New car passes FIA crash tests

The car was subject to stringent tests of front, side, and rear impacts, as well as the steering column and roll hoop, with the inside of the cockpit undamaged in each case.

A1GP technical director John Travis said: "We did a lot of pre-tests on all the components in isolation and on the structural design of the chassis, before moving on to the physical tests.

"The car has now completed 5800km so we're very happy with the progress. The tyre testing is now complete, now we just have a small number of engine software issues to finalise."

The series medical delegate, Dr Paul Trafford, added: "The first three seasons of A1GP have shown the cars to be remarkably safe, allowying drivers to survive some major impacts.

"The FIA have stringent crash testing requirements which are constantly being updated to ensure the safety cell concept is advanced each year as technology develops."