Lewis Hamilton features on an R&B track. Seriously.

I'm not sure what the percentage of F1 drivers to land a career as a singer is, but apart from Jacques Villeneuve's interesting acoustic attempts I think the number would be hovering below the 1% mark. Lewis Hamilton however, may be first of that undeniably small number to actually sell some records, with his appearance as a featuring vocalist on American R&B singer Ana Lou's latest upcoming release.

As much as I wanted to laugh, then cry, then laugh again, there's no doubting that LH fits in on the track. I mean if we ignored the name, he wouldn't sound out of place on this kind of US R&B stuff, much of it sounds the same anyway and the fact Hammy fits in is perhaps a compliment.

There's definitely a bit of autotune in there, but full credit to the guy for giving this a go. Maybe Lew could pick up the microphone when he eventually decides to put down the racing helmet.. Just please don't start rapping Lew, the baggy jeans wouldn't suit you.

You can check out Lewis' vocal talents here on Soundcloud:

Ana Lou ft Lewis Hamilton - Say Goodbye

Update: In an insane turn of events, LH has announced that the song in fact has nothing to do with him. In many ways, this is great news.

Take 2 - The 2013 Ford Fiesta ST

I drove the new hot Fiesta late this autumn, to find out if it'll bring the Blue Oval back onto driving enthusiasts' wish lists

Today is a good day. It’s 20-something degrees, there’s not a cloud in the sky and I’m about to drive through some empty Northamptonshire roads. Obviously my weapon of choice to tackle these sticky tarmac curves would have to be something quick and fun. That’s why the car I’ve chosen for the job is a little supermini with a 1.6-litre engine. No, I haven’t lost it, this supermini is perfect. The keys I’m clutching in my hand open the doors to a Ford Fiesta, but this one features a little badge on the boot that means business. This Fiesta my friends, is an ST.

A modern dash layout is complemented by sporty touches

Still not impressed? No I wouldn’t be either if I’d just driven the old ST. But this car, a Moulton Orange ST 2, is part of a new line up that will supposedly reignite the flame that once burned brightly in Ford’s old performance days. Featuring a 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, the new ST’s heart is smaller than its predecessor’s 2-litre, but with the addition of a turbo it produces a very respectable 179bhp. This enables the hot hatch to race up to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and power all the way up to a top speed of 139mph.

I’m pleased to say the performance is matched by great looks, with a ‘squint and it looks like an Aston’ nose and sharp lines carving across the body. Unlike the almost soft looking old car, this ST looks aggressive and ready to lock horns with its hot hatch rivals. Climbing into the Fiesta there’s a typically Ford style layout to the dash, with purpose and function clearly having taken priority. That’s not to say the interior isn’t good though, the standard Ford Fiesta dash is ergonomic and modern, whilst some sporty additions to this ST set it apart from the rest of the range. An ST branded steering wheel and white sports dials are attractive additions, but it’s the red detailing and Recaro bucket seats that really show this Fiesta isn’t interested in the commute to work.

It is interested, as I am about to find out, in being thrashed to within an inch of its life. From the moment I press the start button and the sports exhaust burbles behind me, it’s clear that the Boost in EcoBoost takes priority here. I waste no time in leaving the warmed engine to idle, and proceed to do what any man confronted with miles of sun baked country lanes and a vacant passenger seat would do: I floor it. A woosh of induction noise and deep exhaust note follow me up through the gears, the slick changes meaning I can rush the box and sprint up to and over, ehem...59mph at fantastic speed. I’m already grinning, but as I approach turn one of my almost private Northamptonshire race track, a light flick right sees me confronted with some grin stretching, tail-wagging action. No dogs here, the Fiesta was more than happy to follow my steering line with the lift of an inside wheel and a small amount of rear slip. I’m drifting in a supermini; bloody fantastic.

