The Formula 1 2019 season is fast-approaching with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel expected to do battle for the title once again.

Mercedes star Hamilton won his fifth World Championship in 2018 and is closing in on Michael Schumacher’s legendary total of seven.

There have been plenty of intriguing storylines building over the break with Daniel Ricciardo under the microscope following his switch from Red Bull to Renault.

Just before today’s first Grand Prix of a new season – in Australia – defending, and 5-times, champion, Lewis Hamilton said: “We've got this incredible crowd here today. What a beautiful day. Coming from testing, from winter, we had no idea where we would be. We were hoping of course to be where we are, we've been working towards that; the guys back at the factory have been working so hard.”

Closest challenger to Hamilton’s title run, Sebastian Vettel said after qualifying: “I tried, obviously, to find the limits in Q2, and went a little bit over the limit. Fortunately the car was fine. Q3, run one, or generally Q3 was fine. Overall, that fortunately did not impact our qualifying.”

The margin between Mercedes and Ferrari is more or less the same as it was last year, so this, the first of a 21-Grand Prix season is the start of another exciting season on track.

New forecasting research, based on analysis of trends revealed in Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) sales data, predicts that electric car sales will surpass those of diesel in July 2020.

Diesel cars have continuously slumped following the VW emission scandal last year and the government announcement that they will be banned by 2040. With Nissan and Toyota stating that they will begin phasing out diesel cars from 2021 and latest data showing that sales have fallen by 37.2% over the last year, it appears the end could be near for the fuel type. Meanwhile the Government is introducing policies to support the growth of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV’s) market and sales of electric cars increased by 5.7% last year.

The analysis was conducted by car leasing company, Leasing Options, who have seen increasing interest in electric cars. They also surveyed 2,000 drivers to find out more about people’s attitudes to electric and diesel cars.

More than half of those surveyed (56%) stated that they are less likely to buy a diesel car today compared to five years ago, with nearly half (47%) saying they believe diesel cars are a danger to the environment.

One of the top reasons people stated for their interest in electric cars was that they felt it would help the environment to go electric (48%).

Half (50%) stated that if cost and convenience were the same, they would prefer to drive an electric car over a petrol or diesel and 54% would purchase an electric car if it became the norm.

However, the poll revealed that there’s still a lot of hesitancy when it comes buying electric cars as more than half (53%) confess that they don’t know enough about them to buy one. A further 63% admit that they feel that the cars are out of their price bracket and 74% say they are concerned they won’t be able to find charging points.

Yet data shows that electric cars are not as expensive to run as people may think and those purchasing an electric car may be entitled to a grant of £5,000 in the UK.

Josephine Spencer, a Senior project planner from Leeds owns both an electric and a diesel car. When speaking about the pros and cons of owning both types of car, she said: “The electric is quieter and much quicker at slow speeds than diesel and there are some nice little features on the electric such as preheating and cooling so you don’t need to defrost the car or have to get in a baking car in the summer. It’s also cheap to run if you’re charging at home as I spend £10 a month in electric compared to £60 per month commuting in my diesel car.”

When it came to comparing which car was better for long journeys, Josephine said: “In the electric car, long journeys are possible, but do require more planning as you need to think about where to charge up. The best way is to read reviews online as they often state how reliable they are.”

Commenting on the government's initiative to ban diesel cars by 2040, she said:“The government’s trying to reduce environmental impact is definitely a good thing, but investment is needed to go fully electric as the average motorway services only has two charge points and the national grid would need to be able to handle it.”

£500million worth of classic cars, supercars and hypercars are set to feature at the fifth edition of historic British racing weekend experience the Chateau Impney Hill Climb, taking place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July 2019.

The popular event will welcome an audience of up to 20,000 motorsport fanatics, families, VIP guests and international visitors for a programme of classic car racing, rallies, exhibitions, world record attempts, activities and events based around the 885m course.

Held at the iconic Louis XIII-style Grade II* listed venue and across its stunning parkland in the charming English Midlands town of Droitwich Spa, crowds at the 2019 Chateau Impney Hill Climb are set to be wowed by over 200 pre-1967 cars competing to make or break records in various races, classes, awards, and memorable moments like the prestigious Footman James Concourse D’elegance and the second stage of Ralli 22.

Joining 1960s Formula 1 motors, World Rally Championship models and some of the world’s rarest cars at the event - including a Lotus 19, Bugatti Type 35, Leyland-Thomas No.1, and Lola T70 MkII - will be a large number of historic Bentleys and Minis marking the motor brands’ centenary and 60th anniversary celebrations, respectively.

