Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Just when I was saying that Austin did not have access problems up pops Sir Jackie Stewart telling everyone that they need to fix the road! The Texas DOT does not agree it seems as it has decided not to spend the money due to the lack of issues. The Texas State Comptroller is happy with it all though and has released the $25m, now only $10m more from the track to Bernie and they are paid for this year and about time to pay for 2013. Bernie always likes his money up front. And of course we still have the date conflict with the NASCAR finale, who scheduled this? And next year the inevitable Texas College football match, that is going to be fun. I doubt that the college fans will be happy with the $600 a night hotel rooms that the F1 race prompted. How to drive fans away and kill the golden goose. 

It seems the Team Bosses agree with me that Alonso was the driver of 2012, and Sir Jackie says Vettel has a long way to go to be great. Nice to know someone agrees with me.

Norbert Haug has got the chop at Mercedes after 22 years in charge of motorsport, 22 successful years at that. I can't believe he left "amicably," Mercedes cleaning house to try and get their F1 team to perform? Button warns Rosberg that he will be amazed at the speed Lewis can get out of a bad car, so as I said, something to look forward to. With the team Ross Brawn has assembled it is hard to see that they can continue to build bad cars, but that is all relative to the big three of course. Bernie has come out and told us he is happy to see another of the "new" teams disappear, ten is enough, and no, he does want anyone to buy HRT.