25/03/2010
NEWS STORY
Bahrain Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso has hit out at those people who described the season opener as boring, telling them to consider following another sport.
At the end of a 49-lap 'race', which saw the leading ten barely change position from the starting lights to the chequered flag, fans, the media, drivers and team bosses all hit out at the snore-fest, particularly in light of the sense of anticipation ahead of the season opener.
However, speaking in Melbourne, Alonso, who benefited in Bahrain when race leader Sebastian Vettel suffered a spark plug failure 15 laps from the end, hit out at the critics.
"I think we need to be calm," he said. "We need to wait some races to see if the new rules have some impact in the show.
"Last year, of the first seven races, Jenson won six or seven," he continued. "It was boring? Maybe yes, maybe not, this is Formula One. Michael won five championships consecutively, it was boring? Maybe yes, maybe no, this is Formula One.
"This is about technology, about how precise everything is in terms of driver, mechanics, engineering, everything. So people that want extra show, maybe they should reconsider whether they want to watch Formula One."
Referring to the outcome of the Bahrain event, the Spaniard said: "It was a fight between Vettel and the two Ferraris, behind was a fight between Rosberg and Hamilton in the first part, and then between Michael, Jenson and Webber in the second part.
"I think we are in a part of the championship with very interesting races that are coming now," he added. "So I think after these races we will better know whether (we have) an entertaining show or not."
Fact is, it is the 'customers', the TV audience, that calls the shots no matter what Fernando might think. If they feel that races are boring and start following the Spaniard's advice by switching to other sports it won't be long before the reverberations are felt throughout the paddock.