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The sport section of The Observer has an article today reviewing the rather boring non-event that is Formula One at the moment. It cuts to the heart of the issue for me: There’s very little actual racing going on, and so much of the jockeying for position takes place at the hands of the engineers when the cars come in for their pit stops.

I know a few folk who have been F1 fans in the past, who now just don’t bother watching or following it, and I’m very much getting that way myself. Even the starts and opening laps, often the most exciting part of the entire race, are getting a bit dull now.

I’d a lot of hope that the manufacturers, or at least the merchant bankers, might have given Ecclestone the boot after the hoo-ha over the F1 administrative rights company and the rival series that was threatened for a while. But they’ve all bowed to his manoeuvrings, and seemingly signed up to continue with things roughly as they are, with Ecclestone at the head. So much for a big shake up.

This is all bad news for the fans, and with a driver like Montoya leaving (although he never really shined in the way we all hoped), I’m just not very optimistic that there’s much chance of the sizeable change to the rules or system that’s needed to get more overtaking - the heart of motor racing. I’d go as far as to say scrap re-fueling, which would at least even-out the playing field some more and reduce the role that the pitlane plays in the end result.

As it is though, I’m now at the point that I may watch a race when it’s on, and I’m not doing anything else, but the excitement has largely gone for me that I’ll plan my Sunday around it.