Spectacle improved but has the racing in Formula One lost its purity?
2010 was undoubtedly a thrilling season. However, although it was one of the most dramatic in living memory with four drivers entering the final race still in with a chance of winning the championship, there was still a lack of overtaking. In most races last year, drivers made just one pit stop for tyres meaning the strategy side of things was very simple and most races ended up being predictable.
This year though it seems like we’re watching a completely different racing category. When Pirelli replaced the outgoing Bridgestone as the sole tyre manufacture in Formula One, they were told to manufacture a tyre which would improve the spectacle – so far they have certainly not failed with their task. The tyres are so unpredictable and the difference in speed between the option and prime tyre has led to much more overtaking than last year when there was very little margin between the compounds in terms of the performance. While the tyres have had the greatest effect, the adjustable rear wing and the reintroduction of KERS have also played a large part in improving the spectacle.
Although the season had a slow start in Australia, the last two races have been brilliant with Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix arguably one of the best races in the last decade. There was action all the way down the field and no one quite knew what was going to be the final outcome. Eventually it was Lewis Hamilton who won ahead of championship leader Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber who drove a fantastic race to finish a remarkable 3rd after starting 18th on the grid.
However, while the new rules have undoubtedly improved the action, there are some people questioning whether some of the purity has been lost from the sport. With the new rules and tyres, overtaking has become a lot easier and the Chinese Grand Prix emphasised that fact with an incredible 85 overtakes in 56 laps. While the tyres may be having the biggest effect on the increase of passes, it’s KERs and the DRS that are coming under scrutiny for taking some of the purity away from the sport. It doesn’t exactly take a lot of skill for a driver to push a button to activate his rear wing in which he then gains an advantage over the car ahead.
Then again, is it right that a driver can be three seconds a lap quicker than anyone else due to having fresher tyres. When this scenario occurs, the cars in front are defenceless. In fact one could argue that there is little point of putting up a fight but surely this doesn’t fit with the word racing. Pirelli have been praised though for creating such excitement but one wonders how much the drivers are enjoying it. Do they relish a pass as much as they did last year when overtaking was so much harder?
After all they are racers and ultimately they want to be able to pass a driver without too much help from technology. However, while the drivers may have some reservations about the new rules, the fans are certainly revelling in the new found entertainment that the sport is providing.
