[Fegemiembendy]

And well the location, just dreadful, boring circuit that has absolutely no appeal for a season opener. Looking forward to Australia.

Well not all the places on the Earth look the same, so I'm not sure what to make of your comment.

[Retapleapse]

It was the track as much as anything. Bland featureless desert with a stupid twisty middle bit, all because of Bernie's desire to kiss Arab backside.

Barely any overtaking, poor camerawork and directing, Legard and Brundle sounded asleep, I can't be bothered to write any more!

Roll on Australia

I agree. It would be nice to start the season somewhere a bit more special.

Hope you're right about Australia!

[Uzezqelj]

Not a very interesting race. A handful of overtaking moves, the only crash in the entire race wasn't caught on camera and the only point of real interest was Vettel's exhaust at the end. Hopefully Melbourne will be an improvement.

[Theariwinna]

Didn't see too much difference compared with last season. Fewer pitlane passes perhaps, but other than that I think the Schumacher/Button/Webber "battle" illustrated the real issue. Unless the car in front has a problem (like Vettel did) passing is almost impossible with or without fuel stops.

At least after a third of the race/first pit window you couldn't make a good prediction for the finish.

[Cerilopasei]

it should be no refuelling and no tires or refuelling and tires right now almost everybody burnt cautious laps till the middle of the race. it doesnt pay to risk at the beggining of the race just ask sutil kubica and the hulk

[mnhloot]

Well not all the places on the Earth look the same, so I'm not sure what to make of your comment.

The fact that Bahrain is quite a characterless circuit, which they thought would be cleverly put away by adding silly colours everywhere.

Wouldn't you much rather see a populair event like Australia as the season opener, one where you can actually see people on the grandstands.

[Mymnnarry]

I come away with 3 main points from this "race"

1) The top ten starting on different tyres made zero difference! Bridgestone has always been very conservative in its tyres so there seemed little difference between Rubens on the hard and the cars agead on the soft - so what the hell was the point?

2) The first corner. Now that (on a race track where overtaking is at its easiest) the field has discovered that passing is impossible I expect Melbournes first lap to be a lot more frantic as its the first, and only, passing chance in this era of racing.

3) The pitstops. I was expecting fireworks, but everyone seemed very methodical. After all the talk of 2.5s stops the best I saw was 4.0s.

Overall very anti climatic.

[ggdfgtdfffhfyj]

I said before that no refuelling will make the races boring, just like they were in the beginning of 90s and in 80s, complete processions.

So what happened today? All leaders pitted within a 3 laps for new tyres and that was it, no action on track.

BORING.

I agree but I blame the track more than anything else. Let's hope Australia is different.

[Adfcvkdg]

The problem is that the teams have decided to go for one stop strategies which kill the incentive to overtake. Why risk making a move on the guy in front when you might flatspot your tyres and live with the consequences for the next 40 laps?

Hopefully we'll see some more excitement as teams get used to new strategies and try taking some risks, but I'm not holding my breath.

[leyliana]

I think the new section was pointless but the circuit still had a couple of overtaking spots - as it was proved by Kubica and others.

However, once a driver started pushing and closing the gap, the tyres were overheating in the other car's wake. In the BBC post race interview, Schumacher also complained about the restrictive tyre rules, which backs up Ioan's position.

Blaming the circuit and the refuelling ban is too easy. The core reason for the lack of overtaking hasn't changed: it's very difficult to follow another car closely because of the aerodynamics and tyre behaviour.

[Mymnnarry]

The problem is that the teams have decided to go for one stop strategies which kill the incentive to overtake. Why risk making a move on the guy in front when you might flatspot your tyres and live with the consequences for the next 40 laps?

Hopefully we'll see some more excitement as teams get used to new strategies and try taking some risks, but I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah. I wouldn't hold your breath. The total pit time is something around 25-30s, and without the benefit of a lighter fuel load by stopping more it won't offer an advantage so no one will bother.

The only way we'll see a more varied pit stops is if there is a huge difference in the tyres so that you either go for shorts sprints on a super dooper soft or one stops on the hardest.

[Adfcvkdg]

Blaming the circuit and the refuelling ban is too easy. The core reason for the lack of overtaking hasn't changed: it's very difficult to follow another car closely because of the aerodynamics and tyre behaviour.

