Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Are Russian Virgins faster than British ones? I guess we will find out as Russian car maker Marussia Motors has bought a "major shareholding" in Sir Richard's toy. The Virgin name remains, probably for continuity of entry and the Concorde Agreement. So Sir Richard keeps the exposure, perhaps with a better car, and makes some money, something he is good at. So watch for a Russian driver coming soon to Virgin.

On a somewhat similar note Lotus, the Tony Fernandes one, has announced that next year it will switch to the JPS Black and Gold livery for their cars. In anticipation of losing the court case? Those cars were striking so I personally do not mind.

The "will he, won't he" goes on about Vettel helping Mark Webber, and he is not saying that he won't, but also is not saying he will. I guess if he decides on his own it is not team orders. Bernie continues his love affair with Abu Dhabi, and if someone paid me $40m a year and did everything I asked I'd be pretty happy too.

IRL seems set to at last have another manufacturer involved and the rumor is Chevy. That can only be good news for the League as I am sure the good ol' boys would rather watch a Chevy win than a Honda.

So, F1 practice Friday and perhaps our first indications of how this race is going to go. All the contenders believe their engines are good to go, so let's see a straight fight.

How do you measure success? McLaren are saying that this season has not been a "failure" just because they have failed to win a championship, and they are correct. They won races, something only two other teams did, so what does that say about the rest of the teams? Some drivers, in fact most in F1, never win a race, does that mean they were "failures?" No, they joined a very elite group who made it there. I remember vividly a conversation with a school friend who had just been signed by Leyton Orient Soccer team, at that time a third division team. I made some disparaging remarks about "only signing for them," and he said "oh yes, and who do you play for?" Touche!

NASCAR's secret is to somehow make everyone a winner, the 43rd car still gets prize money and will get on TV. Fans follow drivers forever who never win, second place is not first loser in NASCAR. It is a lesson society could well learn, there are points for just being there and have the skills to compete, and yes just trying. And before anyone tells me that I have been guilty of picking on Checa and some others for being there, they had their shot, it is time to give someone else that chance. And it should not be about who has the fattest wallet either.

I find it interesting that the day after the last MotoGP most of the top riders have swapped teams, and they all like their new machines. How can that be? Didn't the other guy leave because he thought someone else's bike was better? I guess no one is going to come out and say, "well that was a mistake, this thing is a dog." Or are they all so evenly matched that it does not really make a difference? And how come the teams have new bits for the bikes to test the day after the last race, why didn't they put them on the bike for the last race if they were better? Just a question.

Just a few days to go until the Abu Dhabi finale. It is a sell out they say, 50,000 tickets. Well, if we guess $300 a ticket plus some corporate and the track has an income of $20m? Bernie's fee is $40m by reports, and then you have to stage the race, so you are paying somewhere north of $20m for the privilege. Hamilton is relaxed and can afford to just go for it, but that presumes he has the car to "go for it." I'm sure Varsha and the boys will be there with all their permutations and combinations of who can win. As a fan let us hope it is an exciting race and not a procession.

So Red Bull let their drivers race, as they should, but I cannot help wondering if they are happy with the Constructors Championship, and congratulations for that, and do not mind if Alonso is the driver's Champion. They probably figure if Mark wins he will leave or retire anyway, so who cares, we've got Vettel who will definitely win it one day and that is who we really want. Helmut Marko looked very happy with the way it finished. It was actually a pretty predictable race, let's hope Abu Dhabi is a bit more exciting, although from last year's example do not hold your breath.

The biggest news out of Brazil is the attempted hold up of Button and the robbery of the Sauber mechanics, which should not be a shock to anyone who has been there. Bernie seemed very concerned, he laughed it off as "someone trying to sell him a hat." I think Bernie was talking out of his. Nice that he cares so much about his stars who have to drive around in bullet proof cars and police escorts. What is it going to take for him to wake up, someone getting shot or kidnapped? And the 2016 Olympics is in Rio!

Peugeot won in Zuhai with some squawking from Audi about the second Peugeot holding them up, but personally I do not see the problem. If Audi could not pass it how were they holding them up, and isn't that allowed, it is hardly a "team orders" issue. The big news is the hybrid Porsche was sixth, ahead of all the GT cars. I checked on the Petit situation for 2011 and my information is that it is not a part of the Intercontinental Cup, wither Petit now?

