Bob Barnard Track Engineering

For the last few years we have seen the Red Bull/Vettel Dynasty rule F1, and now it appears we are to have a Mercedes period. A few people are probably already saying that this is going to be boring, but I for one welcome the change and applaud the engineering behind the car.

At least it is about the car. No one is suggesting that Lewis is suddenly a superman, above all other drivers like we had with Vettel. When he kept winning a few of us were unkind enough to suggest that put any one of the top drivers in that car and they would dominate. But no we were told, it is Sebastian, he is so much better than the rest. Well this year the Emperor has no clothes.

Despite being told that this complex new formula would suit his intelligent driving what do we see. "Struggling with set up." A four time World Champion struggling with set up while his novice team mate is "faster than you are." We are also told Daniel is faster because he is more used to cars with less downforce than Vettel. Didn't Ricciardo race a F1 car with diffusers for the last couple of years? Hasn't most of the field raced cars with diffusers, including Hamilton, Rosberg and Alonso etc? No, now he no longer has a dominant car we are seeing what we suspected, he is very good but no better than them with a  spoilt brat attitude and he is a sore loser. As Mark Webber used to say, "the toys are coming out of the pram."

In contrast we see other top drivers just getting on with it. Lewis is totally focussed, not god like, and while Nico hates coming second to him there is no whining to be heard. Alonso is arguably doing the best job in a second class car, as he has for some years now. Yes he occasionally has a moan, but who wouldn't driving your guts out with little or no reward.

So another good race in China, not quite Bahrain, but Nico made it interesting with a bad start, and Massa with a too good one. Pretty stout suspension on these cars. What is interesting is how Lewis is using so much less fuel while running away from the pack. We have seen before that getting out in front allows you to run your own race and choose the ideal race lines, part of Vettel's secret.

Interesting WEC race at Silverstone. Pity I did not have access to live streaming and of course a World Championship does not warrant coverage here in the US. Still, with Radio Le Mans who needs pictures. They paint the scene extremely well, and actually provide far more information as to what is happening throughout the field than TV does. Well done Toyota, and Porsche. Audi uncharacteristically had both cars DNF. Crashed out through what appeared to be driver error. We have seen this before at Le Mans a couple of years ago. I am not saying they are not great drivers, but perhaps the pressure put on them by Toyota is part of the story. Of course there could have been something involving the car that led to Treluyer spearing right at Copse and hitting the inside barrier, which in a way is worse if there is an issue with the car. Both tubs damaged and Audi working against the clock to have them ready for Spa. 

Interesting discussion on Radio Le Mans about a WEC round in Oz, and where to stage it. Adelaide and Phillip Island were the two first choices, both a Barnard track, so very chuffed.

We have other dynasties going on with the Brabhams and the Gardners. Grandsons of Sir Jack Brabham and sons of David are both continuing the family tradition. Mathew Brabham is a rookie in Indy Lights here in the US, and doing OK, and Sam is racing in British Formula Ford with some success over the weekend. Watch out for these two.

Then there are Luca and Remy Gardner, both racing in the Spanish National Championship, the CEV, which is the proving ground for young hopefuls making it into MotoGP. Both learning their craft amongst tough opposition and stepping up each year under Dad's guidance. I hope to see something of them in Spain later this year. Pity Australia cannot produce the kind of racing that would develop talent to make the top tier in the world.

It seems Wayne Gardner and I are on the same wavelength with respect to Indy and the MotoGP:

http://www.waynegardnerapproved.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp%3Bview=article&amp%3Bid=228%3Awaynes-weekly-65&amp%3Bcatid=62%3Awaynes-weekly&amp%3BItemid=514#.Tl2P1aTtZEY.facebook

He remarked on the "marbles" as well. Not sure what they did for the resurfacing, but one thing they did do is ignore advice. When we heard they intended to repave part of the track I contacted them to recommend they approach a good friend, Jarno Zaffelli, who had just completed a similar project at the Mugello Circuit in Italy with great results, but of course they ignored us. 

Toby Moody, writing an opinion piece for the Autosport web site suggests it would be a pity to lose the Indy MotoGP because they put on a good supporting show. Well I agree that it needs to be an "event," Adelaide in 1985 probably started that and I continued it with Phillip Island in 1989 and Laguna Seca in 1993, but unless the core of the event is worth watching then all the "show" in the world will not make it successful. It is what goes on on the race track that needs to be right for the rest to succeed, and that seems to be what's missing. People will travel miles and put up with muddy fields and cold weather to watch a race at The Island.

