Australia thrills to silence F1 doubters, for now

Author: 
IAN RANSOM | REUTERS
Publication Date: 
Mon, 2010-03-29 22:33

While nature played a part, dousing Albert Park's tight and bumpy street circuit with rain minutes before the start, hard-fought racing and brilliant strategy decided the outcome.
With Bahrain's race turning into a procession and largely decided at qualifying, some critics had called for a second mandatory pit stop or less durable tire compounds to add spice and unpredictability.
"I'm glad that we haven't really jumped to too many conclusions or ideas because I think this race was a great race," said McLaren's Jenson Button, whose early decision to change to slicks on the still-greasy track proved a masterstroke.
"Overtaking cars on the circuit and watching on the screen with a lot of action going on is great." Formula One officials had hoped the ban on refueling might bring drama to the latter stage of races, with drivers on worn tires forced to hold off those catching up on fresher ones.
Those hopes seemed to come to fruition in a breathless climax in Melbourne, as a clutch of cars caught Renault driver Robert Kubica and Ferrari's Felipe Massa in a last-ditch skirmish for podium places.
Whether the visual feast can continue in Malaysia this weekend, however, will be of major interest to F1 officials.
Overtaking, virtually unseen at Sakhir in round one, remains no less difficult and another lifeless procession at Sepang will inevitably re-open the debate.
"(With the new rules) you've got a much smaller front tire so mechanically you have less grip," world champion Button added.
"So when you lose the down force by following other cars you have less grip, so I think (overtaking) is more difficult this year."
Button's 12-second victory elevated him to third in the championship behind leader Fernando Alonso, and lifted McLaren to second in the constructors standings 16 points behind Ferrari.
However, the result should not be construed as a watershed, Button cautioned, the McLaren car still lagging its main rivals for pace.
"Now we've just got to look at improving the car, because (pace) in qualifying is something we're lacking a little bit," he said. "It's an area we desperately need to work on.
"So when you can get good points finishes like (in Melbourne), it really does mean a lot to you when you don't have a car you think is quick enough really to win races every weekend." With Red Bull's pace in qualifying the envy of their rivals, German driver Sebastian Vettel's second reliability failure in two races is particularly galling.
After being robbed of a podium finish in Bahrain due to a spark plug problem, a wheel malfunction put the 22-year-old into the gravel in Melbourne.
"Of course it is annoying. Yet another defect," Vettel said after the race. "I could be going to Malaysia with 50 points." Despite languishing fifth in the constructor standings, Red Bull's reliability problems have not quashed other team bosses' desire to take a peak under the bonnet.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh suggested Red Bull and some other cars might have developed a version of a banned ride height control system that would give an aero-dynamic edge for qualifying. Red Bull has denied using such a system.

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