A motoring journalist claims he is facing bankruptcy after he was sued for damaging a former professional racing driver's £1.25m Porsche.
Mark Hales, a freelance whose work has featured in The Daily Telegraph, Classic and Sports Car, and Evo, was at the wheel of the car when its engine exploded. And the car's owner, ex-Formula One driver David Piper, is now suing him for damages.
He believes the damage was caused by Hales “over-revving” the engine during a track session in 2009. But the Grimsby Telegraph reports that Hales claims the gear jumped out, leading to engine failure.
According to AOL's report of the case, 82-year-old Piper told the High Court: “If you bend it, you mend it.” He claimed he had to ship his Porsche 917 to Germany in order for the engine repairs to take place.
According to reports Hales has been ordered to pay nearly £50,000 for the repair and is also facing £63,000 in legal fees after a High Court judge ruled that the incident was a result of “driver error”.
Hales told the Grimsby Telegraph: “It looks like bankruptcy for me.”
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