We're now seven races in to the 2012
Formula 1 season and we have seven different winners, from
five different teams. While many are debating whether or not this is
a good thing for the sport I can only say that it's great for the
U.S. Grand Prix in Austin. With so many different winners it looks
like the chamionship is going to go down to the wire and since the
USGP will be the penultimate race there are going to be some very
serious championship implications as a result. Currently only 43
points separate the first 8 drivers. Simply getting two wins could
be a difference maker in the final standings. When a championship is
as close as this a large number of people who were sitting on the fence about
going to the race will be swayed in favor of attending. For the race to be considered a success it needs to generate a substantial sum of money, but it also needs to be exciting.
A virtual video of The Circuit of The Americas has recently been released thanks to the video game designers at Codemasters. Initial impressions are that it looks like a great track that will be fun for drivers and spectators alike. You can't ask for more than that. Our race will also be a major X-factor
because the teams have very limited information on the new track.
Car setup is vital to having a fast car in Formula 1 and teams will
have to gain a great deal of knowledge about the track in a very
short period of time. They also have a limited supply of tires for
each race and this year that is playing a larger role than ever
before. The Pirelli tires are made to degrade quickly and teams are
doing their best to save tires for each race and not use them up
during practice or qualifying. With relatively limited running time
before the race it's possible we'll see some spectacular performances
from the drivers. Having an unknown quantity so close to the end of
the season will make for a great deal of excitement.
