[Sato]

This is what 2010 looks set to be remembered as. Overtaking is harder, there is one strategy for the top 10, and one for the rest. It's going to be a procession of a season.

Did anyone see any cars up the sharp end even attempt a pass? The highest on up I saw was Webber on a toro rosso. Webber was stuck behind Schumacher and button all race, and got within half a second a bunch of times, but never made even an attempt. Button was close to Schumacher for about 10-15 laps, never had a look. Hamilton never made an attempt on Rosberg in the first stint either..

The new points system isn't enough to make drivers drive off the track in hope of fluking a pass.

[Kopite Girl]

I haven't even watched the race and I'm starting to lose my rag already...

[DOF_power]

form the autosport forums:


Drivers who spoke to the BBC post race forum all suggesting the weekend is all about qualifying, and once that's done you just have to keep your position on lap 1 and then switch into tyre save mode. What they're saying is if you drop down a few spots at the start, that's it.. it's all over. Theres no way back unless the guy infront makes an error or fails.

All of the BBC pundits pretty much all agreed that this is a little worrying. Coulthard however seemed to feel it may have been due to the circuit but when the drivers themselves are admitting they were bored during the race.. it's concerning. Schumacher in particular admitted the race was much easier than he thought it would be because all he had to do was conserve tyres. Drivers weren't on the limit at all.

[The Professor]

It's not looking good, is it? The most worrying thing is that usually, the season opening GP sets a fairly high standard for the rest of the season in terms of action. I hope the reason this opening race was so boring was because of the circuit and not the new regs. We'll have to see what happens in Australia.

It will be a mighty shame if the FIA framed a bad set of regulations which prevent racing, at a time when the grid is so packed full of quality racers.

[Sato]

It's what many people said would happen, how do the people who make the rules not see it?

[UrKo]

watching some local racing series is far more interesting now than F1...FIA go home..dorks

And if FIA is so keen to make new rules, then why the f...they didnt do something like this:
- all cars start with hard tyres
- all cars have fuel for 20-22 laps ( not sure how many Kg is that )
- 2 pitstops - mandatory ( dry race )
- 1 point for fastest lap
- 2 points for pole
- 3 points for driver who lead the race for max. laps

just thinking loud here, but with so many new rules why not add some more rgiht


My favorite would be:
- no engine limitation ( full throttle all the way .. in every race )

[JHS]

Normally I'd avoid this sort of thing. The same sort of "F1 is boring, yawn, what a boring race! I feel to sleep half way through" comes up every year, no matter what has happened to the regs. Despite what the FIA may do, I believe that some people will always complain that F1 is boring.

However.

I can see what you mean. After all the hype that these new regs would provide a fresh lease of life to the racing, it didn't really deliver in terms of expectation. I mean, there was overtaking and I wouldn't say it was the dullest race ever, but after all the hype that was made during the winter, the action could be seen as leaving you a little empty. I don't really get it to be honest, the driver's view of things. I mean, I find it stupid for them to say that they weren't pushing, meerly saving tyres. With bigger gaps in the points now that has a bigger incentive for drivers to pass, do they not want to win the championship?

I'd say that there should be a wider variety in tyre compounds. Any set of tyres should not last how long these tyres did today, Bridgestone really needs to address that before the next race.

However.

I really wouldn't want the FIA to make any rash decisions on just one race. I don't completely buy into the fact that that this was all down to the new regs, I think the track also had an impact. Let's just give it time, 2 or 3 more races and go from there. The FIA may change something based on this, a rash decision, only to find it makes things 10 times worse because it was afterall, down to the track. Things should be started to looked at if this sort of thing happens again and again, but bair in mind that this track has never been the best for producing exciting races, and I fear the new section did little to improve things.

[PRB]

Very underwhelming

I wouldn't make any drastic changes after one race, but that wasn't much fun. I expected to see the tires really come away from some cars towards the end of the race and give us some drama but it never really happened. Using the desert for the opening race of the season were cars are under tested and getting used to new regulations is a mistake I think. It was way to warm there and I think that hurt the race.

It just seemed to me that the track was way to twisty and tight with few over taking chances if the cars could even get close to one another.

