conditions.

"Our target for Hungary is clear: if possible, we want to extend our leads in both World Championships," he stated.

Click here for more information about the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

A heated DTM race in Holland at the weekend left many Mercedes-Benz drivers feeling frustrated at the tactics employed by their Audi counterparts.

Fifth-place Bruno Spengler was the highest-placed Mercedes-Benz driver, but he remains convinced that collisions with Audi drivers prevented a much more rewarding finish.

"We had a very good strategy and a really great speed and I improved to third. However, I was hit by Christian Abt in the pits and then a couple of times by Timo Scheider on the track, what damaged my car at the rear severely and affected the aerodynamics significantly," he said.

"Now I am fifth instead of third, but there are still three races to go."

Mika Hakkinen, who drove his 2007 AMG Mercedes C-Class to seventh position, was also frustrated about the nature of this "turbulent race".

"My C-Class ran very well and I had expected more than seventh place; unfortunately, I was hit by other cars. At the Nurburgring in five weeks’ time it will be a different story," he pledged.

Bernd Schneider had a particularly tough time in Zandvoort, finishing in 12th position after a collision with an Audi driver.

"Tom Kristensen exited the pits, when I drove by. He did not back off and moved to my side too far and crashed into my car. Afterwards I had problems with the balance of my car and was not able to improve further," he said.

Norbert Haug, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, has expressed his disappointment that so many drivers were prevented from achieving their potential.

"We saw some action which does not match our idea of tough but fair sport and which cost Bruno, Mika and Bernd their positions they had fought for," he complained.

The DTM series now enters a five-week break, before a crucial contest at the Nurburgring in September. Haug is already looking forward to this race as an opportunity for "revenge", which he insists will be "sportsmanlike and fair".

Mercedes has again been listed among the top ten brands in the world, after boosting its brand value by eight per cent in just 12 months.

The annual Interbrand report values Mercedes at $23,568 million this year, up from $21,895 in July 2006. The eight per cent increase builds on a nine per cent rise in the previous 12-month period and it continues a trend of impressive growth for the luxury brand.

Coca-Cola has again topped the Interbrand report, with an astonishing brand value of $65,324 million, ahead of Microsoft, IBM and General Electric.

Tellingly, Mercedes is one of only three non-American brands in the top ten and just six in the top 21.

Interbrand’s report also includes brands such as Google, valued at $17,837 million, and Disney which is valued at $29,210 million.

Mercedes is one of just three carmakers to make it into the top 40 and its continued presence in the top ten marks it out from many of its biggest competitors.

Recent events such as the Mercedes Cup in tennis and a series of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks have helped to boost the brand even further, in what remains a hugely competitive industry.

A celebration of all things smart took place on July 28th at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands.

The day of driving, entertainment and attractions kicked off at 8am, when the first visitors arrived for this ambitious tribute to the iconic brand.

Doors to Mercedes-Benz World opened at 10am and the main activities got underway at 12pm. Many of those attending were particularly keen to catch the first UK glimpse of the smart fortwo BRABUS as well as the innovative smart ed.

The atmosphere at Mercedes-Benz World reflected the philosophies of the brand, with fun games and challenges arranged throughout the day. One such event saw giant attachments added to the front of participating smart cars as they took part in what was surely the world’s most unusual egg and spoon race.

There was also a Ping the Ring challenge, which required drivers to navigate through cones before throwing a basketball through the sunroof to finish.

Al Young, chairman and managing director of thesmartclub, which organised the event, said: "Last year’s smart Rally to Brighton started from this exciting venue shortly before it opened to the public. We had so much positive feedback that we decided to hold an entire smart event there in 2007."

Peter O’Halloran, managing director Mercedes-Benz World, pointed to the remarkably strong relationship between smart owners and the brand as a reason for the success of these events.

Enthusiasts at the weekend also had an opportunity to show off their own smart car, with a number of competitions judging the best dressed smart, the best kept smart and the most impressively modified smart.

Head to the official smart website for more information about the brand.

Maybach brand ambassador Nick Faldo made a blistering start to his debut on the Seniors Tour last week, gaining a share of the lead alongside three others.

Faldo won two of his three Opens at Muirfield and despite ultimately losing out in the race for the title, his overall performance over the weekend suggests the Maybach driver is very much back in form.

"I was very surprised," he said of his display on day one. "I was trying to do the best I could, trying to find a routine. I was able to do it and that scared me. I didn’t know what to do."

In March this year, Faldo concluded a long-term partnership with Maybach and launched the Maybach Golf Cup for potential and existing customers.

"As a professional golfer I was always striving to become the very best player that I could possibly be and it is that same passion for perfection that has been applied to the development of this very special car," he said upon signing the deal.

"The Maybach represents the absolute pinnacle of motoring style and technology and I’m delighted to be so closely associated with a brand that shares the very same values as my own," he added.