The off-track experience at the Chateau Impney Hill Climb this year will welcome back the Michelin Supercar Expo’s Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bugatti and McLaren static exhibitions, Q&A sessions and ‘In Conversations With’. Highlights for families include thrilling RAF flyovers; a unique opportunity to offroad in tanks on a custom built track, Land Rover driving experiences, the popular free Vintage Fun Fair, a British Army military grade climbing wall, a world record attempt at drifting into a parallel parking space, and remote-control boat racing on the River Salwarpe.

Visitors to the July event, recognised as the Midlands most stylish summer party, can enjoy an exceptional dining, shopping, hospitality and VIP experience with many independent food offers and brands - such as Ferrari, Morgan, Lamborghini  and Aston Martin - across the picturesque site, which also features live race relay at a number of locations.

Speaking ahead of the event, Rod Spollen - managing director of Greyfort Group which owns and operates the event - said, “Chateau Impney Hill Climb - set up to realise the childhood dreams of three generations of motoring enthusiasts - prides itself on being the Midlands’ most stylish and relaxed summer garden party, and this year will be no exception. We’re absolutely delighted to be announcing details of our programme for 2019, including the 100th anniversary of Bentley Motors and the 60th anniversary of the iconic Mini amongst a whole raft of on and off-track events, activities and experiences. We look forward to welcoming friends old and new to this event, which promises to be one of the most memorable yet, raising valuable funds for our chosen charity Cauldwell Children at the same time.”

The Worcestershire-based and family-owned Morgan Motor Company, marking 110 years of their British hand-built car business this year, will also have a presence at the Chateau Impney Hill Climb 2019.

From 1957 to 1967, Chateau Impney played host to a series of speed trials, attracting some of the best-known hill-climb competitors and thousands of thrill-seeking spectators. The Chateau Impney Hill Climb has brought motorsport back to the Midlands as an annual event, celebrating the Chateau’s unique and exciting motoring heritage and transforming the country estate into one of the most picturesque motorsport venues in the country.

Highlights of the 2018 Chateau Impney Hill Climb weekend were seen by an estimated 170,000 viewers via the Escape to the Chateau hour long special broadcast by Channel 4, and repeated on Motors TV.

High-polluting cars will be charged to enter central Birmingham under new plans which mark a major step towards reducing congestion and air pollution in the city.

The Council’s business case to tackle air pollution – which was approved by the Cabinet for consultation on Tuesday – will help lower pollution by discouraging people from driving into the city in private cars, the biggest source of harmful roadside emissions.

The Council’s decision to not charge low-emission Euro VI buses to enter the clean air zone will also help to tackle the growing problem of congestion in Birmingham. The latest Government figures show that the number of miles travelled by cars in the area reached 3 billion in 2016, compared with 2.8 billion in 2010, with a 3.4% increase in the total number of cars on the road.

Greener Journeys, the sustainable transport group, has welcomed Birmingham’s steps to reduce congestion and pollution by introducing measures to encourage people to leave their cars at home and ensuring that clean, modern buses don’t have to pay to enter the zone.

Claire Haigh, the Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, said: “We welcome the decision of Birmingham Council to include charging cars in their Clean Air Zone. Measures such as charging dirty diesel cars are a step in the right direction of reducing congestion and tackling our air quality crisis.

“If Clean Air Zones are to be effective, they must include the biggest polluters and they must tackle congestion. A modern, diesel double-decker bus can take 75 cars off the road, helping to solve both pollution and congestion problems across our cities.

“We urge the Government to do more to support Councils in their efforts to tackle pollution and congestion. It should end the freeze in fuel duty which has led to a 4% growth in traffic since 2011.”

Birmingham Council is among 33 local authorities which have been ordered to investigate and identify measures to tackle illegal levels of air pollution. They have until December to publish their final plans.

Air pollution is a growing public health problem causing up to 50,000 early deaths a year in the UK, and the World Health Organisation has calculated that people in the UK are 64 times more likely to die from air pollution as those in Sweden, and twice as likely as those in the USA.

Diesel cars are the single biggest contributor to NOx emissions on the road, accounting for 41% of all emissions from road transport compared with 6% for buses and coaches. Congestion makes this problem worse, with NOx emissions four times greater in nose-to-tail traffic than they are in free flow traffic.

Real-world testing of modern, diesel Euro VI buses – and those retrofitted to this standard – demonstrates that they are 95% cleaner than previous models and emit fewer emissions overall than the average diesel Euro 6 car despite having 15 to 20 times the capacity.

Congestion in the UK’s largest cities is 14% worse than five years ago and traffic speeds in city centres are forecast to fall by almost 5mph from 17mph to an average of 12mph by 2030, and significantly slower in peak hours, according to a recent report by Greener Journeys.

