24/03/2010
NEWS STORY
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Jenson Button believes that drivers should have more say when it comes to creating the rules for F1, claiming that because they are in the hot seat they have the knowledge and experience when it comes to spicing up the action.
As the build up to the Australian Grand Prix continues, everyone, not least Bernie Ecclestone, is hopeful that Albert Park will produce a classic as opposed to the procession witnessed in Bahrain. Predictions that there will be rain over the course of the weekend have never been so warmly received.
In the long term however, following the monumental failure of the Overtaking Working Group, and calls for serious revisions to the 2010 regulations after just one race, the 2009 world champion suggests that drivers should have a say when it comes to framing the sport's rules.
"The drivers have a good understanding of what the car is doing on the circuit and what the possibilities are of improving the car," he told reporters in Melbourne. "We know what we need to overtake and the thing is this season we have taken away a lot of mechanical grip what with going to a narrow front tyre. At the same time we have more downforce on the car than we had last year.
"The problem is when you come up behind someone, you lose that downforce and you don't have the mechanical grip you had last year to follow," he continued. "It is a very tricky situation and I hope it is different here. But if you look at it, you'd say it is going to be the same as Bahrain."
In the face of calls for mandatory pit stops and for Bridgestone to introduce a tyre that simply isn't as good as the tyres it has already produced, the Englishman said; "Let's not get too carried away, however, if the next two races are also not very exciting, then we as F1 need to look at the options and that's not just pointing a finger at one or two people. We all need to have ideas and hopefully we the drivers are listened to and we can improve the sport."
This is something that Pitpass has been saying for many years, with particular reference to the Grand Prix Drivers Association which should be demanding that its members have input not only in terms of spicing up the action but safety.
Then again, as one reader pointed out in his contribution to our post-Bahrain Talking Point, perhaps the drivers also share some of the blame.
Rafael del Castillo from Mexico wrote: "For me the only culprits are the drivers (and please note that I'm not using the word "racers" and not even "pilots"). The reality is that who can say that Jean Alesi had a good car on his debut year with Tyrrell? Yet he impressed everybody on his debut. And who doesn't remember Senna in a Toleman? Or Damon Hill drive in treacherous rain at Spa with an Arrows?"
Mr del Castillo omits to mention a certain Fernando Alonso in a Minardi, or a number of other sensational performances in 'inferior' machines over the years, but you get the point.
These guys have all worked their way up through the ranks, taking part in - and usually winning - keenly fought series where the action is almost frantic. Suddenly they arrive in F1 and it appears the racer's killer instinct is stifled.