How about that for the inaugural race of the 2010 Formula One season in Barhain on Sunday? Was it really necessary to get up at 8 in the morning to watch this "race" (or whatever you want to call it)?
Why were there so few position changes? Well, simply because the Barhain International Circuit isn’t very kind on drivers who want to overtake their opponents and because the 2010 cars appear to be even more sensitive to aerodynamic shifts generated by other machines on the track. The problem is the same.
Michael Schumacher made a highly-publicized return to F1, but why hasn’t he won the race? His Mercedes W01 is just not fast enough, period. He can’t drive any faster than the car will allow him. As a result, even a guy like Nico Rosberg made a mockery of Schumacher throughout the weekend. But Norbert Haug says we have to give him time to regain his old form — fine, let’s do that.
First-year teams were absolutely awful. What, did you expect anything different? Racing with cars that were hastily built and finished, it was all about showing up at the starting line for them. Only Lotus seems to display some competitiveness. Meanwhile, Hispania Racing Team claims the first three races of the season will serve as a test board. Now, do you still believe the FIA when they say they rigorously selected the new teams for 2010?
Which tires should teams use? The series is trying to generate artificial action on the track by forcing drivers to use both types of tires during a single Grand Prix, but it makes no difference as the top teams all rely on the same strategy and everything stays put. Why not using just one set of tires for the whole race? Imagine all the rubber that could be saved…
Is that a Renault engine under the hood of Red Bull cars? Well, yes it is! Yet, even with Robert Kubica behind the wheel of the R30, the results turned out to be pretty unsatisfying. And let’s not even talk about his teammate Vitaly Petrov, a complete no-show. This makes Sebastian Vettel’s pole position and early lead look all the more strange. Either the Renault suffers from a flawed chassis or flawed aerodynamics (maybe both).
Meanwhile, the mysterious air intake at McLaren proved to be much ado about nothing, really. Before the Grand Prix, Red Bull and Ferrari were screaming at the FIA because they had authorized McLaren to use its clever new system that reportedly allows higher top speeds. However, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button didn’t exactly blast ahead of the field in Barhain, did they? Could the special intake be a monumental flop?
Lastly, will Jacques Villeneuve trade his mike for a steering wheel in 2010? The former world champion served as radio analyst for BBC, although he would have clearly preferred to take part in the action on the track. Expect some wheeling and dealing right until the season ends as teams start to play musical chairs. Villeneuve needs to attend every single GP and maintain solid relationships with team directors to have a fighting chance. Surely there will be a couple of them that fail to meet the financial requirements in their contracts.
Be patient, Jacques.
Why were there so few position changes? Well, simply because the Barhain International Circuit isn’t very kind on drivers who want to overtake their opponents and because the 2010 cars appear to be even more sensitive to aerodynamic shifts generated by other machines on the track. The problem is the same.
Michael Schumacher made a highly-publicized return to F1, but why hasn’t he won the race? His Mercedes W01 is just not fast enough, period. He can’t drive any faster than the car will allow him. As a result, even a guy like Nico Rosberg made a mockery of Schumacher throughout the weekend. But Norbert Haug says we have to give him time to regain his old form — fine, let’s do that.
First-year teams were absolutely awful. What, did you expect anything different? Racing with cars that were hastily built and finished, it was all about showing up at the starting line for them. Only Lotus seems to display some competitiveness. Meanwhile, Hispania Racing Team claims the first three races of the season will serve as a test board. Now, do you still believe the FIA when they say they rigorously selected the new teams for 2010?
Which tires should teams use? The series is trying to generate artificial action on the track by forcing drivers to use both types of tires during a single Grand Prix, but it makes no difference as the top teams all rely on the same strategy and everything stays put. Why not using just one set of tires for the whole race? Imagine all the rubber that could be saved…
Is that a Renault engine under the hood of Red Bull cars? Well, yes it is! Yet, even with Robert Kubica behind the wheel of the R30, the results turned out to be pretty unsatisfying. And let’s not even talk about his teammate Vitaly Petrov, a complete no-show. This makes Sebastian Vettel’s pole position and early lead look all the more strange. Either the Renault suffers from a flawed chassis or flawed aerodynamics (maybe both).
Meanwhile, the mysterious air intake at McLaren proved to be much ado about nothing, really. Before the Grand Prix, Red Bull and Ferrari were screaming at the FIA because they had authorized McLaren to use its clever new system that reportedly allows higher top speeds. However, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button didn’t exactly blast ahead of the field in Barhain, did they? Could the special intake be a monumental flop?
Lastly, will Jacques Villeneuve trade his mike for a steering wheel in 2010? The former world champion served as radio analyst for BBC, although he would have clearly preferred to take part in the action on the track. Expect some wheeling and dealing right until the season ends as teams start to play musical chairs. Villeneuve needs to attend every single GP and maintain solid relationships with team directors to have a fighting chance. Surely there will be a couple of them that fail to meet the financial requirements in their contracts.
Be patient, Jacques.