A respected F1 correspondent is expecting F1′s 2012 calendar to shrink to eighteen races this year.

Livio Oricchio, who writes for Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo, thinks the sport is now on the verge of cancelling next weekend’s visit to Bahrain.

And he also thinks November’s US grand prix, scheduled to take place at the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, is in doubt.

“The construction has fallen way behind,” said Oricchio, “and there are serious problems between the promoter and the Texas government.

“Each side is looking to the other on the obligation to pay the fee, estimated at $18 million, to FOM (Formula One Management).

“So the championship that should have 20 races will most likely have only 18,” he concluded.

At least publicly, however, the Circuit of the Americas is continuing to take shape.

This Thursday, a private ceremony is scheduled to take place as circuit contractor Austin Commercial celebrates the milestone of completing the full height of the main three-storey pit building.

The Austin Business Journal reports that “several business and civic leaders are scheduled to attend”.

Last Sunday’s Abu Dhabi season finale was a significant moment in the history of the F1 safety car.

The first deployment of the sport’s permanent safety car was 250 grands prix ago, at Magny Cours in 1996.

“That was my company car,” recalled current safety car driver Bernd Maylander, referring to the C36 AMG used for that race in France.

According to Motorsport-Magazin.com, the car deployed for that debut race even featured Maylander’s personalised number plate ‘S-BM 300′.

Of the 250 races, the Mercedes safety car – spanning nine separate models and currently the gull-wing SLS AMG – was deployed 135 times.

Rubens Barrichello is not planning to celebrate his 300th grand prix this weekend.

The Brazilian officially celebrated the unprecedented milestone recently at Spa-Francorchamps, despite some statisticians pointing out that he didn’t actually start two grands prix due to pre-race technical problems during his time at Ferrari.

According to those tallies, it is actually Singapore that will be 38-year-old Barrichello’s 300th race start.

“We had the same problem with the 257th grand prix,” said the Williams driver on Thursday, referring to his surpassing of Riccardo Patrese’s race-start record.

“There are various ways to count. I had my 300th grand prix in Spa. That’s enough,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

“I’m not going to celebrate again. But if someone brings a cake, then that’s ok,” laughed Barrichello.

Ferrari has congratulated its former driver Rubens Barrichello for notching up his milestone 300th grand prix this weekend in Belgium.

The veteran Brazilian drove for the Maranello based team between 2000 and 2005, although he often looks back ruefully at the time spent as number two to Michael Schumacher.

But Ferrari’s current team boss Stefano Domenicali said 300 career races, to be achieved at the wheel of a Williams at Spa-Francorchamps, is a “remarkable achievement” for the 38-year-old.

“He was part of our team when it was living through a great period in its history and he made a very significant contribution to our success at that time,” added the Italian.

Since 1993, Barrichello has also driven for Jordan, Stewart and Brawn, although 9 of his 11 victories were at the wheel of a Ferrari.

“I feel very privileged to have been in the sport for such a long time and it feels great to reach this milestone,” said Barrichello, who so far has contested 44 races more than Riccardo Patrese’s impressive previous record.

“I still think I am at the top of my game and plan to continue being competitive long past my 300th,” he added.