Formula One ( F1 )

Did you say get a clue? Really?

What makes you think that I'm not an F1 aficionado? Or indeed, a motorcycle aficionado?

Well, my comment regarded Ferrari versus Honda (for example - who will soon be coming back), and other major manufacturers that specialise in small engine design and manufacture. The car engines Ferrari have made for quite some time, would be regarded as large actually. What they did years ago would not be relevant in terms of design now. That has been shown in Ferrari not being able to match the better cars, even with absolutely the best driver. Though I'm a Lewis fan, but Alonso is the best driver, no question.

I've followed F1 since the early 1970s, and motorcycle racing since then also, but to a much lesser extent. I did not think Ferrari had the nous to build a class leading small engine, as that is not their recent background. Let's see if I'm wrong shall we. And then lets see how Honda do when they return.

If you compare a modern road engine with one of the old "uncomplicated" F1 engines there is a world of difference. The tolerances in race engines are much, much smaller than those of road going cars. When one of last years engines was cold it had effectively seized and needed to be heated for some time before starting. The engineers who manufacture the F1 engines in reality do not work for companies who make the engines for cars. For example Mercedes is based in the UK and was an existing company that was bought by Mercedes in order to supply engines to F1.

The new engines are very different to anything you would find outside of a £1m Hypercar and even then the f1 engines have finer tokerances, let's face it if you are going to splash that kind of money on a car you don't want to also employ a team of engineers to be on 24 he standby and who require 5hrs notice to start the car so you can pop out for a pint of milk!

It is true that some technology from the upper echelons of motorsport works its way down to us mere mortals but it does take time. Certainly more than a season and costs a lot of money

Bobbo, I think 1 in 4 is optimistic at the moment. I think their whole first half of the season might be a shake down.

Mind you, if no one has reliability, Bernie will look a right plum with only 4 finishers.

Bernie is too preoccupied trying to avoid going to a German prison and becoming a very wealthy sex doll.

I would not be surprised if someone manoeuvres their way round him to take the top job this year. Horner? Ross Brawn has a lot of time on his hands currently and is well liked.

Does anyone know if Renault were given their homologation deadline extension? That is the best indication of how worried the powers that be are.