However, the Government has resisted increasing fuel duty, which could help lower congestion by discouraging motorists from driving. The Treasury’s own figures show that the ongoing fuel duty freeze cost the exchequer an estimated £46 billion between 2011 and 2019 – more than twice the amount spent on NHS doctors and nurses each year.

More than 80% of young drivers feel prepared for real life driving following the introduction of the new test last year, DVSA has announced today (4 December 2018).

Every year 1.9 million people take their driving test and to mark the first anniversary of changes, research published by the DVSA shows that 81% of newly qualified drivers, who have taken the revised test, feel well prepared for driving independently.

Changes to the practical driving test were introduced on 4 December 2017 to help reduce road collisions, which are the biggest killer of young people and account for over a quarter of all deaths amongst 15 to 19 year olds in the UK. One in 5 people killed or seriously injured on the roads is in a collision where the car driver is aged between 17 and 24 years old.*

Other findings from the research include:

• 86% of newly qualified drivers confident they can drive safely while following directions from sat nav
• 44.2% drivers practicing more than 4 hours on country roads a 7.1% increase
• 25.2% learners practicing on dual carriageways a 4.5% increase

Chief Driving Examiner Mark Winn said:

“DVSA’s priority is to help everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.

“The new test is making a real difference in preparing new drivers and giving them the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to drive on all types of roads.

“Most drivers have found the satnav and the extended independent driving training to be invaluable, and are using the skills after passing the test to keep them safe on Britain’s roads.”

Last year 60% of fatal collisions were on rural roads.  The change in manoeuvres and the increase in independent driving time means learners can now be tested on these roads rather than spending time driving in quiet housing estates.

Research also shows more learners are spending 4 or more hours practicing on rural roads, helping better prepare them for real life driving and supporting the government’s commitment to reduce the number of young people killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads.

With 52% of car drivers now using a sat nav DVSA wants new drivers to be trained to use them safely. Research shows that 86% of learners are now using a satnav to practice, with the new test encouraging them to get more practice on roads where they are most at risk, such as country roads.

On 4 December 2017, the practical driving test was changed, to include:

• increasing the independent driving section to 20 minutes
• following directions from a satnav
• changes to reversing manouevres, to include one of 3 possible reversing manouevres
• answering a vehicle safety question whilst driving

Today also marks 6 months since the rules changed to allow learners to practice on motorways with an Approved Driving Instructor, to help more new drivers gain the skills, confidence and experience they need to drive safely on motorways. Findings from the research published today show that those who did not feel prepared for driving on their own said that lessons in motorway driving would have helped them.

DVSA keeps the training and testing of learners under constant review, to keep up to date with new vehicle technology. DVSA has also recently updated the hazard perception test using CGI technology.

From this week, learner drivers can take motorway driving lessons in a law change that will help to improve road safety.

Any motorway lessons learner drivers take will be voluntary, but they must be with an approved driving instructor in a car with dual-controls displaying L plates. However, motorway driving is not being added to the driving test as part of this change.

Driving instructors will only take learner drivers on the motorway when they have the right skills and experience to drive in a high-speed environment.

Road Safety Minister, Jesse Norman, said:

"Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world, but road collisions remain the second biggest killer of young people.

“Allowing learner drivers to have motorway lessons with a qualified road safety expert will help more young drivers to gain the skills and experience they need to drive safely on motorways."

Statistics show that newly-qualified drivers are most vulnerable in the first 6 months after passing their driving test. Some avoid driving on motorways because they lack confidence, which means they spend more time on challenging rural roads with blind bends, dips and distractions. In 2015, 80% of all young driver deaths happened on rural roads.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) emphasises that motorway lessons will give learner drivers the confidence, skills and experience they need to use motorways safely. During lessons, learner drivers will get training on:

• how to join and leave the motorway, overtake and use lanes correctly
• using smart motorways correctly
• driving at high speed in motorway conditions
• motorway-specific traffic signs
• what to do if a vehicle breaks down on a motorway

DVSA Chief Driving Examiner, Mark Winn, said:

"DVSA's priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

"Allowing learner drivers to have motorway lessons was supported by 80% of people who gave their feedback on this change, with the public recognising the importance of developing these skills in a controlled environment.

“I’m delighted that a new generation of drivers can now drive on the motorway to gain valuable experience, including overtaking safely and lane discipline.”

DVSA is also reminding all drivers about the basic rules for motorway driving. As with any vehicle on the motorway, keep a safe distance from a learner driver in front of you.

On the motorway, always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you overtake slower-moving vehicles, return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

When you overtake, make sure the lane is sufficiently clear ahead and behind. Do not cut in on the vehicle you have overtaken when you move back over.

Since 2013, the police have had the power to issue fixed penalty notices for careless motorway driving, such as tailgating and middle-lane hogging. The fixed penalty is £100 with 3 points on the driver’s licence.