TBK-Light.com

This race will need some serious airbornez

it's a permanent circuit with close walls.

look at the google earth pictures of it...they completely disregarded any roads in the area and just laid the track out as they wished.

Let Massa win this please!

Seems that 22,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

worse than Spa

and it's still not going to rain

The thing is, if you're an F1 fan in Europe, you'll place pretty much every other race above Valencia.

Therefore most people going will be Spanish. Sadly every Spaniard is currently left with about £1.50 after the financial crisis. I don't think having the races so close in proximity (about 300 kilometres IIRC) and 6 weeks apart is particularly useful either.

Two F1 races in one country will rarely work; part of the reason why Hockenheim & Nurburgring are now verging on bankruptcy.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Doesn't bode well for Austin and New Jersey

I'd like to think it'll be different because they're so far apart. One's in Texas, the other New Jersey.

However, the amount of fuck-ups in Austin has just been countless; the ticketing scheme is apparently a joke to the point where a lot of fans went to Montreal instead.

The interesting aspect of F1's finances will come when it's revealed how much the 2014 engines will cost and whether the Euro collapses. If, as planned, Year One of the new engine scheme will cost 20 Million Euros - or whatever currency is being used in two years time - then Marussia & HRT are going to need some serious investment.

Going to get very messy in the next season and a half. I've already read articles, and not trashy articles, that say if the rules are delayed until 2015, Renault will walk away, which leaves four teams in need of an engine; Mercedes is also none too keen on a delay to the rules.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Speaking of Austin the latest aerial pic is out

that shouldn't be a problem come November.

The problem with these modern day tracks is that they are too long. So you could well have an awesome section, but because of the length of the track it will only be lapped around 45-55 times. Spa having only 44 laps is a pity.

Also, I thought in Taxes they only have desert

It's all part of the way F1 is going. Bernie wanted Hockenheim hacked so that it was more pleasing to sponsors & fans to see the cars more.

I swear most of the tracks on the calendar have between 55 and 60 laps per race. I know it should be irrelevant as every race, bar Monaco, is the same distance, but more variety in lappage would be nice

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Yeaa, Bernie is at fault for Hockenheim's current money issues. I suppose they could have said no but then they'd have lost the GP.

Joe Saward has just tweeted that there is the option for 23 races under the new Concorde Agreement.

Currently there's 17 contracted for next year. Out of those, Singapore & Japan renewing should be a formality so that makes 19. Spa is the major doubt.

But out of a planned twenty (that's including Spa), several have financial problems. Barcelona/Valencia sharing, Korea might not even make next year, Hockenheim/Nurburgring.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

I enjoy watching the drivers press conference on Sky now, especially when they try not to laugh at some of the questions they get asked.

Worst part of 2007?

Fernando: 'Losing the championship'

We all know Fernando would rather see the title go to Kimi & Ferrari than Lewis & McLaren

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

I think that his option A was to win it by dominance, option B was to win it before the last three races, option C was to win it before the last race, option D was to win it in the last race, option E to win it on the last lap and maybe option F to see Kimi win it instead of his rookie team mate. Had Hamilton won it, it would have been a catastrophy for Fernando's career without a doubt.

His reputation took a quite big hit from that season and his careeer was only revived by few good results with Renault in 2008 (one being the Singapore) and good financial backing from Santander. It's quite obvious that he's fast, but the 2008 was really a turning point for him and it came out to be a good one for him. Had the 2008 also been a disaster, he probably would be racing in somewhere else than at Ferrari.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Fernando was always going to end up at Ferrari. My understanding is that Fernando signed the Ferrari deal in July 2008. I might be wrong but I thought that was when it was done.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

OMG

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100538

What's so funny about that?

He was clearly with it at Monaco and Canada; had he not made the mistake at Canada he would've ended up beating Alonso with his tyres the way they were at the end.

The Ferrari is now a better car and Felipe is much more confident now he knows how to set it up. He certainly can be the 8th winner if the car is competitive enough.

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

at least he's confident in himself