This being Britain, no matter what angle of slip you like to travel at, you will meet several pot holes on your journey. Pleasingly though the ST shows no signs of strain over the bumps at high speed, soaking up cracks and broken surfaces as well as remaining entirely composed when thrown left or right. It’s here the electric steering feels impressive, with a nice amount of weight and great amount of accuracy. As I approach a corner I know I can turn the nose comfortably towards the apex; that in itself is a very satisfying feeling.

The new Fiesta ST thrives on the limit

The most satisfying feeling, however, has to be backing the little ST into a corner. With the car’s stability control initially set in Sport mode, I decide to switch off electronic assistance entirely. Instead of becoming a completely different animal though, the Fiesta’s playful character manages to show itself even more. As I approach a corner I step on the brakes, pedal feel still being fantastic and bite instant, whilst the weight of the car flies towards the front axle and the rear begins to squirm left and right. As a result, the smallest input of steering sees the rear begin to slowly hang out, meaning instead of waiting for the nose to turn in, I’m straight back onto the power and using the front-wheel drive to drag me through the corner. Jason Plato eat your heart out, I’m backing a Fiesta through the roads of Northamptonshire.

Six or seven miles along the road when my face hurts from smiling, I’m suddenly confronted with 30mph zone signs and have to stamp on the anchors, the Aston’ish nose diving down once again. As I allow the revs to drop I can’t help but hear the little Fiesta sigh, and not being one to disappoint this orange rocket I of course decide to throw in a U-turn and head back to my race track. I mean come on, it’s not often the sun is shining so brightly on Old Blighty.

After my afternoon sprint in the ST, I’ve had time to gather my thoughts on the new hot hatch. I can now explain exactly why I love this car, and why it is so much bloody fun; it’s simple really. Unlike its grippier Renaultsport 200 Turbo rival, the ST allows you to touch its limit at road speeds. When you reach this limit, instead of sitting you on a knife-edge and spitting you into a hedge, slides are progressive and grip is consistent meaning you can play without constant fear of firing off the road. And the smooth torque curve and revvy nature of the EcoBoost engine, mean even in slippery conditions it’s easy to extract every last bhp with maximum effect. Engine and chassis combined, it really is a great all round performance car. Plus with its starting price of £17,995 (in ST 2 spec as tested) and combined mpg figure of 35.8 (not that I ever achieved that on my run), it’s great value for money too.

I was never a fan of the Blue Oval’s recent performance attempts, but after today I’m a changed man. Today has been a great day, all thanks to a little orange supermini.

The 2013 Fiesta ST: One for the wish list

Clio Renaultsport 182 Video Review

So here it is, the video that could set me on a course to stardom. Well, probably not, but still. Here's my incredibly cringe, slightly funny video review. My first video review in fact, so please excuse the occasional fumbling and poor editing skills.

Things can only get better. I'm on the phone to McLaren about doing a P1 next. You never know..

CarThrottle

So my little 182, as annoying as she is with her leaks and squeaks, is becoming some what of a celebrity.

First she appeared in Evo Magazine of summer 2013, and now she's a world hit online too.

CarThrottle, the exciting online website that provides the internet with car related humour and online trends, featured my car as part of its 'Readers' Rides' section.

Check it out here: Sam's Leg-Cocking Renaultsport Clio 182

Hopefully the leak is fixed now (still waiting for rain to test it), so I think I'm back to loving my car again..

The Unfair Tarnishing Of Young Drivers

Young drivers are often labelled as the heavy footed bane of British roads, but are the country’s newest peddlers really the most dangerous behind the wheel?

A 1.2 hatchback that costs grandma a hundred quid or so to insure, can cost a teenager a number of Pounds that many might not know existed. But this is outrageous, how can gran, a nearly blind, repetitive bag of wrinkles with the reaction times of an iceberg, be cheaper to insure than a fit and sprightly youngster? Who says OAPs are less dangerous?

As a 20 something year old who's enjoyed five glorious years of mobility thanks to a shiny pink plastic card, I've had to face nonstop nagging, abuse as a 'boy racer' and being labelled a general nuisance behind the wheel. But I don't deserve any of this. I've never crashed, yet I've had more near misses than Tim Henman's Wimbledon campaigns. Like most new drivers, I was very enthusiastic behind the wheel; but I've never collected another car and always check my mirrors.

