Offseason testing update

So this week all of the teams turned up at Barcelona to perfect their 2007 cars for the upcoming season. Ferrari led the way, and the red cars will surely be among the front runners this year. Kimi looks like...wait, what's that you say? The season has already started? There have already been three races? Lewis Hamilton is a good driver? Then why the hell did the powers that be (Bernie and his merry gang) decide to stick a month long break in after Bahrain?

The F1 season started, let me remind you, on March 18th in Australia. Then there was an inexplicable two week break before another race in Asia, leaving most teams to ponder whether or not to subject their crews to murderous jet lag, or just bankroll beach holidays for 50 traveling staff. Instead they compromised and went for some half ass test in Malaysia the week before the race (testing on race tracks leads to dull races). After Malaysia, there was a race the very next weekend in Bahrain, which resulted in the Lewis Hamilton bandwagon gaining full steam. The intrigue was beginning to boil, and F1 2007 was poised to wrest some media attention away from the goings on in the EPL.

But instead we have had near complete radio silence for a month. If I were one of the sponsors that had to pony up a 9 figure check to one of these teams, I might ask that the sport doesn't go into stealth mode just as the excitement is building. The next race is at Barcelona in a weeks time, by which time all the teams will have perfected their setups for the Circuit de Catalunya, and we will be treated to yet another dull procession.

Comments

[Mat Barlow]

Ahhh, that scathing Mcculley wit. Nicely put

[Andrew]

I worked for an F1 team about 7 years ago, before we had these tripple race fly away events, we only did doubles, Oz/Brazil and Japan/Malaysia. Remember the team members will have been away from home for about 7 weeks, prior to that they would have probably been away for a 2-3 week stint testing in Spain, probably doing 16-20 hour days. The team bosses treat most of the crews like rubish running the guys and there families into the ground everytime Bernie and Oswald Mosely Jnr shout jump. Just remember, the fat cat's in charge of the teams will have the poor guys in that factory 6 days a week until the next race.