Mark Webber is confident F1 can recover from its less-than-emphatic season-opener in Bahrain and deliver excitement in 2010.
Red Bull driver says time needed for teams to adjust to new rules
Mark Webber is confident Formula One can recover from its less-than-emphatic season-opener in Bahrain and deliver excitement in 2010.
The Australian, who finished eighth for Red Bull last weekend, was one of a number of big names in the sport to criticise the lack of action - Webber labelling the race "pretty boring".
Much like Michael Schumacher, Webber said new rules banning refuelling, together with tyres that were extremely durable, led to a predictable race with few overtaking opportunities.
He also thought the best way for his home grand prix in Melbourne, which takes place next weekend, to be livened up would be for the weather to intervene.
However, with 18 races still to be run this year, Webber believes a combination of tracks more exciting than Sakhir and teams becoming less cautious as they adapt to the new rules will improve matters.
He said: "There definitely will be some more exciting races than we saw in Bahrain - which won't be hard.
"We've just come off the back of three really good seasons, with Lewis Hamilton going down to the last race in 2008 to win the championship, and Jenson Button's title fight last year in a season where we saw some really good overtaking.
"That is what we have to aim to get back to, and I think we can.
"I don't think there will be any big change taking place to improve racing, but teams will get used to the new rules and the different circuits we go to will play their part."
Disappointing
Even so, Webber is still smarting after the opening race, in which he tailed both Schumacher and Jenson Button throughout without a clear-cut chance to overtake.
He also said new tyres for the current season - the fronts being narrower and therefore offering less grip - were contributing to the situation.
"Bahrain was a very disappointing race for me," he said.
"Some of the other drivers were going through the same thing - I know Jenson was with Michael (Schumacher) at the end.
"It's one thing it being difficult to overtake, but there wasn't even a sniff to have a look at a pass.
"Solutions? Well, I think the tyres are a pretty big part of it.
"They are set for the season, but they're different to last year and not as easy to follow at all. There's less grip now following people."
One suggestion to improve things is for two pit stops to become mandatory.
"It wouldn't hurt it," added Webber.
"There is a lot of effort that goes into one pit stop. It's all over in under four seconds and it's pretty predictable now around when that stop will happen.
"If there are two stops that could involve a bit more tension and the potential for errors within the team as a whole will increase.
"Two stops will help, but that may not be the solution for more overtaking on the track."
