Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Whatever they are. The F1 Commission met earlier today and voted to delay the new engine formula for F1 until 2014, and then go to a V6 1.6 liter turbo. Makes sense to go to V6, but not sure how this helps Bernie's problem with the noise, if there ever was a problem. This does not change the fact that manufacturers are going to have to spend a bunch of money developing a new engine, I can't see they can just lop off the end two cylinders of the existing. Still, it keeps Ferrari happy, and as I said, even Nissan makes a bunch of V6's, as does Honda, Toyota etc. These are now going to a fax vote of the WMC. Another win for Bernie?

I'm glad things had settled down in Bahrain. They just sentenced a bunch of Shiite dissidents to long prison terms, which is sure to make the 70% of the population that are Shiites happy. Next comes the trials of the medical staff, which should quieten things down even more, not.

Joe Saward has his usual informative blog today with the news that the next stop on the GP trail, Valencia, is in a State that has debts of $25 billion, and the race costs then $40m. Do we think this race has a future?

France in the shape of its Prime Minister has woken up and decided it must have an F1 GP back, as soon as 2013. Paul Ricard is the track being suggested and the track Director is saying that it will only happen if they can find a promoter. Look closer to home, who owns Paul Ricard in whatever corporate guise you want? Bernie. So like the BBC, if he really wanted a French GP it would be easy, except then he would be playing with his own money, and he knows what he will lose on that bet.

On a different note, Trulli is frustrated by the ongoing problems with the Lotus power steering. I'm not surprised, I'd be frustrated too, and worried, steering the car seems a pretty basic requirement, and one I cannot fathom that Lotus out of all the teams cannot resolve. Wouldn't you go and find the best person in the world in power steering and pay them whatever to fix this? Better yet, steal the best person in the paddock. I can imagine this is not your average power steering set up, so can anyone reading this tell us what the issue is?