Eric Boullier, team principal of Lotus, said: “F1 remains attractive today to
a lot of companies. It is the only truly global sport.”
In Melbourne the sport has had an occasionally suspect showcase for its
assets, as for only the third time in a decade a Formula One qualifying
session was postponed until race day, with heavy rain causing chaos. The
second and third instalments were delayed until the following morning, in a
decision supported by McLaren’s Jenson Button.
“When it gets too wet for these tyres it doesn’t matter what speed you drive,
you will aquaplane,” Button said. “The tyre cannot take that amount of
water, especially when there is a river running across the circuit. You
don’t know where it is when you arrive, there is no difference between the
rivers and the circuit – it is just one big lake. And when you hit a river
you are completely out of control. You might as well just take your hands
off the steering wheel because it does what it wants.”
The 2009 world champion admitted that the FIA, which sanctioned the
postponement of qualifying to race day, is taking ever more concerted steps
to improving driver safety.
“This is about a guy trying to tame a 750 horsepower F1 car, in conditions
where he can possibly do so. You can say 30 years ago that they probably
would have raced in these conditions, but safety has come a long way. I am
very happy to be racing at this moment in time.”