Bob Barnard Track Engineering

Sorry for the lack of blogs lately, been away and busy on new tracks, but during that time the implosion of F1 that I have predicted for a while due to the business plan has finally arrived. And what's the reaction? The sky's falling. We may have to go to three car teams or customer cars. So what? The current format of two car teams and all constructors is fairly recent for most of us old enough to remember where this sport came from.

With today's set up Sir Stirling Moss could not win the Monaco GP in a single car privateer team with a bought Lotus 18, and we would all be the losers. 1,2,3 and yes even 4 car teams were the norm. What is so important about 2 car teams? Does it fulfil Bernie's desire to see neatness and order for those fleeting seconds when the cars are on the grid, or is it that the latest pit buildings can only accommodate 2 car teams?  I for one would prefer to watch a race with three Ferraris or McLarens than a bunch of HRTs running around at the rear.

And why not customer cars? It is not that long ago we had Toro Rosso and Super Aguri running someone else's chassis and engine, and have we forgotten how F1 grew to become what it is today? Where would Sir Jackie and Ken Tyrrell have been without Matra, March and the Cosworth DFV. Buying a cheap competitive engine from Cosworth saw the best period of racing, even if Ferrari called them "garagistes." Good close competition that saw the birth of Williams and made possible James Hunt and Hesketh. Here in the US Champ Car had it's greatest success with teams buying chassis from March and Lola and bolting in an engine purchased from someone else, compare it to today's spec racing. 

I must admit I am surprised that there is not the usual suspects of wealthy businessmen waiting to snap up these teams, all thinking they are smarter than the last lot. Gene Haas thinks he is and has said so. "They all made mistakes." Yes, and you think you know something they did not? How many of these people were smart enough to make a lot of money and they all made mistakes? Look at the list for the last ten years. The mistake they made was not to understand the business and how the money goes around, or doesn't. Until the way the money is distributed changes we will have to be happy with three car teams and/or customer cars, although Horner says he can't afford a third car. Really? How many chassis has Vettel used this year? Perhaps not buying a new "motorhome" next year will cover it?