Bob Barnard Track Engineering

After another week of traveling I am finally home for a while, I hope. Or maybe I don't, as that will mean one of the potential projects is firming up. be careful what you wish for.

2012 looks like being a better year than this one, with another expert witness case and four potential tracks to work on, and Race Resorts getting set to take off after a year or more of hard work. We have changed the name to Race Resorts International as that is where our focus will be, on the best resorts here and overseas.

With Christmas nearly here the sport is fairly quiet, but that will change soon with the testing season starting up in February. Audi are already testing next years Le Mans/WEC car at Sebring, the car as yet un-named. Sahara Force India have dropped Sutil in favor of Hulkenburg, a little surprising as Adrian had a pretty good year, but does not bring much sponsorship, and the way Mallya's airline is going he needs the cash. So where will Sutil go? Williams could use him, but again need the cash. Story today that Ferrrari could be interested to have him in 2013, so Massa is on the way out. Toro Rosso cleaned house with both drivers going and Ricciardo and Vergne getting the nod. The quick and the dead at Toro Rosso as the stepping stone to the Red Bull Team. Both the new guys will be fun to watch.

Not many seats left now, HRT are not announcing the second driver yet, and Williams are still to decide whether to keep Rubens or not.

Bernie has come out and said that he "doubts if the US will embrace F1." Well he has been trying for fifty years since Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Dallas, Phoenix, and Indy, did I miss any? So he has reason to doubt. F1 has a following, it is just not that big in terms of the population, and they have to do a lot more to grow it. Buy prime time air time for a start, and get some decent commentators, and oh yes, a successful American driver.   Having said that Bernie is saying that the size of the US and its economy could support the same number of races as Europe. He is also touting South Africa to be back in 2013, and Argentina wants a race, so maybe we will have as many races as Europe, two.