Earlier today, the motoring journalist Mark Hales was found by a court to be liable for the damage done to the engine of a Porsche 917 he was driving for a magazine feature.

I know not enough of the case to enter the specifics, but the key question was this: Did the engine blow because the experienced Hales was driving (i.e. he missed a gear), or did it blow simply while he was behind the wheel (i.e. an unavoidable mechanical failure)? The court held it was the former, and he is now facing a six-figure bill for repairs.