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- 2010 Season
Webber blames new front tyres for lack of overtaking
ESPNF1 Staff
March 19, 2010
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Overtaking proved difficult in Bahrain © Sutton Images
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Mark Webber believes the narrower front tyres introduced this season to improve the car's balance were key to the lack of overtaking at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Tyres were pinpointed as a main reason for the lack of excitement last weekend, as they did not degrade as quickly as the teams had expected. However, Webber has revealed that the narrower front tyres, regardless of degradation, have made it more difficult to pass.
"Well, I think the tyres are a pretty big part of it," he told BBC Sport. "They are set for the season but they're different to last year and not as easy to follow at all. There's less grip now following people."
One of the suggestions to improve the show this year is to introduce a mandatory second pit stop. Webber believes it might make the race more exciting for TV audiences but doubts it will do anything for overtaking.
"It wouldn't hurt it," he said. "There is a lot of effort that goes into one pit stop, it's all over in under four seconds and it's pretty predictable now around when that stop will happen. If there are two stops that could involve a bit more tension and the potential for errors within the team as a whole will increase. Two stops will help but that may not be the solution for more overtaking on the track."
Nevertheless, Webber is confident there will be more entertaining races than Bahrain as the season wears on.
"There definitely will be some more exciting races than we saw in Bahrain - which won't be hard," he added. "There was a huge build-up but the race didn't deliver on that. We've just come off the back of three really good seasons of racing, with Lewis Hamilton going down to the last race in 2008 to win the championship, Jenson Button's title fight last year in a season where we saw some really good overtaking."
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