More news this morning about Lotus Renault's money woes, with David Richards of Prodrive reported to be looking at a rescue with a Belgian entrepreneur. 

Despite the summer break being over it is still quiet times, let's look forward to it revving up.

Mercedes should be applauded for helping out a young man who did not have a hand. In a wonderful piece of PC he is described as having "a lower arm deficiency that means his left arm stops at his wrist." You can read the whole story on ESPNF1, and it is certainly one of the best things F1 has done lately. Thanks to Ross Brawn and the team they have arranged for a new bionic hand to be supplied free as part of a deal for technical cooperation with the manufacturers, Touch Electronics. It seems when Ross started making enquiries both parties realised how much technology they had in common. A nice feel warm story, and again displays the incredible technology in an F1 car that most of us do not see.

I watched the Indycar race from New Hampshire yesterday and I hope a few more did than were at the track. I've seen bigger crowds at an SCCA race at Texas Motor Speedway. Of course the track's General Manager said how pleased he was at the attendance, I bet Bruton Smith wasn't. Dario had the race won until he and Sato managed to run into each other on a restart, and it looked to me like Dario moved down on him, but that was not how he saw it. Rain was a factor, bringing the race time forward to try and beat it, but the boys did not need rain to crash, Conway taking out Rahal at the first corner, and the Castroneves losing it there the next lap. Nice tire wall there made of used race tires! Could barely hold themselves up let alone stop a car, and in the wrong place. Will Power got all hot and bothered at the last restart after being taken out when he had a chance of closing the gap on Dario in the Championship. Lots of talk about the track being too damp to restart it, but in reality only one driver spun and caused the rest of the carnage, all the other drivers managed to keep it straight. Now that's not to say they would not have spun later, but in racing someone has to make a decision and live with it, it is not a democracy. Have the ratings really improved so much that ABC will now carry the races and not Versus, or did they work out the ratings would never improve on Versus?  

Missed the MotoGP race but was fortunate to see a great Moto2 race, just like the 250cc days. I like the Brno track and it has aged well. Great use of the topography. A little repetitive in the corners, but produces some good races, and a lot of spectators. Interesting Honda are saying they will limit bikes for next year in MotoGP, but one has Bradl's name on it already. Northern European market must need a boost, but well deserved. Great news that Gardner Senior and Junior, and Mick Doohan are to ride at Phillip Island this year, nice touch, and Remy is to have the Moto3 bike for 2012 to ride.

No blog would be complete without a reference to Bernie. News today that he is going to sell his shares in QPR soccer team to Tony Fernandes. Good time to sell as they have just been promoted to the Premier League, so sell at the top, it probably will not last. Apparently he cannot get on with the other shareholder, Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Now Lakshmi has in the past shown an interest in F1, and it is a shame he does not have a team because then we really could have had a driver "put the pedal to the Mitall."

Although most of my blogs relate to the four wheel brigade my life has in fact been balanced between cars and motorcycles, promoting MotoGPs and working for King Kenny. Not much going on in the racing world except for a couple of items that caught my eye.

Mick Doohan enjoyed himself testing a V8Supercar yesterday, but said he did not see himself racing one. The piece commented on Troy Bayliss flirting with V8s after retiring, but there have been much more serious ex riders than that. Aaron Slight raced in the BTCC without a lot of success but acquitted himself OK, but Wayne Gardner has had a very good four wheel career, both in Australian V8s, Japan, and one appearance at Le Mans. I'm not sure the good ol' boys of the V8s gave Wayne much of a go, probably did not like him turning up with the Coke sponsorship and his own team instead of earning his stripes. But he had already done that on two wheels.

The other story unfolding at the moment is about our US series run by the Daytona Motorsports Group, DMG, and the Virginia International Raceway, VIR, which has staged a very successful round of the championship for ten years. It was announced the other day by DMG that VIR had turned down the contract for this year and cancelled the race which was scheduled for August. Now VIR has come out and said they were only given the contract in June after repeated requests for one since December last year. Obviously they did not like the terms, but as they say, even if they did the time left to organize and properly promote the race was ridiculous. I've been there as a promoter and the value of everything is drastically reduced if you do not have time to properly leverage it. All is not well with this once great series with top riders sitting on the sidelines or going to the British series for lack of money and interest continues to fall. A death spiral. As I said to someone when told of this, bikes no one wants to watch with riders no one knows.

On a final note it is a bit amusing that Team Lotus has bought Red Bull's KERS unit for next year. Do they not watch the race and see the problems RB has had? I know they are using the same drive train but seriously. This is the same team that still cannot get Trulli's power steering to work.