Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn was satisfied with the impact of 2019's rule changes at the Australian Grand Prix.
On a circuit that is notoriously difficult to pass on, the new aero configuration - with wider, simpler wings amid other tweaks - faced a baptism of fire as to whether they would work as desired.
But a total of 14 overtakes compared to just three 12 months ago, certainly indicated F1 is now on the right path.
“The initial signs are encouraging, especially as apart from the actual overtakes; we saw some thrilling battles," Brawn said in his post-race debrief.
“Clearly those weren’t all down to the new aerodynamics, as the performance of the midfield teams especially has closed up dramatically.
“However, several drivers said the cars felt more neutral when following another when compared to previous years.
“Here too, the Australian track isn’t the most accurate test, so I’d prefer to wait for at least another three races before drawing any conclusions. However, the initial signs are encouraging.”
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Then there was the very late decision to award a point for fastest lap, which led to some dissension within Mercedes as drivers ignored an order from team boss Toto Wolff.
“The return to awarding a point to the driver and team who set the race fastest lap livened up the closing stages of the race, as [Max] Verstappen tried to nudge out [Valtteri] Bottas, who had his hands on that particular prize," Brawn said.
“In a race in which the podium positions seemed set from early on, the fight to claim that one extra point, in the knowledge that it could be vitally important in the closing stages of the championship, was exactly what we and the FIA had in mind when it came up with the idea.”
