New qualifying format...

[bill shoe]

They change qualifying every few years because the previous qualifying gimmick has worn out. Or something.

Now they are changing qualifying a month before the first race, and AFTER teams have already been forced to select tires for the first race weekend from the range of compounds (speaking of gimmicks...).

Perhaps the next qualifying fad will be to change the qualifying rules after the qualifying session has already begun. The F1 Strategy Group and F1 Commission will be quarantined in the FIA motor home just before qualy begins. They'll be required to vote on random changes at 5 minute intervals. If 4 consecutive new proposals fail to pass, then the rules will automatically revert to one of the previous qualifying formats which will be randomly selected by Jean Todt spinning a giant roulette wheel. The roulette wheel result can of course be nullified by Bernie giving a negative press conference during the qualifying session.

[djos]

http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/ ... g-overhaul

I think this sounds completely awful.

Oh FFS, that is just crap!!!! Qually was just fine the way it was!!!

[djos]

I like the proposal. It's not artificial like reversed grids, but still offers a greater possibility for front runners to be caught out, which will make the race more interesting. I think the format is worth a try.

It's going to completely remove single lap banzai run's as an option, I'm not a Seb V fan, but I did enjoy watching him (and others) just nail his only qually lap in Q2 or Q3.

[siskue2005]

People still can do one banzai lap in the start of the session and stay there till the end

[djos]

People still can do one banzai lap in the start of the session and stay there till the end

But you lose the urgency to get it done with virtually no time left on the clock and on a rubbered in track.

[siskue2005]

Hmm.. true

[Juzh]

People still can do one banzai lap in the start of the session and stay there till the end

But you lose the urgency to get it done with virtually no time left on the clock and on a rubbered in track.

Why?

[djos]

Why indeed.

[FrukostScones]

Sounds exciting, but is utter tosh and will not work, will compromise safety and it's sole purpose to shake up the grid speaks volume.

thank you Bernie, you greedy old fart.

[bauc]

Not quite sure what to think of this new qualy format yet. Its kida messy at first glance, but I will give it a shot to see how it works.

[ChrisDanger]

Sounds like a recent Need for Speed race format, which could be interesting.

But I think many people here are very quick to judge any change as seemingly negative, before they've even had a chance to truly evaluate it (except in their distorted imaginations). Qualifying is still qualifying, and as such will always be interesting and exciting. It may be a little less exciting, it may be even more exciting. You will get used to it, and forget it was ever different.

[ChrisF1]

Is there a problem with qualifying? No.

So why has this been done?

So that every 90 seconds the commentary team have an excuse to go hyper in the booth and MAKE OUT that something incredibly exciting is going on. The sheer volume of the commentators will distract you from the fact that actually, not much is going on compared to before....

Magicians trick of misdirection...

[Cenzo]

Next step: different cars for each driver every weekend.

[FrukostScones]

Sounds like a recent Need for Speed race format, which could be interesting.

But I think many people here are very quick to judge any change as seemingly negative, before they've even had a chance to truly evaluate it (except in their distorted imaginations). Qualifying is still qualifying, and as such will always be interesting and exciting. It may be a little less exciting, it may be even more exciting. You will get used to it, and forget it was ever different.

SKy Kravitz:

Flaws in F1's new qualifying plans?

Some more thoughts from Ted Kravitz now on the proposed new qualifying format - and some potential pitfalls of the plans:

“I wonder whether the F1 bosses on the Commission pay attention to how F1 cars produce quick qualifying times. The best times are set when the tyre is on its first or second hot lap. After that, the best performance of the tyre is gone and the lap times don’t improve.

“So the reality is that teams will not just go out onto the track and keep going round and round to set quicker times. They’ll go out, set what they hope is the quickest time on a fresh tyre, come back in, and let the slower cars get dropped one by one as the session progresses.

“The other thing that will upset the drivers and engineers who actually have to work with these new rules is they were dreamt up and imposed after all the other rule changes we’ve had, especially the ones about tyre usage.

“If you know now during qualifying that you’re going to have to be on track for quite a few laps, you might have chosen a different tyre allocation from Pirelli than you had when you were dealing with the old qualifying rules. Talk about moving the goal posts.”

funny thing is, they will probably do not allow refueling (in the garage anyway) during the sessions, to conquer the "quick lap done and then chill"-thing.... we'll see.

[danielk]

This idea seems absurd to me, also i find the final part of qualy even more annoying;

The next five drivers will drop out at 90-second intervals leaving the final two drivers to fight it out for pole in the final 90 seconds

I know im dreaming here but i would like to see a 3-4 car shoot-out for pole, not just a Mercedes show (and that's coming from a Merc fan)