Qualifying changes for 2014

[SectorOne]

Just rumored discussions right now though,

The FIA and representatives from all 11 Formula 1 teams will convene during the Bahrain pre-season test to discuss the idea of tweaking the qualifying rules. The move is aimed at forcing drivers to complete a competitive timed lap in the final Q3 shoot-out - which determines the top ten grid positions.
Recently, to save tyres, some drivers have opted to remain in their garage for the entire ten-minute session or simply venture out for a slow lap to ensure they start the race on fresh tyres. This has angered some fans and the FIA is keen to ensure that no driver gains an advantage by not completing a flat-out lap.
A meeting will take place on February 21st in which several ideas will be discussed. Amongst them include qualifying tyres, which can only be used on Saturday and must be handed back after. Forcing those in Q3 to start the race on the tyre they used during Q2 to set their fastest lap, therefore removing any benefit of not running in Q3.
The FIA will also propose extending Q3 by five minutes to ensure all drivers have enough time to complete two flying-laps. For any proposal to be introduced for 2014, it requires unanimous agreement amongst the 11 teams and the FIA and will then need to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council before the Australian Grand Prix on March 16th.

http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08486

[darkmninya]

Pls dont

[astracrazy]

quali tyres seems the only sensible option

[Pup]

Pls dont

Why not? Seems like a harmless enough tweak.

[beelsebob]

So this will mean that the top team or two can start on hards, and hope not to get passed in the initial stages of the race. Meanwhile, the mid field ones will start on softs (as they will have had to use them to get into Q3). The result will be that in the final stint of the race, when the top team or two have moved to softs, they will have disappeared into the distance. Sounds like this will lead to very dull ends to races.

[SectorOne]

On the flipside the front runners and mid pack stay closer together in the first stint. Possibly even see them get threatened at the front which may or may not compromise their strategy.

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I like Q tires. See drivers not care about saving tires and just go flat out is always a treat.

[neilbah]

I dont see what the problem is with allowing tactics as the current rules do because it can create an interesting race where a couple of drivers are out of sync. I dont particularly like the idea of all cars on the same strategy and the grid just stretching out like an accordian. Its surely a drivers prerogative to decide if he forfeits outright position for fresher tyres. Im not keen on the Q4 of 1 flying lap either suggested in an earlier thread. Theres probably no perfect solution and it all gets too complicated to the casual observer-too explain it zzzzzzzzz. For example when we had a 1 hour session people would complain there was a lot of time where no car was on track but in the same breath we would sometimes get a rainy session stirring up the field because top teams/drivers didnt get a banker lap in before the track deteriorated . Weve seen Ferrari forfeit a drivers position on the grid to move up the preferred driver by a place or put him on the better side of the grid.. all variables. If youre going to force them to do a lap then at what power setting? you might be saving the tyres with a Q tyre but not the engine..

[beelsebob]

On the flipside the front runners and mid pack stay closer together in the first stint. Possibly even see them get threatened at the front which may or may not compromise their strategy.

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I like Q tires. See drivers not care about saving tires and just go flat out is always a treat.

I like the concept of Q tires. I don't like the concept of using Q2 tires to start the race.

[danielk]

Initially i though Yea qualifying tires would be cool. Lets them extract everything out of the car so we can see the cars true raw pace.

But then i think, i like the strategy side of things. We lost Re-fuelling which means strategy is no where near as much as it used to be, now the only hope we have is to mix things up with tires etc. If we do it this way the fastest car will win every time hands down, what we have now keeps the chasing pack closer at least for the first stint. If the front runners have fresh tires and an open choice then it will just mean those at the front will fly away down the road, dont have to worry about dropping back in to traffic and just run there own race not worrying about others, as they know when they pit others will also pit.

races will become even more of a procession,they may spice up qualifying. but race will be dull.

Making them start on tires used in Q2 hmmmm could work possibly. but that would mean that the front runners will mostly qualify on the hard tires anyway so those with an advantage will have an even bigger advantage.

I really dont think anything needs fixing.

[mikeerfol]

On the flipside the front runners and mid pack stay closer together in the first stint. Possibly even see them get threatened at the front which may or may not compromise their strategy.

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I like Q tires. See drivers not care about saving tires and just go flat out is always a treat.

I like the concept of Q tires. I don't like the concept of using Q2 tires to start the race.

Agreed.

[Arterius]

I think an easier solution, which also rewards the top ten for getting into Q3, is to supply the top ten teams in Qualifying with an extra set of options. If these options are not used in Q3 then they loose them. This will allow them to go out at least once on a hot lap run in Q3 and keep the rule that they start on the tires they set the fastest time on in Q3.

[raymondu999]

So this will mean that the top team or two can start on hards, and hope not to get passed in the initial stages of the race. Meanwhile, the mid field ones will start on softs (as they will have had to use them to get into Q3). The result will be that in the final stint of the race, when the top team or two have moved to softs, they will have disappeared into the distance. Sounds like this will lead to very dull ends to races.

I don't think that's right. The "use Q2 tyres if you didn't run in Q3" rule only applies to Q3 runners like before. Q2 runners can still start with whatever.

[beelsebob]

So this will mean that the top team or two can start on hards, and hope not to get passed in the initial stages of the race. Meanwhile, the mid field ones will start on softs (as they will have had to use them to get into Q3). The result will be that in the final stint of the race, when the top team or two have moved to softs, they will have disappeared into the distance. Sounds like this will lead to very dull ends to races.

I don't think that's right. The "use Q2 tyres if you didn't run in Q3" rule only applies to Q3 runners like before. Q2 runners can still start with whatever.

There are more than 2-4 runners in Q3

The front 2-4 will have reached Q3 on hards in Q2.
The rest will have reached Q3 on softs in Q2.

[NTS]

The front 2-4 will have reached Q3 on hards in Q2.
The rest will have reached Q3 on softs in Q2.

I think the proposal was not to force all drivers to start the race on their Q2 tires, just the ones that made it to Q3 but didn't run in Q3. So if you make it into the top 10, but decide not to run in Q3, you'll still be forced to start the race on the tires you set your best time on, like everybody in the top 10, which in that specific case will be your Q2 tires. But for the real front-runners, setting a time in Q3 nothing will change, because they will use their Q3 tires at the start of the race.

[Pup]

It's rare that a Q1/Q2 team choses the harder tire to start. Usually the better strategy is to start on the softs. So I think the opposite will be true - the top few teams will be more likely to run softs in Q2 so that they can start with them.