Ever since the debate around the new engine note began in Melbourne – the
latest idea on that front is a double exhaust, with a “megaphone”
incorporated into the design – Formula One has got itself into a state of
perpetual self-flagellation.
The fundamental problem is that the dominance of one team (Red Bull) has
simply been replaced with the dominance of another (Mercedes).
Fernando Alonso, a respected voice in the paddock, agreed with his president’s
sentiment. “The show that we’ve put in this year is not good enough in some
of the races,” the two-time champion said. “Also, when one team is
dominating so much as Mercedes, probably the spectators prefer some more
action.”
One thing F1 does seem to have got right is its return to Austria and
resplendent Red Bull Ring. Despite all the corporate branding (even the
police here are wearing Red Bull tops), the enormous bull statue in the
centre of the circuit, and the renaming of the Niki Lauda curve after a
German tool company, there is something about this charming little venue
which marks a reconnection with the sport’s more relaxed roots.
“It’s a mixture of old and new,” Gerhard Berger, Austria’s last grand prix
winner, said. “The racetrack and the facilities are very modern, but in the
old days we used to race on airfields or where nothing happen. Everybody
feels good here because it gives a relaxed atmosphere.”
But even a new track cannot change the pecking order this year: Mercedes
continue to look the overwhelming favourites for pole position and the race
win. While Rosberg and Lewis
Hamilton continued to dominate, Sebastian Vettel got the closest he
has done all year to victory doughnuts, only this time with a 720 degrees
spin on the pit straight. Red Bull will struggle to challenge at their
homecoming this weekend.