Actually the refuelling ban has had quite a strong effect. Previously it was not uncommon to have a lighter car having a go at a heavier one. Now, with the ban in effect, the cars all weigh much the same throughout the race taking away another factor that used to promote overtaking.

[grubnismarl]

Martin Whitmarsh (on BBC red button) talking about mandating two stops in a race, and making the tyres more marginal.

Martin Brundle and Jacques Villeneuve both talking about the aero, and as long as that doesn't change the amount of overtaking won't change.

[Theariwinna]

I'd prefer a free-for-all regarding tyre strategy.

As in DTM and Aussie V8s mandatory stops can be a joke. Drivers will jump into the pits early and get their stops out of the way.

Prost:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/8566042.stm

"If it was my decision," he said, "I would have left the freedom about the tyres - you have one soft, one hard and freedom.

"(It would be) exactly the same - you start the race with the tyres you qualify with but after that freedom. If you want to use only soft tyres, or only hard tyres, (in the race) you do what you want."

[irrelaAnnekly]

Actually the refuelling ban has had quite a strong effect. Previously it was not uncommon to have a lighter car having a go at a heavier one. Now, with the ban in effect, the cars all weigh much the same throughout the race taking away another factor that used to promote overtaking.

I don't understand how people didn't see this coming, I mean it was only about 15 years ago that we last had these endurance races. The only way the races are going to be exciting is if Bridgestone does something with the compounds.

[acissombiapse]

It was the track as much as anything. Bland featureless desert with a stupid twisty middle bit, all because of Bernie's desire to kiss Arab backside.

Barely any overtaking, poor camerawork and directing, Legard and Brundle sounded asleep, I can't be bothered to write any more!

Roll on Australia

I have to agree, it did not help at all that Bahrain is not exactly the best circuit when it comes to race action and overtaking.

If you watched the F1 Forum afterwards, Martin Whitmarsh was saying that FOTA evaluated the proposal for 2 mandatory pit stops but was thrown out due to some teams objecting to it, but now he said that they may reconsider the proposal and get Bridgestone to develop a more "racier" tyre forcing drivers to make more than 1 stop.

That I think defintiely would help.

[Mymnnarry]

I don't understand how people didn't see this coming, I mean it was only about 15 years ago that we last had these endurance races. The only way the races are going to be exciting is if Bridgestone does something with the compounds.

Indeed, and as Brisgestone arenot going to go to all that expense in their final year we are screwed.

[defenderfors]

Bahrain has proved plenty of time that you can overtake, last year (at the start of the season) cars were able to run less than a second apart without too many problems, but now they've all maximised the double diffusers we're back to 1.5 seconds gap. the only way you can now overtake (again) is if your out of position or on vastly different tyres, unless the driver in front makes a mistake or the car breaks.

i don't blame the lack of refuelling, in fact i think that makes it more likely as the cars are much more of a handful and change so much during tha race. until we get rid of Double diffusers (next year thankfully) we won't see much overtaking.

Webber was in a car that was 1 sec + faster than Button for large portions of the race and didn't get a sniff. Hamilton with Rosberg, Alonso on Vettel, Button on Schumacher, just to name a few could run within a seond and half easily but never looked like getting close to a pass - blame the diffusers

[LookSe]

I heard Whitmarsh say that and thought it was a crap idea. Mandating things is not the solution.

A broader range of compounds and more choice of compounds, a la the 80's, and the ability to cross-match them (for those of you old enough, A compounds on the rear, B on the left and C on the right was a good Alain Prost set-up, if I recall) would make it much more interesting.

Mandatory anything is against the idea of racing and ruins the chances of different strategies.

Couldn't agree more.

[Mymnnarry]

I heard Whitmarsh say that and thought it was a crap idea. Mandating things is not the solution.

A broader range of compounds and more choice of compounds, a la the 80's, and the ability to cross-match them (for those of you old enough, A compounds on the rear, B on the left and C on the right was a good Alain Prost set-up, if I recall) would make it much more interesting.

Mandatory anything is against the idea of racing and ruins the chances of different strategies.

+1

It was interesting back then with as you say Prost on different compounds round the car and Senna (IIRC) usually one compound all round.