It was one of the most eagerly-awaited F1 races ever – but the first Grand Prix of the new season in Bahrain turned out to be a real borefest!
Seven-time title winner Michael Schumacher was making his comeback, McLaren fielded an all-British, all-world champion line-up, Felipe Massa was back after injury, Mercedes made their debut... it was all going on.
But despite that, and a raft of new measures designed to make Formula 1less boring, it was a dull race.
It had an average TV audience of 10.51 million viewers in Germany, 49.2 per cent. But it was missing the great suspense and thrill of the past.
There were hardly any overtaking manoeuvres on the high speed track in the desert. Battles for position at the top or even among drivers further back were virtually non-existent.
Refuelling pitstops used to lead to exciting tactical races, but they have been banned under the new rules.
There was no trace of tension or excitement – Formula 1 could soon turn into Formula Yawn!
Schumi (41) emphasised this after the race: “The start was still the most interesting part. Afterwards it was a little bit of a procession, which was expected.
"In the first lap there were some battles, but after that it stopped everywhere".
He added: “You can't get too close to the guy in front, otherwise the car will overheat. You have to wait for someone to make a mistake or drop out. Everyone drives behind the other because you can’t overtake – that’s it!”
Bild.com
