As we get into the start of another season of racing, I find it interesting to look at other series as you can always find lots to talk about....
F1 is the ultimate, the pinnacle in the minds of people involved in this amazing sport, but talk to a person on the street who doesn't know much about racing and their view can be very different.
Perception is a wonderful thing and this is what guides us through our life. All the talk about Lewis and the spectators at Barcelona have made big headlines, but I would be interested to know what this crowd of loud Spaniards were trying to say. Was it racial abuse? Was it a bit of fun that went wrong? Did it represent the exposure it got? I am not so sure. I think Lewis handled it well by saying it was sad and saying very little more about it. Perhaps F1 drivers should go to the cities they visit and see the young children in the schools promoting, not
F1, but how best we can live together as people...
The year ahead in F1 looks to be an exciting one as the teams have hit the road testing. It is always difficult to judge who is showing their true form but, from what I have heard,
Ferrari are the team they are trying to catch and might be throughout the year.
Naturally, I am hoping that my fellow Aussie
Mark Webber has a better year, as he hasn't had the best of runs in the last few seasons and the car last year wasn't up to it.
McLaren will be strong, as well as Renault with Alonso at the wheel. I will be keen to see how young 'PK' will get on, as we raced together in the Team Modena Aston Martin at Le Mans. I wonder if Alonso will show him how to do it - or not how to do it...
It doesn't look like the Japanese teams have made much progress in the tests, but you never know what updates teams have got coming before the first race. It is rare for a team to catch up dramatically during the season. If it rolls out a dog, it will stay one... I should know, I have driven a few!