Don't rule out the season because of one race in the blazing hot desert. In cooler temperatures in Australia in 2 weeks and some of the European races it could be totally different. At least, I hope it is. I also hope some teams will close the time gaps to one another down though with a ban on in-season testing they're going to have to use race weekends to try do that.

[Insider]

What happened today wasn't racing, for sure. If the pole sitter keeps his tyres in good nick throughout Quali 3 and Practice, barring breakdowns he's won. That's at Bahrain. Melbourne will be very green, as always and no one will chance their arm there either. Malaysia is a proper racing track and with enough downforce, tyre degradation should be minimal and 'racing' won't be as risky. Did someone at the FIA work this Sh#t out or did they pluck it out of the air? It sucks.

[DOF_power]

It's even worse when you consider that it's not that physically demanding either.

[Schumikonen]

JHS, on 14 March 2010 - 04:54 PM, said:

I'd say that there should be a wider variety in tyre compounds. Any set of tyres should not last how long these tyres did today, Bridgestone really needs to address that before the next race.

I think you just hit the nail in the head here, tires shouldn't last like this adn there should be more compounds so the teams can mix the strategy up and try to up set the rest of the teams strategies with theirs, that would be the cheapest and faster way to fix this mess but like you just said the hype about this season was really big and we came out almost empty handed with this race but let's see what Brigestone can do if they are willing to do something.

[Schumikonen]

DOF_power, on 14 March 2010 - 05:52 PM, said:

It's even worse when you consider that it's not that physically demanding either.

I know it is just one race but this is not looking good generally I find some positive performance on every race but that just didn't happened today, I missed the qualification because I didn't wanto to wake up at 6:00am to watch it and now I am glad I didn't do it.

[pumpdoc]

Wake me when it's over zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Schumikonen]

pumpdoc, on 14 March 2010 - 06:03 PM, said:

Wake me when it's over zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You are likely to become are new Sleeping "Beauty" and I am not willing to wake you up.

[F1 FANatic]

I said it all along, Banning refueling has been the dumbest idea in F1. worse than the one tire per race, worse than KERS, worse than any other decision.

Refueling was introduced because every race in the previous seasons was like this. Like they say, nobody learns from history.

[PRB]

On a brighter note, Lotus had a good first race and just getting to the finish was an achievement in itself. There is a bit on it over on James Allen's F1 blog and the following stood out to me:

Fernandes said that the F1 teams had been largely positive towards Lotus over the weekend and he was proud that the team’s debut had been conducted in a professional manner. Both Fernandes and technical director Mike Gascoyne were both actively Tweeting during the race, Gascoyne saying at one point that he was going to bring forward Trulli’s pit stop for soft tyres.


Good to see that!

[spitfire]

just riffing here but what if they were to give a point or two out for the driver with the most on track overtakes that stick to the end of the race. They could do this in addition to the rest of the points for finish place from first to tenth the way they are now.
that way there are possible points beings earned everywhere on the track. telemetry would tell you if anyone is fudging with the system and trying to "fix" overtakes.

[AleHop]

F1 racing is so boring we'll need external additives: monsoon rain, shortcuts, nails on track, FIA penalties...

They should start refuelling from next race onwards.

It's worse every year.

[DOF_power]

AleHop, on 14 March 2010 - 07:50 PM, said:

F1 racing is so boring we'll need external additives: monsoon rain, shortcuts, nails on track, FIA penalties...

They should start refuelling from next race onwards.

It's worse every year.

And ban the diffusers, and scrap the rev limiters and allow freedom in compounds.

[rock]

I used to love F1 now I feel that it's as boring as Golf ! Damn all those millions up in the air.

[Schumikonen]

rock, on 14 March 2010 - 08:52 PM, said:

I used to love F1 now I feel that it's as boring as Golf ! Damn all those millions up in the air.

that a harsh thing to say but it is the truth so I guess I agree with you.

[Asmer]

I would wait till Melbourne before giving an opinion.

[Max Mosley]

It's really too early to say anything definitive about the new regs - it could have been exciting at the end with Alonso pushing Vettel - but here are some thoughts to ponder.

