It’s not every day that you spin a $350,000 Ferrari at 175 mph and the only things that need replacing are a tire and your underwear. For Australian sports car racer Liam Talbot, a tire failure during Blancpain GT Series testing at France’s Paul Ricard Circuit this weekend left him suddenly spinning from the top of sixth gear in his Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 GT3. The tire blowout came at the end of the lengthy Mistral Straight at the Ricard Circuit, a straight that can usually find a GT car’s maximum speed.
That straight’s length—along with pleasant Mediterranean weather—makes Paul Ricard in southern France a favorite destination for preseason testing. The World Endurance Championship will be there soon for their own preseason, using the Mistral Straight to simulate conditions at Le Mans’ Mulsanne Straight. Another reason that Ricard is popular for testing? Miles of runoff room, which kept Talbot and Kessel Racing from a substantial repair bill.
