Crisis over F1 tyre safety
Severe tyre blowouts suffered by four drivers at last weekend’s Silverstone GP have left drivers and teams concerned over the safety of the sport.
Silverstone is known as a particularly demanding circuit that’s tough on tyres, but tyre failures are amongst some of the most lethal car failures for F1 drivers.
Lewis Hamilton has called for action to be taken after the tyre failures, which he’s described as ‘unacceptable’, and 13-time Grand Prix winner, David Coulthard, has taken a similar stance, calling the tyre failures ‘driver killers’.
Pirelli has issued a statement which attributes the failure of the tyres to the practices of the F1 teams themselves.
In order to better manage tyre wear and limit pit stops, teams have been removing worn tyres and later mounting them on the opposite side of the car.
This, Pirellis has said, is largely responsible for the blowouts, which only occurred on cars with tyres fitted on the opposite side.
Despite this, Pirelli will be making changes ahead of next week’s race at the Nurburgring, changing the internal belt – which is usually made from steel – to Kevlar.
The fear over the safety of the tyres occurs just two weeks after Pirelli and Mercedes sparked controversy for their mid-season tyre testing, after Red Bull and Ferrari racing teams brought the legality of the tyre development into question.
High demand for Ford Fiesta ST
It looks as though Ford have got things right with their new Ford Fiesta ST.
The waiting list for the sporty new hatchback currently stands at 3 months, after unexpected interest catches production off guard.
In fact, over half of Ford’s annual production of Fiesta STs was sold within just 3 months of the car’s official launch date.
Powered by an impressive 178bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol, with sporty and subtly-aggressive looks, it’s not so difficult to see why people are snapping them up.
But it’s not all about the aesthetics.
At £16,995, the Fiesta ST is also one of this year’s cheapest hatchbacks – that’s around £2,000 less than its main rival, the Renaultsport Clio 200, which went on sale back in June.
New world land speed record set
Driving an electric Le Mans prototype racer at an average speed of more than 200mph, Lord Paul Drayson has set a new land speed record for a ‘sub-1000kg electric car’.
, recorded a top speed of 204.285mph, smashing the previously held record of 175mph.
With a top speed of 204.185mph, the former Minister of Science, businessman and amateur racing driver smashed the previously-held record of 175mph.
“I’m delighted we’ve beaten the record tonight and can show the world electric vehicles can be fast and reliable,’ said Drayson, who you can see in action below…