Musical Chairs at Hispania

*Listening to INXS – Mystify*

It’s not uncommon to see new Formula One teams struggle to pick up the pace in their first full season. To cut it with the best in the business straight away would be a very tough ask.

Running before you can walk is a mistake many new teams have made in the past, and no doubt Lotus, Virgin and HRT are determined not to make that same mistake and continue with their development strategies to assert themselves as established F1 competitors.

Admittedly they haven’t moved forward as quickly as they might have liked this season, a season in which they have ultimately propped up the back of the field. But the ban on testing hasn’t exactly helped their cause.

Finance is usually the biggest stumbling block for new outfits, and one might think this is why Hispania have swapped their drivers of late as they struggle for sponsorship funds.

On their books they have four drivers with Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna, Sakon Yamamoto and the impressive Christian Klien all on the payroll, and the team say they want to check out all their drivers in race conditions to assess their competitiveness for race seats in 2011.

Employing two more drivers than is necessary in the current climate has without doubt created more problems than is needed, with their wages contributing to what is reported to be a negative balance sheet.

Having said that it isn’t out of the ordinary for new teams to change drivers during the course of a season, and I’ve seen many teams enter with the hopes of F1 glory only to have their dreams dashed.

Overtaking Woz ‘Ere ’00

*Listening To Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear*

“Don’t you know, They’re talkin’ about a revolution, It sounds like whisper, Don’t you know, They’re talkin’ about a revolution, It sounds like whisper.”

Ok they’re not, but I am and we should be. Formula One is rapidly dying, losing credibility by the second. And there are two principle reasons, one big little man and one (two) prancing horse(s).

Just last week, Bernie Ecclestone, the biggest of cheeses in the world of Formula One went on the record saying Monaco doesn’t pay enough and that he would consider dropping it from the calendar.

Enter deafening silence. It’s not like it’s the most iconic, popular GP’s on the calendar and brings in numerous fans every year.

Should it disappear it would leave six races left in Europe, out of 19. And where do the majority of F1 fans live and can attend? Europe. Bernie has, and is, taking out one of the fundamental aspects of F1. The fans. The fans pay the tickets, but you’ll find rows and rows and rows of empty seats at most new venues.

And today he’s come out and said none of the new teams would be missed apart from Lotus and will, ney should, drop out by the end of the season. The only reason he wants Lotus to stay is because they’re called Lotus. Granted HRT are already struggling, but Lotus and Virgin will be on the heels of the back to midfield next season.

This is the equivalent of the F.A. saying Blackpool shouldn’t be in the Prem this season.

Welcome (back) To Europe Part II

*Listening To Death Of Death of Dicotheque – Forcefield*

I feel to describe a race report as the addendum for the weekend seems bizarre, but reminded that it is Barcelona that we are observing- or an extended test session- it’s apt.

And after the first quarter that provided a few thrills in the first lap but little else of note led to the initial round of pit-stops. This resulted in a few jolts of interest – Schumacher overtaking Button, which would shape the rest of his afternoon; and a minor scrap- as in one corner scrap- between Vettel and Hamilton where a Virgin made it’s only meaningful contribution to the season by hampering Hamilton’s exit into turn one, almost allowing Vettel through.

Unfortunately, with the slower teams not apparently gaining any pace, excepting Lotus- with the excellent Mike Gascoyne directing their technical team- and with the rain-laden first few races a mere memory, it is becoming all too clear how their presence is becoming a hindrance to the faster cars.

The rest of the race was uneventful, aside from Vettel taking some off-track excursions thanks to brake trouble; and Hamilton’s abrupt exit via a tyre puncture.

The cynical among us might attribute that to his tyre-management abilities.