Bob Barnard Track Engineering

It is interesting, and annoying, to compare the different views the media and those involve have of the same event. A good friend, Allen Petrich, who watched only snippets of the Indian GP, commented how at odds were the comments of ESPNF1 compared to my blog.

I see this all the time, and it has an element of "The Emperor's new clothes" about it. I heard the SPEED pit reporter say what a "fabulous circuit" India was. What basis has he for saying this, is he just mouthing the press release from Bernie? Too many journalists do not know anything about what they are seeing and reporting on, so just repeat what someone with a vested interest has told them. Drivers say they love the track. Do they really are are they just part of the business. I admit India may be a fun track to drive around. There are many like that, Barber here in the US is I'm sure a fun track to drive on your own, but race? That is a different matter, and that is what we are here to do. Tracks need to produce good racing, overtaking opportunities and not just corners thrown in just to have one. There were a few of those in India. The "parabollica" was great, and if you did not have the next two slow corners we could probably have seen overtaking into that nice downhill right, but as it was there was no way to get close enough. 

Of course Bernie says it was all wonderful, he had his check a long time ago, and as an event it went OK, as a race it was awful, but that is my opinion, and a few others. Bob Constanduros has been writing a "postcard" from India on Pit Pass. Bob is a long time F1 track commentator and thought the race was interesting, good battles going on for 14th! Now I am not saying Bob has a vested interest, but who do we think suggests tracks use him? Bob comments in his Sunday piece that he had lots of tweets about the boring race, so there are some more of us out there.

Have a look at the ESPNF1 piece on media reaction. "Great weekend, forgettable race," and see what I mean,

http://en.espnf1.com/india/motorsport/story/63151.html

I understand that people like Martin Whitmarsh are going to say it is all great, they can see dollar signs from Indian sponsors, but the media have a responsibility to tell it like it is. Unfortunately the motor sports media seem to think it is in their interest and their employers to beat up how good everything is. Most of us true fans can tell for ourselves thank you.

The "lease" of Silverstone by a Qatar based group that was denied so strongly now seems to be happening, and a good job too says Bernie. 

"It's what Silverstone needs," he said. "They need to let the professionals run it."

"The new owners will put proper people in, commercialise it and run it properly. They will get the job done. They won't muck around. Europe has got to understand that Europe will be sold to the Chinese or India or these people in the Middle East." Ouch! I'm sure the BRDC who have run Silverstone for 60 years are glad that a bunch of Arabs with no motor racing history can come in and show them how to run it "professionally." Yas Marina is such a success the developer has had to have the Government take over.

Where does Bernie think all the knowledge and development has come from to build the sport to where it is, Korea? As far as I know all the tracks are designed and built by Europeans, and you will usually find a European running the place.

Oh sorry, I guess Bernie is talking about all the essential hotels and BS that he loves to see.

Had an interesting e-mail conversation with Sam Michael of Williams F1. I used a quote from Sam in my presentation on track design to the effect that Sam believes that the design of the track has more impact on the ability to overtake than messing around with the cars. That has always been obvious to me and something I am acutely aware of when laying out a track. The most interesting thing he said was that they, meaning the teams and the Overtaking Working Group, have little or no contact with the F1 designers. Now, seeing as there is only one designer in F1 and it has been that way for a decade then that is pretty amazing. I know I say I do not consult drivers and that the cars should be set up for the tracks and not the other way around, but no contact seems really strange. The track layout and construction has to be one of the major components along with the car design and driver, and for there not to be at least a conversation sounds like a two legged stool, bound to fail.

Been having some other interesting exchanges about the suitability of certain tracks to stage races. You know my opinion, if it does not produce good racing why go there and make your product look bad? It is obvious that tracks are being selected on purely commercial grounds. Either the promoter is paying a large fee to stage the event, or the sponsors want to be there whether we want to watch or not. Of course commercial considerations have to come in to the equation, but it cannot be the only piece.

Had another overseas approach yesterday, this time Vietnam, so racing is spreading. It is putting pressure on the traditional homes of racing in Europe, but I have always said that we should work to make the pie bigger rather than fight over the last slice.  There are really too many series now, particularly for open wheel racing, but maybe if we spread it around to new parts of the world we can continue to grow the opportunities for drivers and teams.

Hungary F1 starts tomorrow. I must confess this is a race I never thought would survive. Small country and a track no one really likes, virtually impossible to overtake. I had the good fortune to go there a couple of times and I do love the country and the people, but for it to survive when France does not have a race? It tells you that something is different in the arrangements, and I believe our friend Bernie actually puts it on.