Let's get it on

2012 F1 testing begins soon in Spain

Pitot tube used for on-track aero testing.
Loading an F1 Transport Plane.
Wind tunnel graphic of air flow patterns.

I am very happy that the New Year is here and the old year has gone into the past. Those of us who have an interest in the United States Grand Prix had a tough few weeks in November and December, as the fate of the Austin event was uncertain. Now that the contracts are in place and the noise has died down, we can shift our focus to the upcoming F1 season.

Yes, it is true that the Circuit of the Americas must be constructed with a very short schedule duration, and the task is daunting, but I am confident that the project can be completed on time. We’ll discuss that subject on another day.

In just a few weeks the F1 teams will begin the first tests of their new 2012 cars at the Circuito Permanante de Jerez near the city of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Unlike most of Europe, Jerez has very mild winter weather with average temperatures ranging from lows around 44 degrees F and highs around 64 degrees F. The circuit is approved by the FIA (Federation Internationale d’Automobiles) for F1 competition but last hosted an event in 1997, the European Grand Prix. It is an ideal location for winter testing, and the F1 circus will start the 2012 season in Jerez on Feb. 7.

In the recent past there were no limits to the amount of testing an F1 team could do. The teams with the deepest pockets tested an insane number of kilometers every year before and during the racing season. They employed test teams that were fully manned and replicated their racing teams down to all forms and functions. The expense was enormous and was prohibitive for the less well-financed minnows at the back of the grid.

As the expense of F1 became an issue during the global economic downturn, testing was reduced and limited by agreement between the teams and the sanctioning body. The exact testing allowances were codified into the sporting regulations and essentially were limited to three pre-season testing periods, and each period was limited to only a few days.

Not only was on-track testing limited, so was wind tunnel testing. Many teams utilized full-scale rolling wind tunnels to replicate the conditions of live racing. This was very expensive. Ferrari, McLaren, and other well-funded teams would run their tunnels 24/7 and would have four shifts of technicians working nonstop. Some even employed two tunnels simultaneously, each trying different technologies to find the fastest combination of aerodynamic components. Fascinating, I agree, but terribly expensive for every one hundredth of a second improvement.

Essentially the current testing rules are:

Each team is limited to 15,000 kilometers (about 9300 miles)
These tests must be conducted no earlier than January 1^st and no later than one week before the first event
One 3 day test is allowed during the racing season (scheduled for May 2012)
Four straight line or constant radius test days are allowed for aerodynamic purposes during the season. A team can substitute a wind tunnel test (limited to four hours) for any of the straight line/constant radius tests
A one week test is allowed during the season for a replacement driver (rookie or one who hasn’t raced in F1 for two years) but must be conducted within a 14 day period following the driver’s appointment
A young driver’s test is allowed after the end of the season (to test future F1 talent)

As a result of the limits, testing is much more critical now than ever before. The teams must maximize their on-track time due to the limited opportunities. Because the tests are close to the beginning of the first official race, little time is available to re-engineer any components that are problematic. The testing schedule for 2012 is as follows:

Jerez, Spain - February 7, 8, 9, 10

Catalunya, Spain - February 21, 22, 23, 24

Catalunya, Spain - March 1, 2, 3, 4

Mugello, Italy - May 1, 2, 3 (in-season testing)

The 2012 F1 season begins in Australia on the 16th of March. The teams will be very busy preparing and testing their cars right up to the point they load the transport planes to fly off to Australia. They will be away from their home bases in Europe for almost a month with little chance of changing or improving their cars while in the Asia/Pacific region. Successful testing is vitally important with regard to the first four flyaway events. Failure to do so may ruin the entire season.

I’m getting excited!

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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