Sato, on 14 March 2010 - 03:04 PM, said:

The new points system isn't enough to make drivers drive off the track in hope of fluking a pass.

Indeed. The teams suggested a rather silly points system.

Nivola, on 14 March 2010 - 03:39 PM, said:

It will be a mighty shame if the FIA framed a bad set of regulations which prevent racing, at a time when the grid is so packed full of quality racers.

Yes but it was, again, the teams who framed the (possibly) bad rules. The refueling ban was their idea and opposed by Mosley, for example.

Whitmarsh even said today that the teams had debated making it mandatory to stop twice per car per race but couldn't reach agreement. McLaren, Red Bull and one other team wanted it but the others didn't. Guess which teams thought their tyre degradation a liability and which ones an advantage...

Insider, on 14 March 2010 - 05:33 PM, said:

What happened today wasn't racing, for sure. If the pole sitter keeps his tyres in good nick throughout Quali 3 and Practice, barring breakdowns he's won. That's at Bahrain. Melbourne will be very green, as always and no one will chance their arm there either. Malaysia is a proper racing track and with enough downforce, tyre degradation should be minimal and 'racing' won't be as risky. Did someone at the FIA work this Sh#t out or did they pluck it out of the air? It sucks.

Doesn't that bode ill for overtaking? The hope was surely that someone's tyres would be in much better shape towards the end.

DOF_power, on 14 March 2010 - 05:52 PM, said:

It's even worse when you consider that it's not that physically demanding either.

Yes, this is the worst thing in my book. It's absurd that they're tootling round 2s/lap off their limit.

F1 FANatic, on 14 March 2010 - 06:43 PM, said:

Refueling was introduced because every race in the previous seasons was like this. Like they say, nobody learns from history.

Yeah, it was introduced by Max Mosley in 1994 I think.

PRB, on 14 March 2010 - 07:46 PM, said:

On a brighter note, Lotus had a good first race and just getting to the finish was an achievement in itself. There is a bit on it over on James Allen's F1 blog and the following stood out to me:

Fernandes said that the F1 teams had been largely positive towards Lotus over the weekend and he was proud that the team’s debut had been conducted in a professional manner. Both Fernandes and technical director Mike Gascoyne were both actively Tweeting during the race, Gascoyne saying at one point that he was going to bring forward Trulli’s pit stop for soft tyres.


Good to see that!

Spot on! I like these new teams. They provided some great racing - that was actually picked up by the director. Plus they seem a lot more fun and open than the established teams.

DOF_power, on 14 March 2010 - 08:46 PM, said:

And ban the diffusers, and scrap the rev limiters and allow freedom in compounds.

Yeah all daft ideas suggested by the teams and opposed by Max Mosley. Actually they could just bring him back to sort out this mess.

Asmer, on 14 March 2010 - 09:07 PM, said:

I would wait till Melbourne before giving an opinion.

Quite right. It's early days yet.

[5P33D3V1L]

I think F1 is slowly becoming a sport where there are way too many rules and regs that I cant even understand what is going on anymore. Now the drivers are getting bored letter known us fans! I think the only way the FIA can make these new regs work is make bridgestone bring in 3 entirely different compounds each race. One super soft, one medium and one super hard. This is when people at the back can start rolling the dice and gambling on super softs.

Qualyfing will be the same but scrap the rules about using the same tires you use in qualy for the race. Super softs, light fuel and no limit to revs!

Race have 3 sets of compounds that can be used, once one is picked you cannot use any other compound. Back runners will gamble on the super softs making the extra stops. Front runners will probably stick to mediums and coasting along. But the ones gambling on super softs or super hards, if they can make it work, by the end they could pull off the strategy and push the front runners. Or you never know, Schumacher was always good at winning races even if he had to make that one extra stop, so some of the front runners may take the gamble.

I mean it wouldnt force teams to redesign cars and shouldnt affect running cost that much. Just Bridgestone will have to provide more tyres. Problem solved! The races should be more hectic, more entertaining, yet still have a strategic element to them.

[AleHop]

Q: Tell us about the start as that was also important for you?

