Australian Grand Prix preview

Formula 1 arrives in Australia under pressure to entertain following the waves of criticism directed at the season opener in Bahrain.

The Sakhir race just under a fortnight ago was far from the most tedious grand prix in F1 history, and it might even have been building up to a thrilling conclusion had Sebastian Vettel's engine not wilted.

Many teams' simulations had predicted that the Red Bull's tyres would fade and Ferrari insisted its drivers were biding their time for a late surge.

Had we seen Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa spectacularly wheel to wheel in the last three laps, no one would have remembered the 46 static tours beforehand.

But being realistic, we're probably clutching at idealistic straws even suggesting that a frenzied denouement was in prospect - every time Alonso had got close to Vettel earlier in the race the turbulence from the Red Bull's rear end left the Ferrari struggling for grip and eating its tyres.

And remember that same turbulence prevented Nico Rosberg from getting close enough to pass Vettel even when the Red Bull was struggling for power in the closing laps.

The problem of 'dirty air' isn't a new one, it's been frustrating drivers' passing attempts for years, but there are three reasons why it was such a spectacle killer at Sakhir.

In the refuelling era, even if an on-track overtake was unlikely, there were two or three chances to shake up the order in pit stops, and the last of these often came late on.

Fans could cope with everything being settled by the final dozen laps - what was depressing in Bahrain was that all the major stops were completed by lap 17, which meant a strong likelihood of nothing else happening in the remaining 32 laps, a whole hour of tedium given the Sakhir circuit extension.

The need to nurse tyres through such a long stint didn't help either.

Rather than burning through their rubber and then sliding around and changing positions, the drivers were urged to stay conservative and save tyre grip, especially if they were stuck behind a rival.

And most critically, with all the excitement about the ultra-close top eight battle, the fascinating line-up changes and renewed rivalries, and the return of Michael Schumacher, there were a lot more expectant eyes on F1 than usual.

Exactly the same rules will apply in Melbourne this weekend, so is there any hope of things improving?

Hopefully there is.

Despite the organisers' best efforts, Bahrain was a very flat venue for an opener, with its massive expanses and lack of local motorsport passion.

Albert Park's wall-lined confines, ultra-slippery temporary track surface, unique layout and huge crowd of motorsport-mad Aussies instantly raises the excitement level.

Weird things happen in Melbourne - it tends to be a race of high attrition and crazy incident.

The winner is very often the same man who emerges as champion, but behind him, this is one of the venues most likely to see an underdog on the podium.

It doesn't quite have Montreal's reputation for entertaining thrills and spills, but it's not far behind - think of Martin Brundle rolling in 1996, Jacques Villeneuve fighting for victory on his debut that year, David Coulthard giving the McLaren-Mercedes partnership its first win in 1997, Eddie Irvine's maiden victory, the 2002 startline carnage, Juan Pablo Montoya spinning away a certain win in 2003, 2005's topsy-turvy grid, or last year's late clash between Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel...

In Bahrain there was a lot of caution and tyre paranoia as no one really knew how the first race of the new era was going to unfold.

Now the teams are more confident that they can keep their Bridgestones alive through a long stint, and that will hopefully encourage a more gung-ho approach.

With the points gap between winning and merely being a frontrunner bigger than ever this year, those not on the podium in Bahrain can't afford to sit around gathering points - they have to take the fight to Fernando Alonso and Ferrari right now.

And as we've seen often enough in recent years - think some of Jenson Button's charges from poor grid spots late last year, the crazy 2003 British GP or 2005 Japanese GP - when drivers really have to overtake to salvage a title or recover from being put out of their deserved position, they do tend to find a way, turbulence or no turbulence.

The issue of on-track entertainment is set to remain a hot topic all weekend, and countless theories and suggestions are likely to be thrown into the mix.

But perhaps if Melbourne lives up to its reputation for action, the race will hopefully make all the post-Bahrain panic seem unnecessary.