Bob Barnard Track Engineering

So the first F1 race of 2015 has been run and won. Lots of complaints about how few cars actually started, and it was a bit strange being the second year of this formula. No surprise Manor did not make it, that is all very strange. Basically running last years car with a 2015 nose and you could not get the software to work? Did they forget the password? Running last year's Ferrari engine so why would you not run last year's software?

I must confess to be surprised by the struggles of Honda. They sat out last year to develop the engine, so had the same lead time as the Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari. Last year we saw some problems in testing, especially Renault, but even they had a competitive car in the first race. Given Honda is probably the best engine company out there being the new guys does not seem much of an excuse.

Personally I enjoyed the race. I will confess to being a Hamilton fan and a purist who has followed F1 for the best part of 60 years and lover of the technology. So seeing Mercedes enjoy the fruits of their great engineering is how it should be. Are we surprised? Every time Mercedes has been in F1 it has dominated. So now Red Bull once more wants to take their bat and ball home because they can't win. Domination is bad for the sport. It wasn't when Vettel was winning 11 straight, or the team dominated for four years? Only Montezemolo threatened to leave and who took him seriously. Red Bull was always going to go away sooner or later to sponsor some other form of X Games for their audience of gullible kids. I have to admire their marketing prowess, as that is what drives all this. They want a "show" to sell more drinks. Ask Frank Williams why he has run a team, even after he is confined to a wheelchair. It is because he loves the sport. He has never threatened to quit even with all their lean years.

So we need to rein in Mercedes, equalize the engines. We just had that with the last years of the V8s and what happened? Red Bull dominated. They demonstrated that good engineering and preparation will always produce someone who dominates. Have we forgotten the Schumacher years?

Audi dominated Le Mans for years. What happened? Toyota, Peugeot and now Porsche took them on and are using technology that still makes F1 look a bit old hat. F1 had to change or lose its place as the top race series.

Loeb won how many WRC titles? It is in the nature of racing that a team and driver hits on a winning combination and it takes time for others to catch up. So be it, that's racing as they say.

So let's look across the pond to NASCAR, basically a spec series these days. Control ECU from McLaren, control tires from Goodyear, templates equalized in wind tunnel body testing, and close limits on just about everything else. Makes for close racing, but we still see domination by one driver/crew chief. Harvick is on a roll from the end of last season, winning the title, and winning two of the four races this year and second in the others. We saw Jimmy Johnson with six Titles, Earnhardt Sr, Jeff Gordon in his younger days winning so often we all hated him, and let's remember The King, Richard Petty won twice as many races as even Schumacher could manage. I don't recall any team owner threatening to quit.

Talking of NASCAR, does anyone else cringe when commentators tell us "these are the best drivers in the world." They are certainly great at what they do, there is no denying that, as we have seen drivers like Montoya and Ambrose struggle to compete. Now Ambrose has decided to vacate his V8Supercar seat after a couple of races where he has not been on the pace. Very odd, or is the standard of today's drivers in that series better than their NASCAR counterparts? Ambrose you will recall was clearly the best road course driver and did not disgrace himself on the ovals either, so what does that tell us? This is another of those stories that make you go, Hmm? Just like Alonso and Manor.