Back in November I wrote about qualifying on low fuel and how I would miss the loss of the fuel-predicted grid. At the time I had mixed views; I hadn’t been privy to watching F1 when qualifying on low fuel was the norm but, as many fans seemed genuinely excited by the prospect I thought (and hoped) my pessimism would be unfounded.

Qualifying itself was fine, it wasn’t fabulous. I’d watched and had been happy that Formula One was back but it wasn’t as exciting as it could have been. I would have loved to have had the qualifying weights published so I could have had a stab at predicting each teams’ fuel consumption but it was not to be, even though the FIA had temptingly left a space for the pdf file of fuel weights on their site. But why was qualifying not as good as I’d hoped? I’d put that down to the drivers’ uncertainty over their cars handling on low fuel given the loss of extensive winter testing. The quirkiness of the new extended Bahrain circuit couldn’t have helped much either. Still, we had the race to look forward to and the race-refuelling ban would spice up the action as teams gambled on a safety car deployment and misjudged the amount of fuel to carry or they found that the cars handling characteristics changed so much as the race progressed that pitting for tyres would be essential… or so I hoped.

The race itself turned into another of those processional events where there was a distinct lack of overtaking. If it hadn’t been for Sebastian Vettel’s dodgy spark plug dropping him down the order we would have had the situation where the three front runners ended the race in that position, albeit with Alonso and Massa having swapped position. But a race review isn’t my plan for my post, I want to look at some of the reasons for the lack of overtaking; even the drivers feel that the race wasn’t as challenging as it could have been.

Are the new regulations to blame?

The ban on in race refuelling was put in place because the overtaking working group (OWG) felt that much of the overtaking for position was gained during pitstops and less so on the track. So this year the ban, coupled with an increased differential between the points for gaining a place were meant to act as encouragement to overtake on track. But these ideas don’t take into account the physics of overtaking; it’s all very well saying you have to overtake on track and the extra points are the “carrot” to make it work but the fundamental problem of being physically able to overtake in the wake of the preceding car have not been addressed.

“I caught up with Michael and then sat behind him for the rest of the race, I couldn’t get any closer.
You lose downforce, you lose front and rear grip. You don’t have traction, so you can’t exit a corner quickly. Michael was very weak on braking. I’d be eight car lengths behind and catch up on him but there was no way I could go past. It’s not like the old days. You could follow cars then, you could slide up the inside, you could race. It’s very different now.”
Jenson Button

Finding a cure that will assist overtaking will not be easy, changes to the technical regulations over the last few seasons haven’t done much to fix the problem yet we still had exciting racing, albeit with most of the overtaking courtesy of pitstop refuelling. If we now remove that element of strategy are we left with boring processional races this season? It’s something that the teams are concerned with too.

Whilst Bernie follows the money trail, teams know that without the support of the fans they will find it harder to attract sponsors and hence the money that provides for their technological input and allows them to be competitive racers.

“The most important people are the customers – they are the people who pay to come to races, or watch it on television. We are beholden on them to put on a good show and we should see what we should do.”
Nick Fry, Mercedes GP

So what can be done about it, at least in the short term?

 
Martin Whitmarsh, in his role as Chairman of the Formula One Teams Association is also of the belief that something must be done and done quickly, to resolve the situation and make the racing both exciting and challenging.

“Formula 1 has to be entertaining, people have to be switched on to what is going to happen in the race, if it’s processional they are not going to be. Today was not the best show, we know that and we have all got to work together to improve it.
I personally believe that more challenging tyres will help the spectacle of the show. We do need to look at mandating stops, we do need to look at the tyres and make them more fragile, and we do need to work on making the cars capable of racing close together and easier to overtake.”
Martin Whitmarsh, FOTA Chairman

Whilst I think a second stop and more friable tyre compounds (as long as safety wasn’t compromised) would help, I’d much prefer to have refuelling return. For me, it added another strategic layer to the racing and if we are to get back to more exciting racing, at least in the short term it’s something that should be considered.

Perhaps it was the excessive levels of hype that the media have been throwing in the direction of the 2010 season? Perhaps we expected too much from Bahrain – it’s not produced many thrills in previous seasons either, an issue that was perhaps overlooked when given the top billing? Whatever it was, we can only hope that the rest of the season generates more interest than the season opener.

Good Weekend

Clearly a good weekend for Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Ferrari. Maximum points for the team, with Alonso settling right in and delivering exactly what the Tifosi expect. For Massa, it was the first race back after his horrific accident in Hungary and he will be pleased with the result although there is the small, dark cloud of the first bragging rights in the team heading Alonso’s way. Still, given that Massa’s previous best return from the first race of a season was a measly 6th in 2007, he can’t complain. Bahrain has always been happier hunting ground for the Brazilian than Australia.

