To all those crowing about predicting Honda return to Formula One........

I'd say only this: check my blog entry HERE for July 2012 when I said that Mercedes would have to cease their partnership with Mclaren for the obvious reason of having to maintain the competitive edge for their own team. Okay, so I didn't actually name Honda but the basic reasoning is there.

It's been an interesting week in F1 with the continuing controversy about Pirelli tyre choices. The complaints have been led by Red Bull, although they are keen to insist that every team is suffering, largely because they are not in the dominant position of recent seasons. I can't remember why the single tyre manufacturer monopoly was introduced (old age!) but I think it might be interesting if more manufacturers were given a chance. I think the best racing took place on Bridgestones but it's a personal preference based on nostalgia.

Although Bernie Ecclestone is the reason for much of the angst I have about the future of F1, he has been making me laugh this week. Apparently he is facing bribery charges in Germany regarding his dealings with a disgraced banker named Gerhard Gribkowsky who was in charge of the sale of his bank's F1 holdings to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners who may or may not be owned fully or in part by Ecclestone but who already own most of the F1 shares already.
When asked if he was concerned about the charges Bernie said: "Sooner or later somebody will look into it, which they have, and then they will have to make a decision on what they decide." Which probably makes sense to an 82 year old but none at all to anyone else.
During Gribkowsky's trial for corruption Bernie was called as a witness to explain various payments made to the accused and said that he had been worried that if he had not paid the money, Gribkowsky would have alerted the UK tax authorities to "things" that might have led to a tax inquiry. And that "The only alternative was that the British tax authorities followed a case that would have been very expensive for me, The tax risk would have exceeded £2bn. I paid him to keep calm and not to do silly things."
According to the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the charge sheet, which is still to be translated into English, will be submitted next month.
"They haven't told me [about the charges], that's the only problem," added Ecclestone.
"I suppose they will eventually - they're going to have to, obviously.
"To be quite honest with you I haven't done anything about any of these things. If I have to get bothered, then I'll get bothered."
You've got to admire Bernie's sangfroid if nothing else.