The Morning After: Bahrain Babble

Strange how things pan out: when first Formula 1 decamped in Bahrain in 2004, the world was aghast. Here was a desert island situated a few kilometres off the Saudi Arabia coast with no F1 heritage or even a claim to interest in the sport, yet it had been a granted a date at a flat, featureless circuit laid in a vast expanse of sand which stretched as far as the eye could see.

Over the years the Sakhir International Circuit got itself slammed: at times rightly so, for despite a snazzy circuit, the infrastructure was seriously lacking; at others, simply because it had the temerity to replace ‘traditional’ venues such as Imola on Bernie Ecclestone’s calendars by way of petro-dollars. Lots of them.

Yet, this weekend past virtually everybody gushed about the place. Reasonably priced hotels – long a bugbear of the race –were available after the circuit’s management pressured local establishments into dropping their rip-off approach, immigration procedures were a breeze and the circuit’s transport system – free-of-charge to all – worked a dream, making the daily 40 kilometre return commute through endless sand dunes the work of a moment.

But, to top it all, F1 really delivered. The 57-lap grand prix featured non-stop action, with the new regulations – which combine low aero grip with high levels of mechanical grip via slick tyres, and the option of kinetic energy recovery systems providing bursts of 80 bhp for up to six seconds – facilitating one of the most fascinating dry races in recent history.

Yes, Jenson Button won at a canter, taking his (and Brawn GP’s) third win in four races, but it was far from an easy race for the Briton. In fact, it is doubtful whether he would have taken the chequer had not Lewis Hamilton delayed Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull after elbowing his KERS-equipped McLaren past the German’s non-hybrid car.

The layout of SIC, with three long drag chutes, favours KERS cars, allowing the reigning champ to jump Vettel in the run to Turn 1, then hold him up through the twisty bits before sprinting off into the distance.

Lap after lap Hamilton visibly pulled gaps of 10 – 12 metres on Seb down the straights; however, once the China winner pitted and put clear air between himself and the silver car, he circulated two seconds a lap quicker. But, the 12 laps spent behind Hamilton enabled Button, who started one slot off Vettel’s third on the grid, to pull an unassailable lead, and that was that.

Man of the race, though, was Kimi Räikkönen, who after a run of lack-lustre races showed just why he deserved the 2007 title by forcing his recalcitrant Ferrari F60 from tenth on the grid to sixth (conceivably fifth or higher had not a front cooling duct played up during the Finn’s second stop), thereby scoring Ferrari’s first points of 2009.

But, once again the weekend was marked by politics and polemics. On Wednesday FIA president Max Mosley circulated a letter to all teams in which he requested them to cooperate in establishing budget cap levels to which all teams would be required to adhere in the interests of cost saving.

Not a problem, said team bosses, except they were granted less than 24 hours to respond with numbers which will change F1 forever. Not surprisingly single fingers were being waved vigorously all weekend...

Then on Friday a 57-page engine study was leaked to selected media members. Research had been commissioned from the respected engineering consultancy Ricardo by the FIA as part of an initiative to standardise on engines across no less than 11 motorsport categories.

Yes, you heard that right: motorsport’s governing body is considering a one-size-fits-all inline four cylinder engine to power F3, world touring cars, DTM, world rally cars, LMP1 and 2 sports cars, GrandAm, GP2, A1GP, IRL and F1. According to the FIA’s grand plan, power outputs would range from 200 bhp to 650 bhp, with the first two categories being naturally aspirated and the rest turbo’d.

All will be debated at the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council meet in Paris on Wednesday – in addition to budget caps, and charges that McLaren lied to the Melbourne officials. In the interim I plan to enjoy being back at base for only the second weekend since mid-March. Then it’s off to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Trust me, the relentless grind never stops