Lorenzo mad a miracle save and went on to win the race in Valencia, a worthy Champion. Roll on next season when the music stops on the changes in the seats. Ben Spies did well to finish fourth, so watch out for Ben on the works Yamaha next season. Checa finished last and you know my thought about where he should be riding, or not riding, next year.

Just as a reminder I will be in Cologne, Germany, all the week of the 15th speaking at an International Forum on circuit design, construction and operation. It is a very busy week with sessions for me on two of the three days and I am not taking my computer, so you are going to have to find your daily fix elsewhere. If you want to check it out go to http://www.professionalmotorsportcircuit-forum.com.

There is action across the globe this weekend with F1 in Brazil and the first practice saw the usual suspects at the top of the time sheet, except for Ferrari. Is this just the normal Friday laid back approach? Massa apparently fought his set up all morning, when you would think he would be on top of this place from the get go, and Alonso stopped at the end of the session with engine problems. Ferrari said they were going to change it anyway before the second session. Really, that's a lot of work between practice sessions. Are they so short on miles they could not run one session on that next engine? Both cars are way off the pace, but we have seen this before.

Mark Webber used some choice Aussie language when asked about the team and Vettel. He said it was ******** obvious that the team emotionally supported Vettel, and Horner immediately emotionally hit back that both drivers had had equal treatment, not quite what Mark said. Can Mark really stay at Red Bull next season?

Responding to Bernie's "cripples" quote, Virgin Team Principle John Booth asked if Bernie said it " to embarrass Sir Richard Branson, one of the country's leading entrepreneurs?" I would have thought Sir Richard had embarrassed himself.

In Zuhai for the final round of the Intercontinental Cup the weather is bad, rain and fog, or is it smog? Oddly the second Peugeot is three seconds slower than its pace setting sister car, that's a lot on a short circuit like this. The two Audis split them, so we could be in for an interesting race, particularly as the weather is not supposed to get any better. It is the monsoon season, nice scheduling.

In sunny Spain Lorenzo leads the way after second practice just ahead of Casey Stoner. Colin Edwards is doing well so far, and Ben Spies is sixth despite his ankle problem. Rossi is not doing so well, sandbagging or just cruising to finish his time with Yamaha? Just perhaps Yamaha would rather the guy wins who is staying next year?

In Korea, for those of you that did not follow up that story, it seems $50m is unaccounted for during the development, and the Government would like KAVO to tell them where it went. It also seems that the "mobile" stands, I presume the temporary seats, do not meet code for the F3 race. Funny code that. The seats were OK for an F1 race, but not for an F3 race?

To all my English fans "Happy Guy Fawkes Day." Where is he when you need him?

Robert Kubica refuses to predict on how he will go in Brazil this weekend as he predicts it will be unpredictable. Aren't there a few too many "predictable" comments? Sounds as if rain is predicted, which is predictable in Brazil this time of year. I predict it will be interesting whatever the weather, it usually is. They have made the last turn safer by putting in a "soft" wall after a driver was killed there. That last turn and pit entry have always scared me, they need to change the track, not mess about with "soft" walls.

Bernie says that the three new teams have been an embarrassment this year, and should go away, except Lotus, and, as I have been saying, Bernie thinks maybe Sir Richard needs to tip bundle of money into Virgin, like Red Bull, or go away.

It looks like Chevrolet is going to win the World Touring Car Championship against the likes of BMW and SEAT (VW), and no, not with a Corvette or Camaro, with a sedan, the Cruze, that I do not see much here in the US, and I doubt most people here have ever heard of the WTCC. Well done GM, now tell the US about it.

Decent weekend of racing coming up with the Brazilian F1 GP, Intercontinental Cup from Zuhai, and Valencia for the MotoGP final round.

Getting sorted to go to the Professional Circuit Owners and Investors Forum in Cologne in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to meeting up with Dick Hahne, ex Daytona VP Operations, and now with Musco lighting, and some guys from England with a potential new series. Should be a great week.