“A very special day for me as coming back to the top of the podium is always special but I think it is even more special with Ferrari with all the history behind the team and all the expectations a driver has when he drives for Ferrari.” Fernando Alonso

Lotus also came away happy, both cars were classified which was two more than both the other new teams. And they weren’t that many laps behind by the end – thank goodness for a long circuit. Force India once again had to settle for 9th although at least you get points for it now so Vitanio Liuzzi is off and running in what looks like being a very competitive midfield car in 2010…

Bad Weekend

…It wasn’t such a good weekend for his team mate though. Adrian Sutil could have so easily have been hunting down Sebastian Vettel come the end of the race, instead he disappeared into a cloud of smoke coming from Mark Webber and along with Robert Kubica, came out of it facing the wrong way. That also ruined Renault’s weekend – coming away empty handed.

However, it was Sebastian Vettel who was left looking at the positives of at least finishing fourth when he should have been winning who probably had the worst weekend. A faulty spark plug eventually fingered as the culprit in his loss of power late in the race.

Mixed Weekend

McLaren looked pretty good in race trim, the struggles in qualifying being the downside. Lewis Hamilton is no doubt pleased with a third place in the end but if he’d managed to have kept Nico Rosberg at bay at the start there was a good chance he could have been looking at second place, especially as Massa eased off in order to protect an overheating engine by running rich on fuel.

For the fans, Formula 1 was at least back but it was hardly a race to remember.

For a sport that bills itself as the peak of motorsport, Formula 1 can sure be anti-innovation when somebody thinks of something that didn’t occur to others. Last year it was the double-diffuser row, which even once formally declared legal by the International Court of Appeal still left half the grid grumbling about the added cost beyond the end of the season. Where would we be if every innovation which was within the rules was instantly banned on the ground of costs? Still driving around on skinny little tyres with the engine at the front? If 2009 was the ‘year of the double decker diffuser’, 2010 is now building up to be the ‘year of the blown rear wing, via a duct through the cockpit and along the back of a shark fin’. Admittedly, it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Red Bull where initially unhappy but having sent Mark Webber to have a snoop around, they’re presumably on their way to designing their own system. Renault’s Bob Bell, however, is not a happy bunny this morning: “They have opened up another arms race; it’s going to cost everybody a lot of money,” said Bell. “The governing body needs to be a lot stronger with these things. Now we have just opened another arms race that will cost us all a lot of money. It’s just a nonsense. I think the governing body needs to be more responsible in decisions like this.” Strange, I thought Formula 1 was one big arms race – it’s what differentiates it from a single make series. Renault were not exactly keen on everyone using a Cosworth engine were they?

“Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes with being beaten to a technical punch!” - Stuart Codling

Homologation of the monocoque may make it tricky to copy McLaren’s idea but we’re not talking about the level of changes needed to add a double diffuser as most of the grid managed last year.

Then again, while one moment Renault are complaining that McLaren “have driven a cart horse through the spirit of the rules and regulations” the next they’re lodging a request to make modifications to their engine outside of the current engine freeze. The claim is that it is in the name of reliability and cost reduction but the likelihood is that such changes will give an improvement in performance. The Renault engine was considered down on power last year but the team seem to be keeping quiet about their superior fuel economy.

So much for the spirit of the rules?

Three new teams, two returning teams, five new drivers, two returning drivers and still plenty of room for some familiar faces – the 2010 season starts here at the Bahrain International Circuit and on the face of it, it promises to be an intriguing season.

The Main Challengers…

With four World Champions and a raft of young pretenders to the throne, take your pick. The smart money, or at least the money of those not willing to stick their necks out too far, seems to spread between McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. Even then, all eight drivers in the form of Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Webber, Massa, Alonso and of course Schumacher are all capable of challenging – all the ingrediants are there for a vintage year in Formula 1.

“Even after four weeks of testing, it’s incredibly difficult to predict the order ahead of the new season. There are a number of teams and drivers who appear to be in the hunt, and, as with the start of every new season, it will be fascinating to see who emerges as the team to beat.”
Jenson Button

Others to Watch…

There are also plenty of dark horses, sitting on the fringes. Bridgestone have been waxing lyrical about Sauber’s ability to look after tyres, although Bahrain isn’t a tough circuit in terms of tyre wear so it may not be an advantage here. The other name that their rivals keep mentioning is Force India – there seems to be a distinct feeling that they may spring some more suprises in 2010 and Bahrain may be a circuit that suits their low drag philosophy. Williams also look to be in good shape. The one team that everyone seems to be keeping quiet about is Renault – they have a lot of updates ready for this weekend but they’ve yet to spark any interest from the opposition.

