PRIME FOCUS

THERE’S NO POINT trying any harder than this. The four fat rings of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S underneath the Focus ST are keyed into the road so tightly, the commitment needed to push them into screeching understeer would, surely, put us into the scrub.

But the ST’s steadfast composure taunts you. Stop yourself from braking into blind hairpins and it barrels through, prodding your chest, asking if that’s really all you’ve got.

Pin the nicely sprung throttle pedal into the firewall and there’s no wheelspin or frantic brake intervention. The driven tyres hold purchase as you shoot from the corner, ready to size up the next bend.

Right here it hits us that the third-generation ST has arrived at a critical time for the Focus. That Ford has cut the RS from the range in a bow to incoming emission rules has stunned even those with only a passing interest in the hot-hatch game.

So while the Focus ST has long played sidekick to the RS, the newcomer must step