BAR halt speed bid
BAR-Honda have been forced to call a temporary halt to their bid to set a new Formula One speed record.
The Brackley-based team aim to hit 400kmh, almost 250mph, on the legendary Bonneville salt flats in a modified, but still track-legal, Formula One car.
A special squad has been set up for the purpose, with South African Alan van der Merwe doing the driving, but they have had to return to Britain after rain made the salt flats treacherous.
BAR sporting director Gil de Ferran said: “This is a short-term disappointment to the team.
“But the very nature of attempting to run a car at speeds in excess of 400 kmh on a natural surface means it is always susceptible to bad weather – and we were fully prepared for this eventuality.
“We will be re-scheduling our record attempt once our observation team returns to Brackley but we are determined to get back out to Utah again as soon as possible.”
Earlier this year, McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya set a new record for the fastest speed registered on track in a Formula One car when he broke through the 230mph barrier.
BAR’s Bonneville special features no rear wing and needs a parachute to slow it down.
