Q1, Q2, Q3, ...Q4?

[SectorOne]

If anyone has watched Qualifying in DTM you would have noticed that they run an extra session compared to Formula 1.
A session where the top 4 guys gets the track for themselves and just one lap to get it absolutely right.

Q1 starts out with 22 drivers and they get 16 minutes to set their laps, once that is done, the 16 fastest drivers move on to Q2.
In Q2, the 16 drivers now get 11 minutes to set their time in and the top 10 fastest drivers move on to Q3.
In Q3 it´s once again 11 minutes but this time only the Top 4 drivers move on to Q4.

Then you have Q4, the 4th fastest guy from Q3 gets to go first after that the 3rd, 2nd and lastly the fastest driver of Q3 gets to do his lap.

I quite like the one lap shootout because it adds even more tension on the drivers knowing they have just one lap to make it count.

On top of that you also get a better telemetry UI where you follow the car on track and have a direct comparison to whatever driver has set the fastest time in Q4.

What do you think?

[Holm86]

I like the idea. But only if Q4 would see spec qualification tires.

[ESPImperium]

No. However Q3 should be a single 5 min session where drivers get a single run on option tyres that have been set aside and if they don't set a time, they start from the pit lane at the start of the race. Ive been on at this for about 2 years now and my stance will never change, Q3 should be a one shot deal that the fastest driver in that session gets pole. Unless its wet or inters weather where drivers have carte blanche to decide what to use. Drivers can use two timed laps if they want/have time/can keep tyres in. But its a out to pard ferme rule.

[FoxHound]

The single lap shootout is more conducive to the man that makes the least mistakes rather than the outright fastest.

Having said that, it does mix the front up more than the 10min Q3 alternative.
But if the grid or at least the front 3/4 teams are covered by less than 0.5 seconds it makes a shootout style redundant and robs fans of watching cars going at their fastest for longer.

[Shrieker]

When it rains, it becomes a lottery then. You remove the choice from the teams/drivers by predetermining the running order.

[SectorOne]

When it rains, it becomes a lottery then.

Rain is always a lottery, just ask Rosberg when he was at SPA.

[Shrieker]

To an extent you are correct, but at least teams have the chance to decide when to go out as things stand. If they screw up, it's their fault. Rosberg/his engineer (or both) could've decided to be the last man on the track, for some reason or another, they didn't. Rain always introduces random luck, but by how much ? If drivers were to go out in a predetermined order, it becomes even more of a lottery, does it not ?

I recall 'Zuka 2004 and Melbourne '05 all to well. That said, mixed grids tend to present exciting races. But we're talking about only the top 4 drivers here; they could very well be title challengers and a lottery pole sitter in a critical race would not be fair at all.

[SectorOne]

Yea that´s true i guess. I´m trying to remember if they had that scenario in DTM yet, i´m pretty sure it´s been rain in Quali but i can´t remember any outcry in Q4 because of this. Possibly it has been dry-ish or stable weather in Q4.

[astracrazy]

the trouble with that is if it starts to rain through q4 then its a given 4th place will get pole? there's no judgement/skill in it like there is in q3 now.

perhaps you swap it and they run in order 1 to 4.

but then if the tracks improving all the time p4 gets the upper hand and so there is no reward for getting p1 in q3.

solution?
p1 in q3 gets the option when to run (first to last), then followed by p2 then p3? Then you bring back that reward for finishing as high as possible and you keep the skill/judgement factor. With radio it will take no more than the 5 min interval we have now anyway to decide

then you ask yourself is it worth it overall

[Manoah2u]

F1 has benefit from consistancy at this moment, so a change in a winning qualifying format isn't the smartest things.
qualification was one of the most exiting moments of past season on a standard base, so it would be bad to change that.

i think if anything should change, it's more track time in free practice. wasn't there a free practice session before the race or between qualy and race years ago? i seem to remember such a thing. obviously that's not possible with parc ferme conditions, but it might be good for track time.

[FW17]

The current one works fine, would only wish for drivers to carry over their times from previous segments.

4 segments will make tv channels happier, but i think the idea is good too but Q1 could get too busy.

[SectorOne]

Next season i´m going to pay extra attention to the Q4 session, see what happens if these scenarios show up.

[Gridlock]

It took them 30 years to finally settle on a qualifying format we can probably agree isn't awful - don't go giving them ideas about changing it

[Slife]

Question: why is it acceptable to propose alternate qualification format to create more excitement, while proposing to change the point system for more excitement is not ?

[Moxie]

I like the current quali format. I find myself rooting for the disadvantaged teams as they try to make it into Q2 or Q3 depending on the situation.