Bob Barnard Track Engineering

So Lewis is off to Mercedes. The rumors were true, and as predicted as soon as Mercedes signed the Concorde Agreement Lewis signed for Mercedes. Interesting that McLaren announced Perez before Mercedes announced Lewis, so they were obviously not confident to keep him. Hopefully Michael Schumacher will hang the helmet up for good. Ross Brawn is putting a good team together at Mercedes after he had to gut the place when Honda left. I for one look forward to what Lewis will do with that car. Not knocking Rosberg, but he is not in the same league as Lewis. Everyone thinks that Lewis had his eye on the 2014 car with the new engine, but not sure that was a factor, Bernie is still trying to can that with the help of Ferrari.

So the silly season can now start in ernest. McLaren have an interesting pair with Button presumably the number one now, and as good as he is he is also not Lewis. Perez has shown us something at times this year and now has the chance to prove he is the goods. Interesting to see what happens with the Telmex money. Sauber will have two new drivers next year, so another young guy with a bag of money and someone like Kovalainen? Ferrari are running out of options to replace Massa, and again Kovalainen could be a good number two for points in the constructors championship. Red Bull are set, and Force India will probably keep their pair, nowhere else to go now. Toro Rosso should keep Ricciardo, but not sure about Vergne. Lotus should keep their guys, even with Grosjean's problems. Who knows what Williams will do. Maldanado is like the Curates egg, "good in parts," while Senna isn't going to make it. Let's not even talk about HRT, Marussia and Caterham, who cares.

A sad indicment of F1 these days is an item in Autosport about the possibility of the French GP going back to Magny-Cours. They are upgrading the circuit. Making more overtaking chances? Widening, repaving? Improving run off? No, they are of course building a new pit building. Let's understand what's important here.

It may just be me, but are politicians clueless? The Governer of Texas is interviewed on the grid at Monza, the oldest, best and most famous GP track, and tells us how much better Austin will be! Wait till you have had a race and let others say how good it is.