While race winner Max Verstappen and polesitter Lando Norris were able to break away at the front, the mid-pack was defined by DRS trains and high levels of lifting and coasting to control tyre wear and temperatures.
All but three racers started the 24-lap Saturday race on soft tyres, while the three medium runners (both Haas cars and Logan Sargeant of Williams) complained of similarly bad wear come the halfway point.
Leading the complaints was Williams driver Alex Albon, who reckoned the tyres felt “terrible to drive” and that the hard compound was unusable – he added that both elements were reoccurring features of hotter races.
After climbing four places to 15th, he said: “It looked like a scrap everywhere. It was a slow race.
“The [degradation] is just massive. It feels terrible to drive, to be honest.
“I think everyone must be terrible because the pace was actually not that bad but the racing didn't feel good for me. So, it is tough.
Source: Autosport