To ensure optimum reliability, McLaren regularly carry out non-destructive tests on the wheels. But even with all this effort, it’s hard to guard against the unexpected and so wheel failures can - and do - happen. For McLaren, the most recent came at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix, when driver Heikki Kovalainen suffered a high-speed crash linked to a manufacturing fault on his car’s left-front wheel.
“That accident was caused by a set of unfortunate circumstances - an undetectable finish had been incorrectly applied to the surface of the wheel, causing the wheel to suffer a loss of preload at racing speeds,” explains Terada. “As a result, the wheel loosened and started rubbing against the brake duct, which led to the sudden loss of tyre pressure and Heikki’s accident. It wasn’t easy to recreate that exact set of circumstances in the laboratory, but once we understood all the issues, we were able to further tighten our inspection procedure.”
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