Well, it's kind of inevitable it ends up like that.
You have a formula where the fastest cars start at the front, and are now quite reliable, so you're likely to have little overtaking bar drivers out-of-position due to poor qualifying or during the pit-stop window.
The tyre degradation and the choice of tyres added some variety which mixed up the strategies and pace/positions; but now with even the Ultras quite durable there are probably going to be fewer scenarios where faster cars are positioned behind slower, bar the (likely, one-per-race) pitstops.
This is kind of how it's always been, the old factors used to be refueling, more recently it's been tyre deg, now there's not really anything.
Hamilton is already have a strop about the new regulations. His team told him he needed to pass the Red bull car in front of him and replied, that there was no chance in that happening. He also complained that following another car was killing his tyres. I thought that over taking other cars was part of his job and Seb managed to follow Hamilton for the 1st stint of the race, without too many issues.
He was having a strop as much as many of the other drivers. I think he knows a bit more about racing than you do and it could well be that Mercedes have given him a car that should be leading, and struggles when it gets in traffic.
I've watched F1 since 1978 and most season since. I found it odd last year when the new regulations were announced. For over a decade now the battle has been to make it easier to overtake and all of a sudden the new rules do the exact opposite. It all kind of made sense when Bernie sold up, now liberty Media have a first season where braking distances are shorter meaning less out-braking room. Wider lower wings cause more turbulent air behind the car so any chance of a tow is gone plus +15 degrees more on the side board wings making the area of disturbed air greater than it was not to mention the wider cars which just adds to the pain of overtaking.
It's a real shame to of seen these changes made, the sport was getting good again with last years races finishing with the leading bunch fairly close to each other. I can honestly say that this weekends race was terrible in my opinion. I can only hope it gets better but still good to see Ferrari win again!
Surely you know then Bran that there's hardly ever been much overtaking! The best seasons, Hakkinen vs Schumacher 15 years ago for example, had hardly any overtakes, they were awesome for the 3 or 4 amazing overtakes that defined the season. The last 3 years have been the Mercedes show, you can't really say that the leading bunch are finishing close, plus the cars looked terrible.
I agree that the rules are a bit counter-productive, but I have faith in Brawn's ability to bring natural racing back. The cars look better, there does need to be change and wider tyres was a step in the right direction.
This weekend was boring, but almost every Australia race has been boring (sorry people of Oz!). I think we need to give this season a few more races, but I do still think it'll be relatively boring until Brawn and his Independant "Make F1 Great Again" team can really get into action.
