With the test at Bahrain cancelled (it does not take place until next week in Barcelona) and the opening race postponed, Formula 1 has been rather shy in the news for the last seven days or so and was facing yet another week out of the spotlight.
During these instances, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone occasionally pops up to say something to keep the media machine ticking right along and this week was no exception.
In an interview a few days ago, Ecclestone made some choice comments about the movable rear wing (some real problems there) and the possibility of racing in Bahrain in August (that could be difficult for all involved) and suddenly a story is invented. Add in a proposition of section of a Grand Prix with a designated amount of “rain fall” in order to spice things up and you have an explosive story.
It’s all nonsense of course.
In reality, rain sectors during Grand Prix is an absurd idea – just as absurd as corners with short cuts (remember that?); however a number of publications will potentially publish it, with a few choice quotes from former-racers denouncing the idea as ridiculous.
The chances are, the people writing and quoting in these stories will already know the score, fully aware that the moment a molecule of “real” news comes along, the idea of planned rain will disappear into a puff of smoke as it had never existed.
It should be interesting to see who dives head first with the “rain” story.
It has certainly kept us all on our toes while we wait with bated breath for the delayed start to the season. I’m not totally averse to the idea of artificially wet races on an irregular basis at the modern, boring tracks such as Bahrain – If you remember last year it was a wash-out even without a fake wet track.
Bahrain was hamstrung slightly by the dreadful section they added that really only served to string each other out. However, I noted today that the FIA are apparently looking at circuits that struggle with overtaking with a view to potentially having them altered.
Just get rid of the slow-mid speed chicanes says I..!