Then there are the three new teams at the back. Nobody is expecting them to threaten the rest of the field, indeed the talk is more about re-introducing the old 107% qualifying rule to ensure they’re up to scratch. Never-the-less this private little battle will also be worth watching unfold.

The Circuit…

One of the most unique destinations on the calendar due to its location, the imposing desert backdrop significantly influences track conditions over the Grand Prix weekend at Sakhir. The blowing winds intermittently blast desert sands onto the circuit which inevitably pose certain challenges for all but the leading driver as they pursue their counterparts and their cars are faced with air infused with damaging sand particles. “The circuit lay-out in Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners,” says Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber’s technical director. “The downforce level will be a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages overtaking and this means you can’t disregard the need for top-speed.”

More on the circuit, including lap simulation, here.

How nice it is to move on from USF1 and actually talk about the three teams that will be in Bahrain? Most of the attention is inevitably focussed on the sharp end of the grid with four World Champions and a raft of teams all looking capable of winning a race in 2010. Yet, for me at least, the back of the grid is every bit as intriguing. Three new teams hoping to make their mark, perhaps only hoping to survive their first season, and having got to Bahrain in three different ways. There has been a lot of hostility from certain other teams and drivers, although McLaren and Mercedes at least have been more welcoming.

Despite having, in effect, the least amount of time to prepare, Lotus have arrived with the minimum of fuss and taking what might seem like the traditional route of designing their own car, tried and tested in the windtunnel. By comparison, Virgin are breaking new ground, relying entirely on computer modelling to assess their design. Hispania, on the other hand, have circumvented all of that altogether by simply going shopping, leaving it all in the capable hands of Dallara. It’s far from a new idea but with the FIA now wanting ‘teams’ to be ‘constructors’ the days of buying a chassis from another team, dropping in a Cosworth DFV and going off racing would seem long past.

“We could have this quite bizarre situation whereby we’d be leaping for joy, saying we’ve got fantastic correlation between CFD and what we’re measuring on the track, yet we could still be four seconds off the pace. That would be because we, as a group, weren’t clever enough.”
Nick Wirth

But which way is best? Having experienced CFD and other computer modelling software for many years, I’ve always treated it with caution. CFD is only as good as our own understanding of fluid behaviour and it’s still something of a dark art – the turbulent wake behind the wheels is one area of potential weakness in the model. Then again, exactly the same could be said for the windtunnel. Engineers and aerodynamicists still need to interpret what they observe – the only difference is that windtunnels have been used for longer. Yet even though teams have more experience with them, we’re still treated to comments along the lines of “the testing data seems to match up with that observed in the windtunnel” as if they’re pleasantly surprised.

It’s not really even as if we can judge on the track. Windtunnel or CFD, neither generate the design themselves – that’s all in the hands of the designer and a little spark of creativity. That said, if Virgin’s VR-01 can hold it’s own against Hispania and Lotus it’ll be a significant victory for Nick Wirth. Virgin don’t have the budget to compete with Ferrari, windtunnel or no windtunnel, but they may well illustrate that CFD is a more economical approach to developing the car when weighed alongside their closest rivals.

That just leaves Hispania. Their car has been delivered courtesy of Dallara and if you have no experience of designing a car yourself, buying from Dallara is an entirely sensible approach. However, missing testing certainly wasn’t part of the plan. Bruno Senna has been bullish, claiming that the car could be a good second faster than their rivals. Yet, even as he admits, no testing means setting up the car will be a challenge and you feel it may take a lot of luck to get the balance of the car just right.

Which way is best? Maybe the lesson from USF1 is that just getting to the grid is the major battle won. What happens on the track, in the first season at least, will just be the icing on the cake. After all, there’s more than one way to skin a cat…

Meeting in Bahrain, the World Motor Sport Council has clarified its procedures in the wake of the overturning of Flavio Briatore’s ban in order to demonstrate the independance of prosecution and judgment functions in disciplinary matters:
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The FIA President exercises the function of prosecution. He conducts the inquiries and decides to bring a matter before the judging body of the WMSC when he considers that there is reason to do so.

The judging body of the WMSC is made up of all the Council members with the exception of any member who has taken part in the inquiry or investigation. It is chaired by the FIA Deputy President for Sport.

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The roles of the FIA President and the WMSC are now clearly separated, and any decision of the judging body will be taken in the absence of the FIA President and any person who has taken part in the inquiry or investigation. The FIA International Court of Appeal will continue to hear any appeals.

It’s a remarkable turn around for the FIA after years of Max Mosley, the FIA and WMSC being pretty much interchangable terms for the same thing. Is the FIA finally starting to act like a proper professional body rather than some kind of private members club? Maybe some good has come out of Crashgate but meanwhile, the Todt revolution continues. Lets hope it continues.