Derek Bell

Horses for courses, but can you change steeds?

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It's a few days after Thanksgiving as this column is being written. I am a Brit who loves the USA. It has been very good to me over the years, but I must admit that I am still learning about the holidays. This one is all about family, which is something I get. Family means the world to me. I was fortunate enough to spend time this year in Chicago with my wife Misti and my youngest boy, Sebastian. We were joined by my pal Steve Soper and his clan. His daughter lives five minutes away from Sebastian's apartment, which has a wonderful view of Lake Michigan.

The point is that we had a wonderful time, and then it unravelled as a snow-storm hit. It rather threw our travelling plans out of the window. I am writing this at my home in Florida, although we will shortly be leaving for Blighty. For someone who is supposed to be retired, I seem to spend an awful lot of time at airports. Anyway, dragging myself back to the point, Steve and I were obviously chatting about motor racing, and then a day later I was transfixed by what had been happening in Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship.