Just two weeks after the global condemnation of the processional season opener in Bahrain, Australia’s Albert Park on Sunday hosted a thrilling second round of the 2010 world championship.
Ahead of the Malaysian race in just a few days, F1 team bosses had organised to meet to discuss the apparent rules crisis, with rafts of proposals on the table to ward off the problems of Bahrain-type boredom.
But although the occasionally drizzling skies played their role in the exciting race, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost said the 58-laps in Melbourne were "a lesson to those who seem to want to change the rules every five minutes".
Michael Schumacher finished a disappointing tenth in Australia due to an early wing change and a long scrap with Jaime Alguersuari.
But he had been initially critical of the new rules formula in Bahrain, and after the Australian race commented: "For the fans it was a great race after a little bit of criticism, quite rightly, for the first race. But here, today, I think we made up for it a little bit," added the seven time world champion.