Button says Formula 1 drivers can help with rules

Formula One aficionados will be praying that this weekend's Australian Grand Prix serves up more of a spectacle than the two hour procession witnessed in Bahrain.

Even Jenson Button, the world champion, admitted to stifling a yawn as the 'Bahrain train' snaked its way round the circuit. And the McLaren driver says that if things do not improve over the next few races then the organisers should talk to those who get behind the wheel about how to make things more interesting.

Speaking in Melbourne ahead of the second race of the season, Button identified two key reasons why overtaking has become trickier in 2010 - narrower tyres and the aerodynamics of the car when in the 'dirty air' behind another vehicle.

He said that the drivers understood the problems as they were the ones at the sharp end of the rule changes. "We know what we need to overtake," he stated.

"We have taken away a lot of mechanical grip with going to a narrow front tyre, but we have more downforce on the car than we had last year," he explained. "So the problem is when you come up behind someone, you lose that downforce and you don't have the mechanical grip you had last year."

Button did not appear to hold out much hope of the problem sorting itself out naturally. "It is a very tricky situation and I hope it is different here. But if you look at it, you'd say it is going to be the same as Bahrain," he said. "Hopefully the next couple of races will be more fun but, if not, then we can all work together to improve it."

The Melbourne street circuit presents very different challenges to the Bahrain track and is tougher on tyres so there is some hope that there might be some intrigue during the race.

Last year Button won the race on his debut for Brawn GP, now Mercedes, and says the circuit holds a lot of happy memories for him. He hopes to add a few more this weekend, but aside from the task of making the race interesting he, and the rest of the grid, must contend with the sheer pace of the Ferrari and Red Bull cars, which served notice of their superiority last time out.

"I think we have the right downforce package for Sunday so I'm hoping we will be in the mix," said Button. "I don't think the Red Bulls are unbeatable although they and Ferrari are both very strong." ·