FA: The start was good. I think on the clean here there is a difference. There is a bit of sun close to the walls, so the start was more or less okay and the first corner was also good and I was lucky to overtake Felipe and then with the problem for Vettel, overtake Vettel as well and finish first. Obviously the qualifying and the starts are maybe the two key points this year. Unfortunately with no refuelling in terms of strategy or in terms of overtaking it will be very difficult to see any. After the first corner more or less the positions will be settled.

[Schumikonen]

AleHop, on 14 March 2010 - 10:35 PM, said:

Q: Tell us about the start as that was also important for you?

FA: The start was good. I think on the clean here there is a difference. There is a bit of sun close to the walls, so the start was more or less okay and the first corner was also good and I was lucky to overtake Felipe and then with the problem for Vettel, overtake Vettel as well and finish first. Obviously the qualifying and the starts are maybe the two key points this year. Unfortunately with no refuelling in terms of strategy or in terms of overtaking it will be very difficult to see any. After the first corner more or less the positions will be settled.

I think the whole season is setled unless reliability becomes a mayor player.

[Jean Todt]

I think you are all over-reacting....I do agree today's race was boring, but we have had races which were even worse in the past few seasons...we just need to wait and see what is going to happen in the next few races. Today, I belive if everything went well, we could have seen the top 4-5 finishers having closer finishes, if Vettel didn't have his problem, or Lewis being held by Nico. Just wait for few more races, and lets decide weather we have to whine or clap..

This post has been edited by Jean Todt: 14 March 2010 - 10:51 PM

[Abbo]

I had to watch it twice, just to make sure i didn't miss any thing the first time. However the constant was I fell asleep both times, rarely has anything recently bored me to tears. I just hope the powers that be decide to liven things up before too long.

[Quiet One]

One thought that struck me while watching the race: the probles with regulations, despite how good or bad each one is per se, is the fact that they throw a bunch of rules at once, without considering how they interact with each other. And most of them cancel each other out, so you end up having the same old Sh#t, under a different name.

Example:

- New points system will make drivers push harder (let's assume it's true, though I always thought that was an idiotic assumption to start with)

Gets cancelled with:

- Limited number of engines. Drivers need to save the engine because, as usual, to finish first you must first finish, so it pays better to preserve the engine and make 22nd places than risk your engine for a 1st place and a DNF next race.

Ditto for no refuelling vs limited tire strategies...etc, etc.

[adamstrags]

Sato, on 14 March 2010 - 03:04 PM, said:

The new points system isn't enough to make drivers drive off the track in hope of fluking a pass.

The ratio between the points is almost the same, so that's not surprising - I pointed this out when they first came out with the new scoring system.
They could give 100 points to the winner, 80 to second place etc - it would be the same.

Sato, on 14 March 2010 - 03:50 PM, said:

It's what many people said would happen, how do the people who make the rules not see it?

If you look back in these very forums, you'll see various people (even idiots like me) saying refueling ban=bad, points system=pointless etc etc. We should be running F1. Bernie's short cuts idea is starting to sound resonable - jesus wept.

F1 FANatic, on 14 March 2010 - 06:43 PM, said:

I said it all along, Banning refueling has been the dumbest idea in F1. worse than the one tire per race, worse than KERS, worse than any other decision.

Refueling was introduced because every race in the previous seasons was like this. Like they say, nobody learns from history.

Many of us do - we just don't have a seat on the FIA.

Jean Todt, on 14 March 2010 - 10:50 PM, said:

I think you are all over-reacting....I do agree today's race was boring, but we have had races which were even worse in the past few seasons...we just need to wait and see what is going to happen in the next few races. Today, I belive if everything went well, we could have seen the top 4-5 finishers having closer finishes, if Vettel didn't have his problem, or Lewis being held by Nico. Just wait for few more races, and lets decide weather we have to whine or clap..

I agree with you here. Let's not slaughter count our chickens just yet. It could get better (it couldn't get much worse).
What scares me right now is that for most of the race we saw drivers afraid of racing for fear of screwing their tyres up. Their times were slow, they just didn't push at all - there's no incentive to push - infact there's a disincentive - if you race, you're likely to loose places later.