The inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix consisted of the same drivers and teams following established form on a new but instantly familiar Hermann Tilke designed circuit. The result was the same as in previous races, but the event will ultimately be remembered for being 'different'. Atlas F1's Richard Barnes reviews the weekend's events

There's a colloquialism that is well known to those who have travelled in Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian countries - 'same same... but different'. When a tourist buys a luxury coach ticket, gets loaded onto an ancient rust-bucket bus standing next to a shiny new luxury coach, and wonders aloud whether his ticket price didn't justify a seat on the newer bus, the local driver will turn to him with a smile and explain 'same same... but different'. It's a phrase that neatly sums up Sunday's inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the new Hermann Tilke designed Bahrain International Circuit. Although 'different... but same same' might be more accurate.

No matter where a Grand Prix is held, there are certain 'same same' factors in Formula One that are as reliable as the tides. One of these is that Michael Schumacher and Ferrari will adapt to the new conditions quickest, and will somehow conjure a way to be fastest. It happened at Malaysia 1999, Indianapolis 2000, Hockenheim 2002 and now again at Bahrain 2004. While it's true that Malaysia 1999 will go down in history as an Eddie Irvine victory, Schumacher was streets ahead of everybody else on that day. Forcing himself to finish second required extraordinary patience and restraint on the German's part.

It's not just that Schumacher wins at new circuits, it's the dominance that he displays in doing so. Only Irvine's manufactured win at Sepang 99 and David Coulthard's fastest lap at Indianapolis 2000 prevented Schumacher from achieving the 'trifecta' of victory, pole and fastest lap at each of F1's four newest layouts.

Even with the best package, victory at new circuits is not always a straightforward proposition for Ferrari and Schumacher. On Saturday morning, Jenson Button's BAR and the Williams pairing of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya seemed to have the measure of the Scuderia. That perception increased when Rubens Barrichello managed only eleventh fastest in the pre-qualifying. Yet, not even an hour later, the Ferraris had blitzed the front row of the grid, even with Schumacher making two mistakes on his qualifying lap. It's frightening to consider how dominant he might have been had he nailed the lap perfectly.

It comes down to a mixture of Ferrari's exhaustive preparations and professionalism, Schumacher's versatility in adjusting his style on the fly and his equal ability to climb into a car cold and immediately get right on the pace. It's a combination that leaves the rest stranded, and it would take a brave punter indeed to bet against Schumacher making it five in a row in China later in the season.

Depressingly, even for this early in the season, another reliable trend has emerged - that Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren will not only expire, it'll usually be the first car in the field to do so. Even more disconcertingly for McLaren, their Finnish championship contender hasn't even managed to reach the first pitstops on two occasions - retiring on lap nine in Australia and two laps earlier at Bahrain.

It's a trend that must have Juan Pablo Montoya, the other major rival for Schumacher's crown, wondering whether his move to McLaren in 2005 won't be the worst mistake of his career. Although Williams are not the most driver-friendly team in the paddock, few drivers have ever left them and benefited. At least former WDC Damon Hill could take consolation from the fact that his departure wasn't voluntary.

The other 'same same' factor at Bahrain was Jenson Button's consistent patience and smoothness. He hasn't changed his style markedly since his entry into F1, it's just that he now has the machinery and the reliability to grab the attention. It's one of the ironies of F1 that a driver's style is often judged more by the capabilities of the car than the driver. A young gun who manhandles a backmarker car further up the grid than it belongs will be called 'exciting' - until the day that he gets a better car and falls off the road. Then he'll suddenly become 'wild' and 'irresponsible'.

Likewise, an ultra-smooth driver who nurses an ill-handling and uncompetitive car to the finish will often be called 'uninspired'. Until the day that his unruffled patience and conservative style result in an unexpected victory, when he will suddenly morph into 'the next Prost'.

Button may not be the next Prost yet, but his race on Sunday was testament to his patient style. While younger drivers like Jaguar's Christian Klien and Renault's Fernando Alonso were zig-zagging from kerb to kerb in their efforts to pass rivals, Button slotted in neatly behind teammate Takuma Sato, keeping up steady pressure and waiting for Sato to make a mistake.

If it hadn't worked, Button would have endured criticism for not forcing the issue. In Sato's case, it was a smart call. The young Japanese driver is nothing if not inconsistent, and it wasn't long before he obliged Button by running wide onto the rumble strips and damaging his front wing. It was a scenario that played out countless times in Prost's career - the young gun blasting ahead of the wily Professor, only to fall off the road and watch helplessly as the Frenchman sailed serenely past.

Button may still face criticism in future for being too conservative, and many wondered if he'd pushed the car hard enough in qualifying behind teammate Sato on Saturday. But, for the moment, his approach is paying dividends. Two successive podium finishes have seen him emerge as the leading non-Ferrari driver in the WDC, a scenario that would have been dismissed by even his own fans as wild fantasy during the pre-season.

For now, Button is clearly loving the unexpectedly good results, just as Fernando Alonso did at times during 2003. If Button finds himself in a championship-challenging position in future, it will be interesting to see how he reacts. Nothing challenges 'smooth and steady' as much as genuine championship pressure.

So much for the 'same same'. Even if Bahrain 2004 consisted of the same drivers and teams following established form on a new but instantly familiar Hermann Tilke circuit, the race will ultimately be remembered for being 'different'. And nothing highlighted that difference more than the first aerial shot of the circuit, a thin black ribbon of tarmac in an ocean of sand.

It was certainly a dramatic departure from the rolling greenery of the sport's European roots. Initially, the purists huffed and puffed that traction on the new surface should be compromised by such a humble natural element as dust. But this is the pinnacle of the sport, contested by the best drivers in the fastest cars. If they have to deal with bone-jarring bumps on some circuits and rain on others, dust should not be beyond their capabilities. If having to stick rigidly to the racing line becomes the defining trait of Bahrain, then so be it. Formula One should reward such precision.

There were more raised eyebrows when the traditional podium bubbly was replaced by a non-alcoholic substitute. Again, the sport's traditions should not usurp its current role. And, in a world increasingly divided by fears of terrorism, the unifying role of F1 (and other sports) is a crucial one. The thrill of watching humans at the very limit, pushing ear-shatteringly powerful machines as far as humanly possible and then some, transcends culture and creed.

Formula One should embrace and welcome new venues and new audiences, even if these do not fit with the traditional vision of what the sport was - and should continue to be. Bahrain 2004 wasn't a modern classic by any means. However, that applies to a Ferrari redwash on any track in any country. Nevertheless, Bahrain's top notch facilities and track conducive to modern racing have stamped it as a unique and viable venue for F1. As a Thai bus driver might conclude - 'same same... but different'.

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