Here are a few random thoughts. It has been a long time since we've had such an entertaining Silly Season. Of course, it is not in the least bit amusing if you are a worker at USF1 and you have a family to support and a mortgage to pay.

Among the headlines have been the overturning of the penalties imposed on Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, the acquisition of Brawn by Mercedes-Benz, the return of Michael Schumacher, the change in the relationship between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz, and so it goes on.

We have had testing in Spain and none of it has meant anything except to the engineers, who are not about to comment. Drivers have had the opportunity to grandstand, but it is years since I bothered to read a test report. They are useless unless you know what each team is actually testing.

There has been the ongoing drama of USF1 and Campos Meta and the incredible stories dreamed up by some sections of the media. My favourite is that Campos got behind with its payments to Dallara and Team Steve stepped in and bought the Dallara project as a spoiler, even though it had already acquired Toyota's 2010 design. Then there was the supposed amalgamation between Steve and USF1, as though a team which has made cars needed to join with one which has not, a team about 4,000 miles from Serbia.

Team Steve has set up camp in Bahrain, despite being rejected by the FIA. The team's owner also has a complaint lodged with the EU over restriction of trade, the claim that all new teams had to use Cosworth engines, and once lodged, the complaint cannot be dislodged.

USF1 asked to be able to miss four GPs, but I have yet to see it writ in stone that a team can miss three. Lotus and Virgin are ready, as is Steve, but two teams are not. This was not supposed to happen since the FIA conducted due diligence into the 15 outfits which applied to join the fun. Three were rejected outright and the applications of 12 were considered.

By a happy chance, places were awarded to Britain, America, Spain and Malaysia. Malaysia has its own GP, although Lotus is based in Britain. David Hunt is not at all happy because he believes that he owns the rights to the Team Lotus name. This is because he bought the rights.

Spain has Alonso, and others, and interest in F1 is so high that we have the Spanish GP and another race in Spain. It has been suggested that VW would step in as a sponsor through its SEAT marque, but that is woolly thinking. Ford has as large a presence in motor manufacture in Spain as VW.

The difference is that Ford makes world cars, with factories in several countries turning out the same basic models, with subtle differences for each market. Volkswagen emphasises the Mediterranean connection to SEAT.

The choice of Manor, now Virgin, surprised many because it was chosen above Prodrive and Lola. Some people went as far as to suggest it was because of the designer, Nick Wirth. Wirth and Max Mosley had been partners in Simtek, which was established to simulate the effects of possible rule changes in motor racing.

Then there was USF1, a sop to America. The team was established in Charlotte, where you do not go into a bar whistling, 'Yankee Doodle'. It was going to encourage American talent, but signed an Argentine.