Bahrain: A Rather Dry Experience

After watching the first session qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix this afternoon, it stuck me again just how much I disliked this circuit.

I had the same feeling last year, but decided to delay judgment until this year to see if the conditions would improve any, but still we are faced with the same desert induced problems, such as sand, dirt and and an overall very unappealing setting.

Although Alanso's qualifying one lap, wasn't bad, watching the car maneuvering around corners and breaking, it still seemed to be at an almost stop start pace.

All the drivers out on the circuit today, seemed to struggle a bit finding a good line or had slight trouble on the breaking. The cars just didn't seem to be able to flow as well as they would say on the Spa circuit. Now I know some might say that this because the 2005 cars are still in their nip and tuck stages, where the drivers and cars are only starting to get the feel of each other, but still this is no excuse for the lack luster racing that we've seen so far this weekend.

They designed Bahrain to have several different racing lines and to be spectators friendly, but in the end it seems all they achieved, is a track, that offers the spectator a front row seat to how a driver tries to figure out, which one of those many racing lines to use.

I understand that in the world of motor racing promoters tend to go where the money is, but really does this mean we have to build a racing circuit wherever there is a rich or influential Formula One fan?

Frankly if I wanted to see racing through desert terrain, I would watch off roading and not Formula One.