Overtaking will "definitely" be more difficult with Formula One's new-for-2017 cars, something the sport's drivers seemed to unanimously agree on after the Australian Grand Prix.
The Albert Park race was the beginning of F1's new era, which has new regulations aimed at dramatically reducing lap times and making cars more difficult to drive. However, the race appeared to confirm long-held concerns the added levels of downforce would reduce overtaking opportunities due to the increased difficulties in following another vehicle.
Race-winner Sebastian Vettel said the new rules have increased the distance that turbulence is felt behind another car.
"It is, definitely [more difficult]," he said. "Even in years before it has been difficult to follow once you get within one and a half or one second, just because the turbulent air messes up the aerodynamics of the car. That means you don't know have that much grip while following another car and now as more of the grip from the car is relying on the aero it's a bigger effect.
"Also, the cars are wider so I think there's more turbulent air, so I think it's more like two seconds or two and a half that you actually feel quite a big effect from the car in front and that way in the corners it is more difficult to follow. Obviously you have a bigger slipstream in the straight but if you can't follow in the corners then it's tricky to get a slipstream, so that's the problem."
Overtaking played a critical part in the battle for the lead, with Lewis Hamilton unable to get past Max Verstappen at a crucial moment in the race after his pit-stop. The Mercedes driver had fresh rubber but held up behind the Red Bull driver, who was yet to pit, and it enabled Vettel to emerge from his own stop just ahead -- giving him a lead he ultimately never relinquished.
Explaining the impact that had on the end of his race, Hamilton said: "In the second part of the race I had stopped like eight laps before these guys, so I just didn't know how long my tyres were going to go, so I took it easy. And at the end I got more pace. Even if I did close the gap, you can't overtake. I may not have made it to the end of the race having stopped so early."
Another good example of the difficulties in overtaking came in the battle for tenth late in the race, as Fernando Alonso held off the significantly faster duo of Force India's Esteban Ocon and Renault's Nico Hulkenberg. Despite catching Alonso with ease, both spent many laps bottled up behind the orange and black McLaren and only got by when the Spaniard made an uncharacteristic error.
"Me and Nico were a lot faster than Fernando, but we couldn't get close so that was very tough," Ocon said. "He did a small mistake out of Turn 12 and I managed to get close and get my shot..."
That mistake allowed the pair to get by in a thrilling three-wide moment at Turn 1, but Hulkenberg was unable to snatch tenth off Ocon in the closing stages. Hulkenberg said there was no chance of passing the pink Force India without Ocon making an error.
"I was hoping he would have a little bit of a problem on the soft and I was obviously on the ultra-soft," said Hulkenberg. "But quickly I understood that it wasn't going to happen.And these cars, the dirty air is huge, so overtaking -- almost impossible. I probably could have gone more than a second quicker, but it's just not in there."
One consequence of the grippier cars is that drivers can now brake significantly later than in previous years. Force India's Sergio Perez says the following car now needs a significant pace advantage on the car in front to make an overtake work under braking.
"Following in F1 is alright, it is more overtaking," Perez said. "To overtake some car ahead, given the brake distance is a lot shorter and grip limit is a lot shorter you really need a big delta difference. One second is not enough, you need at least two and a half second to be able to pass. It is harder to overtake."