The same cannot be said for old nan, however. How can she check her mirrors when her nose is pressed against the windscreen, as she squints to see further than her own car's headlights? She can't. And that's why she clips kerbs, crosses lanes unintentionally and runs over women and children on a weekly basis. Nan causes crashes all the time.

If a teenager causes a crash, most likely he or she will have collected one other car during the uncontrolled high speed slide into a field, breaking the front bumper on their Corsa but most damagingly, shattering their pride. Everyone will know about it, their insurers will know about it and as a result increase their premiums by one million Pounds.

If an OAP causes a crash however, they drive home and switch on Countdown, with absolutely no knowledge of the trail of destruction resembling Godzilla's footsteps they've left behind them. Old people cause crashes all the time, but nobody knows it. So Mr insurance company keeps on providing them with reduced premiums.

But as we know this is massively wrong. Yes young drivers are generally fitted with a heavy right foot, and yes young drivers will most likely experience a 'tail slide' at least twice per journey to Asda, but most times young drivers won't crash. Young people's near miss to crash ratio is therefore fairly good. Old people's are not; there is no such thing as a near miss with an OAP, only a crash.

So how do we fix the problem? How do we balance out the unfair insurance premiums experienced by youngsters and OAPs of Britain? By going back to our primary school roots, and telling. Even if it's your own nan or granddad, even if the car is their only source of transport, each time they have a bump or end up coming home with three school kids under the wheel arch, tell on them. Call their insurer and say my nan has crashed again. Within days the UK's insurers will no doubt be inundated with claims of OAP related crashes they hadn't expected. Those graphs they like to draw with young driver crash rates, will begin to be dwarfed by the wake of OAP destruction.

So I say young drivers of Britain, this is our only option, our only hope that the eyes of insurers and general public will open to the carnage old people cause on the roads. Only if you tell can we then expect this unfair tarnishing of young drivers as the UK's most dangerous, to be shifted to its rightful owners. Old age pensioners.

MotoGP: 2013 Australian GP

Jorge Lorenzo managed to claw his way back into MotoGP Championship contention thanks to a dominant win at Sunday’s hectic Australian GP. His main rival and Championship leader Marc Marquez left the race with no points, meaning the leading two riders will arrive at next weekend’s Japanese GP with just 18 points separating them.

The fast flowing layout and new ‘sand paper’ surface of Philip Island meant pit-stops were introduced to reduce the risk of tyre failure. But despite the challenge of mandatory mid-race bike changes, two-time world champion Lorenzo was able to fight off an early charge from the Repsol Hondas of Marquez and Danny Pedrosa. Pushing his Yamaha M1 to the limits, Lorenzo pitted on lap 10, with the young Spaniard of Marquez coming in one lap later.

Rejoining the track as Lorenzo and Pedrosa approached turn one at 215mph, Marquez clipped Lorenzo as the Yamaha rider slid back into the lead of the race. But pressure was soon to ease for Lorenzo as Marquez received a black-flag with just five laps remaining; the stewards announcing that his 11^th lap stop was outside of the agreed pit window and therefore worthy of exclusion.

As a result Lorenzo was able to comfortably take the win ahead of Pedrosa, whilst MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi fought off Britain’s Cal Crutchlow for the final step of the podium.

With 50 points up for grabs, the MotoGP title showdown is still very much intact as the circus heads to the penultimate round at Japan’s Montegi.

Top 5 Championship Standings after 16 rounds:

1. Marquez – 298 points
2. Lorenzo – 280
3. Pedrosa – 264
4. Rossi – 214
5. Crutchlow – 179

evo Magazine

If you've got a copy of Issue 189 of evo Magazine, I'm pleased to say you should find a little mention of yours truly in the front pages.

Many thanks to evo for giving me the opportunity to join them in office whilst this issue was being put together; it was fantastic to be a part of what is one of the world's best motoring publications.