If one was to have a glance at the timing reports this weekend, and then compare it to the ones from last year, one conclusion would easily come to mind: Formula 1 is becoming a slower sport. Webber’s best time on Saturday was a full second slower than what he’d managed in Catalunya last year, and his worries don’t stop there.
Considering the way Pirelli has been designing tires this season – much more aggressive than the Bridgestone Potenzas from 2010, which means they wear out faster – lap times at the end of each stint are now comparable with the ones recorded by GP3 cars.
“We need to be careful with our long run pace that we don't get too close to the other categories,” admitted Webber after scoring his first pole position this season. “I don't think the long runs are particularly impressive for a Formula One car round here.”
“If you look at a GP3 lap time, I think they did a 1:38 and some of my laps at the end of my long run (in practice) were in the 1:30s, and I think the budget's a little bit different,” he added, with a little bit of irony in his voice.
Webber is clearly not the only driver in the F1 field that feels this way, but he is the first to speak out on the matter. Another racer who agrees with his stance is McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who addressed reporters after the Saturday qualifying: “Too slow at the moment, isn't it?”
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