Ryan Erik King

Ferrari tested different variations of wheel covers on its Formula 1 cars at Fiorano on Thursday in an attempt to solve the series’ ongoing wet-weather visibility dilemma. While some of Formula 1’s most memorable performances took place in the rain, races can be called off if there’s too much water on the track. Sessions can be halted because drivers can’t see a car directly ahead of them, even if there isn’t enough standing water on the track surface for a car to hydroplane. The FIA organized…

A Beechcraft V35 crashed near Franklin, Tennessee on Wednesday, killing all three people onboard. This wasn’t the typical single-engine plane crash, as Initial findings indicate the aircraft broke apart in the sky, ABC News reports. A 911 caller reported hearing an explosion that is believed to be the crash, according to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Federal investigators are now combing through the debris field, looking for answers. The V35 left Louisiana Regional Airport just southw…

Max Verstappen, Formula 1’s reigning three-time world champion, is slated to race in this weekend’s iRacing Nürburgring 24 with his sim racing outfit Team Redline. There’s only one small hitch: F1 is also racing at Imola this weekend. Verstappen assures everyone that this isn’t a big deal, since he sim races during F1 weekends all the time. Tackling a 24-hour race, even within the confines of a simulator, is no easy feat. The immediate worry is whether Verstappen will be fully rested when he st…

City officials in Oakland, California decided to replace a traffic light at an intersection with stop signs last week. This decision wasn’t part of some urbanist initiative to calm traffic; the city couldn’t keep the light functional. Local business owners claim copper is being repeatedly stripped from the signal’s electrical boxes. After several instances of the light going dark, municipal workers pulled down the physical light from the cantilever and put the ubiquitous red octagonal sign in…

A federal jury found that Boeing misappropriated trade secrets from Zunum, a failed electric plane startup. The aircraft manufacturer was a sizable investor in Zunum through its venture capital division, Horizon X. The electric startup claims that Boeing launched a targeted campaign to steal proprietary information to develop its own hybrid-electric aircraft, Reuters reports. Boeing claims it only developed a mock-up to determine the feasibility of Zunum’s planned plane. Zunum first revealed de…

A new study from the University of Southern California published last week found that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites could be depleting the Earth’s ozone layer. Researchers estimated the potential damage caused by the internet service’s satellites burning up in the atmosphere and releasing aluminum oxides. With its growing artificial constellation, SpaceX could spew over 1,000 tons of aluminum oxide every year, a 646-percent increase relative to natural levels. SpaceX currently has just over 6,…

Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight between islands in Hawaii experienced a heart-stopping thrill ride in April as the plane plunged and came within 400 feet of crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The FAA is now investigating precisely why Southwest Flight 2786 nearly splashed down, USA Today reports. However, the airline stated to the newspaper that “the event was addressed appropriately.” OK then. The relatively short Southwest flight departed Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hon…

It’s evident to anyone with a pulse that the vehicles we drive from A to B have changed from decade to decade. Noting this ever-shifting landscape, we asked earlier this week which current cars will become timeless in the next few decades. There are always models that stand the test of time and garner record bids at auction once enough time passes. Without further ado, here are your picks for the next fleet of timeless machines: Lexus LC 500 Quite simply the best-looking grand touring car on…

Tesla is replacing one of the electric motors in the Cybertruck after less than a year on the road. While the Elon Musk-led manufacturer states the new drive unit is more efficient and reliable, this isn’t a typical upgrade for trucks that have yet to roll out the assembly line. Tesla is contacting owners of already delivered Cybertrucks to direct them to to a service center where the motor will be replaced free of charge. Tesla promises that it’s not dangerous to drive its pickup with the prev…

Rally Estonia might have been dropped from the FIA World Rally Championship schedule this year, but the country’s biggest star still decided to show up last weekend. Ott Tänak entered the event in the national class with the 2019 World Rally Champion and was the easy favorite to win. However, his rally ended with an acrobatic crash during the second stage. Tänak and his co-driver Martin Järveoja escaped the wreck unharmed. A spectator captured the moment when the crew’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car…