The Maybach Golf Cup has allowed existing and prospective customers to take part in four European tournaments with the possibility of securing a place in the US final. Par three specialists were also offered the chance to win a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren by nailing a hole-in-one.

Successful participants are now gearing up for the final at the Trump National Golf Club in Florida, which will take place in December 2007.

For more information about Maybach, click here.

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have both expressed their satisfaction at last week’s ruling by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

Formula One’s ruling body decided that there was no alternative but to find there had been a purely technical breach, with certain information held within one individual’s home.

No sanctions were imposed and the World Motor Sport Council concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the information had been used to benefit the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

Alonso and Hamilton have remained focused on their jobs throughout, but both are pleased that the distracting matter has been settled.

"Having only been part of McLaren for a few months I know how important [the] decision will be for everybody. I am looking forward to an exciting second half of the season and to continue our battle for both World Championships," Alonso said yesterday.

Hamilton, meanwhile, paid tribute to all of those involved with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, before reasserting his desire to continue his good form.

"Whilst it’s only my first season in Formula One with the team, I already know and appreciate the commitment and dedication of the people there. As a result I am pleased with [the] decision and can’t wait for the rest of the season," he said.

Ron Dennis, chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, admitted that the last few weeks have been tough and praised the "tremendous support" offered by the sponsors and the public.

"Moving forward McLaren wants to re-affirm our long-standing commitment to honesty and integrity and re-state that we believe we have acted correctly throughout. Now, we have Formula One World Championships to win. As a result we intend to move on, so as to maintain the focus and commitment required to do exactly that."

Click here for more information about the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

Mercedes Car Group, DaimlerChrysler’s premium auto division, improved its second-quarter earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) by 74 per cent.

EBIT reached €1.204 billion in the second quarter, up from just €690 million in the same quarter last year. Some 320,200 vehicles were sold in total, as revenues remained fairly steady at €12.6 billion.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz brand passenger cars reached 285,600 in the second quarter, representing a slight fall from the same period last year, but the launch in some major markets of the new C-Class is likely to boost sales figures dramatically.

The new C-Class sold 17,200 models in June alone and Mercedes-Benz also expects a boost from additional engine versions in the future.

A particular highlight in the second quarter was the smart fortwo, which saw sales increasing by a staggering 44 per cent. In all, second quarter sales for the smart brand fell from 34,500 to 31,700, although this is largely attributable to the discontinuation of the smart forfour.

The Mercedes Car Group expects unit sales in 2007 to at least equal the record level achieved in 2006. The recent launch of the new C-Classsedan has been a particular success and the station-wagon version of the C-Class will be on sale before the year comes to an end.

Significantly, Mercedes-Benz is also performing remarkably well in terms of quality, with the number of faults per vehicle falling by 25 per cent in the last two years.

Mercedes-Benz has today restated its commitment to the Olympic Games, by delivering yet another minibus to a National Olympic Committee.

The latest minibus has gone to the Vietnam Olympic Committee - ten years after it received its first Mercedes-Benz vehicle - and it will be used to transport young Vietnamese athletes to training sessions and competitions.

Wilfried Porth, director of the van business unit at DaimlerChrysler, observed: "With this partnership, not only are we showing that we promote sports, but also that we are a company that deals responsibly.

"This partnership is not only limited to sports; it also shows our joint efforts in social and cultural areas. With our Mercedes-Benz vans, we are honoured to be able to make a practical contribution, in which we provide for mobility and bring young people together."

Speaking on behalf of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, Nguyen Danh, the organisation’s president, said that the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter would bring huge benefits to the nation’s young athletes.

"Sport in Vietnam has improved enormously in recent years. That is also shown by the winning of a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney which we are very proud of. But naturally, we would like to achieve more success in the future and this vehicle can be very supportive, since it helps to greatly improve the training conditions of our athletes."

Recently, Mercedes-Benz won two prestigious prizes at the Fleet News Awards 2007 event, one of which went to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter had already scooped What Van? magazine’s Van of the Year title.

Formula One prodigy Lewis Hamilton put last weekend’s frustrations behind him on Wednesday, posting the quickest time of the day during testing at Jerez.

The 22-year-old clocked a fastest lap of 1m 19.970 in his MP4-22, which was almost a second quicker than second-place Ralf Schumacher.

Hamilton completed 90 laps of the Spanish track, as part of his preparations for the forthcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.

Local boy Pedro de la Rosa, who achieved a podium finish with the McLaren team in 2006, took over from Hamilton on Thursday, putting the car through its paces in unenviable air temperatures of up to 37 degrees centigrade.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place on August 5th this year and Lewis Hamilton will treat the race as an opportunity to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.

Two points clear of team-mate Fernando Alonso and 11 points ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Hamilton is very much in the driving seat but he will be wary of the progress Alonso has made in the last two races.

In the drivers’ championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are 27 points clear of rivals Ferrari, who in turn are 40 points clear of third-place BMW.

Click here for more information about the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.