Bob Barnard Track Engineering

The most fun so far has been reading of the adventures of journalists and commentators. Apparently Bernie has been not allowing a view of the track from the media center for several of the recent tracks, but here the TV commentary boxes have no windows either. So, you only see what Bernie wants you to see on TV?

The first impression is of the smog, and then the dust. There are acres of asphalt run off except where it is most needed at the first chicane. Just about every driver has short cut the second corner across new dry turf amidst clouds of dust and grass on the track. Well we have dogs on the track and cows in the paddock, so a real paddock eh? I guess we have to ask what if a cow wants to go on the track, can anyone stop it in a country where it is sacred?

Some good elevation changes and several nice corners, but it is like the Curate's egg, "good in parts." The pit-in looks like Valencia, China and several other Tilke tracks, and is marginal, but pit-out is as bad as Korea. We've already seen a near miss as it dumps cars out onto the apex of Turn One. Why pit exit could not have been run around the inside of One and exit onto the outside of Two is hard to understand. And then there is the crooked pit building and pit lane, and the lawn. Go figure.

If ever we needed evidence of flexible front wings we got it with Massa. It was odd as only the Ferrari seemed to find bumps to make the wing bounce up and down and drag on the track. Did not slow Massa down though.

We saw a few incidents, D'Ambrosio the biggest of them in a very strange lose, and that wall is too close anyway. The marshals need some training though, and at one point a photographer casually got over the wall to get a closer shot of a Williams stuck in the gravel. He was one of the guys I referred to yesterday who feel immortal, like the marshal who stood on the side of the car facing the oncoming cars.

I watched on Fromsport on a Spanish Channel as the BBC one would not go full screen for some reason. The surprising thing was the commentators spent most of the practice talking about MotoGP and WSBK! I know it was not scintillating viewing, but is there nothing else to talk about?

They could talk about the Gribkowsky trial which started this week, with Bernie due to testify mid November. Nothing startling yet.

Mercedes were strangely way off the pace, Michael almost last and Rosberg not much quicker. Down among the new boys at 5-6 seconds off the pace. Now it was said they were working on race set up, but I cannot believe they would not do one quick run on low fuel. Working on next year's parts? Which is reported to include a front wing F-Duct. Thought that stuff was banned, and not sure why you would want to stall the front wing anyway. A way to run more air under the car to replace that lost by the exhaust? 

Not sure today told us much other than the usual suspects will dispute qualifying and the race. Not much running on the hard tire today.

Long time Renault Team Manager John Wickham has quit, not even travelling to India. Sinking ship?