Renault has great news for vegans, and cows!
In a statement, PETA said that 'Renault['s] decision to go leather-free proves that compassion and innovation can go hand in hand… By choosing cruelty-free materials, the Renault brand is helping to build a future where animals are not harmed for luxury, and the planet is protected for generations.' Advertisement - Article continues below
To be clear, Renault doesn't actually offer leather in the UK anymore, anyway; it's only an option in foreign markets. Over the last few years, the French maker has been pioneering the use of organic and recyclable materials as a more sustainable alternative to traditional upholstery choices.
For example, through Auto Express' Find a Car service, you can specify the Renault 5 with recycled denim upholstery – a throwback to the Renault 5 Blue Jeans special edition of the 1980s – while other models in the line-up, such as the Nissan Qashqai-rivalling Renault Symbioz come with bio-sourced fabrics as an option.
Renault isn't the only brand that offers vegan-friendly interiors. MINI, for example, offers its animal-free Vescin leather alternative, while the likes of Vauxhall, Tesla and Kia now all use synthetic alternatives to cowhide. Polestar, on the other hand, offers faux-leather as standard, but also sustainable Bridge of Weir Nappa leather as an option.
It's also important to point out that no car is completely devoid of animal products altogether; going back to MINI, the British firm uses ostrich feathers, of all things, to help provide the correct finish for each car's paintwork.
The rubber used in tyres and interior materials in all cars often contains tallow, while some lubricants include animal fat as an ingredient. Many brands, such as Rolls-Royce and Skoda don't offer vegan interiors at all – the latter does provide cloth upholstery, but its steering wheels are typically trimmed in leather.
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Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hamilton and Verstappen question race delay as others back FIA
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 27 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen questioned race control's handling of the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday as rival drivers commended Formula One's governing body for putting safety first. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed for an hour and 20 minutes as officials waited for rain to stop and conditions to dry out. The safety car then led the field for four laps before a rolling start. "I think we could have started way sooner, that's not ideal," Red Bull's four times world champion Verstappen told reporters, adding that in the end there had been very little racing in the wet. Hamilton, who went from the pit lane to seventh, said he did not think the rolling start was necessary. "I don't really know why they did that one, because it had dried up quite a lot and the spray wasn't that bad," added the Briton. The high-speed Spa circuit is the longest lap on the calendar and weather conditions can be treacherous. It also has a tragic past. French Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert died in a crash at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix at the exit of Raidillon, at the top of the famed Eau Rouge, while Dutch teenager Dilano van't Hoff died in a junior series crash in 2023. The list is much longer when the sport's distant past is considered. "I think the past few years, particularly here, we've given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything," said McLaren's race winner and championship leader Oscar Piastri. "I think that's what we did today. If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap. But in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No." Ferrari's third-placed finisher Charles Leclerc, whose family friend Jules Bianchi suffered fatal injuries in a crash at the rain-hit 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, agreed. "On a track like this with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it. For that reason, I'd rather be safe than too early," he said. "Maybe it was a little bit on the late side, but I wouldn't have changed anything." Williams' Carlos Sainz, who started near the back and would have suffered in the spray, supported race control. "In a normal track, yes, I think we could have started maybe 5-10 minutes earlier. In Spa-Francorchamps and the history of this track, it's better safe than sorry," said the Spaniard.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton criticises delayed start to Belgian GP – but team bosses side with FIA
Lewis Hamilton believes the Belgian Grand Prix should have resumed earlier after a cautious approach from the FIA amid wet conditions at Spa-Francorchamps. After an 80-minute delay due to a heavy downpour, the race restarted with four laps behind the safety car, despite the track drying rapidly in most areas. The 44-lap grand prix begun with a rolling start, rather than the usual standing start and seven-time world champion Hamilton believed race control compensated for the last race at Silverstone, where a crash occurred due to lack of visibility in the rain. 'We started the race a little bit too late, I would say,' said Hamilton, who started in the pit-lane and finished seventh to conclude a wretched weekend. 'I kept shouting 'it's ready to go, it's ready to go'. They kept going round and round. So, I think they're probably overreacting from the last race, where we asked them not to restart the race too early, because the visibility was bad. 'I think this weekend they just went a bit too much the other way, because we didn't need a rolling start.' 'My car was set up for that [rain], they waited for it to dry pretty much. They definitely could have done a standing start, especially at the end there, because it was almost a dry line. There was hardly any spray.' Max Verstappen agreed with Hamilton, calling the delay 'silly' over team radio. However, Hamilton's boss at Ferrari, team principal Fred Vasseur, thought race director Rui Marques was correct to err on the side of caution, particularly given past crashes in the rain at Spa. 'The spray is coming from the floor, there is nothing we can do,' he said. 'The limitation is not the grip, the limitation is visibility. The helmet camera shows it, you can understand in this situation that they see absolutely nothing. 'Remember what happened in Silverstone with the crash, this is the most dangerous. We can't blame them, we would be the first one to give them s*** if something happened. 'I was comfortable in respecting their decision because they have a huge responsibility.' McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, whose drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris led home another one-two finish for the runaway leaders, also concurred with the FIA's decision-making. 'I think today the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said. 'We knew there was a lot of rain coming. Delaying the race allowed us to race in wet conditions and we went into dry. We didn't even know how long the dry race would've been. 'I think from our position we always praise the work of the FIA when this is deserved and this is one of the cases.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Hamilton agrees with Verstappen that Belgian GP should not have been delayed
Lewis Hamilton said he agreed with Max Verstappen that the start of the Belgian Grand Prix should not have been suspended. Verstappen branded race director Rui Marques' move to bring out the red flag after a single formation lap in the rain at Spa-Francorchamps as 'silly' and 'way too cautious'. Following a delay of one hour and 20 minutes – which the FIA said was due to 'poor visibility' – the race eventually got under way, albeit in a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car. Hamilton was able to switch from intermediates to dry tyres after just seven racing laps. And when it was put to Hamilton, who made up 11 places to finish seventh, that Verstappen claimed the race should have started immediately, he replied: 'I would agree. My car was set up for that, and they waited for it to dry. Especially at the end. It was a dry line with hardly any spray.' There have been 49 driver/rider fatalities at Spa-Francorchamps in the last 100 years – most recently Dutch 18-year-old Dilano Van 't Hoff in 2023, and Frenchman Anthonie Hubert in a Formula Two race four years previously. The last Formula One race at Silverstone also took place in wet conditions, and Hamilton, 40, continued: 'It was just a reaction to Silverstone. 'We sat down and spoke about it after Silverstone. Lots of drivers in the last race said we shouldn't have restarted, because of a lack of visibility. And as soon as someone up ahead said, 'visibility is pretty bad' which, it wasn't great but it wasn't as bad as the last race, they just decided to wait. 'They still did a good job. Of course we did miss some of the extreme wet weather racing, which would have been nice. But for some reason the spray here is like a fog.' In 2021, the rain-hit race was abandoned after just two laps behind the safety car. Defending the decision to delay the start of Sunday's event, Hamilton's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc said: 'On a track like this you cannot forget about the history and what has happened in the past so I would rather be safe than go early.' Oscar Piastri, who won in Belgium to extend his championship lead over Lando Norris to 16 points, continued: 'We have given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side. 'If you were being picky you might say we could have done one fewer lap behind the safety car but is the risk worth it? 'The first time we tried to start the race, with only Lando ahead, I couldn't see a thing, so you can imagine what it is like for the guys at the back.'
