New qualifying format...

[dans79]

Seriously, what's wrong with these people?

Bernie....

[ripper]

They really look like a bunch of rookies, everything sounds like... amateurish

[Thunder]

Bunch of headless Chickens.......

Everyone involved in the decisionmaking should be ashamed.

[Phil]

I wouldn't mind a mix between the old and the new format. Q3 is always the most intense, because we get to see the quickest fight for the most important grid position. By using the elimination format for Q1 and Q2 it might actually throw up a few surprises, given the unpredictability it adds.

It also puts the Q3 runners under more pressure. By going forward with elimination style qualifying in the first two sessions, you are forcing potentially Q3 runners to use their best tires to limit the risks of dropping out. This is especially true for Q1.

Imagine: Mercedes going out in Q1 on the super-softs, then being held up by traffic or going off-track due to a driver error. The lap might be just enough to survive the first few drop outs, but to secure their place, they'd have to go out again, using a second set of SS tyres. Q2 is SS anyway and then, come Q3, they will only have one single set of brand-new SS tires (the extra one they get for reaching Q3). Compare that to another close competitor who might have had a more smooth run and have an extra set of unused tires.

On the other hand, this might also create less tension in Q3. A team, like Ferrari in Melbourne, might still decide to only do one run and save an unused tire set for the race, potentially taking away some of the tension we usually love about Q3.

On one hand, I don't like it, because I would love to see the Q3 teams battle it out at least two times, but then again, we also want more interesting and exciting races. What I always liked about the old refueling era is that in conjunction with the qualifying format, teams were faced with a trade-off: Run light in Q3 for the best possible time and potentially pole, but that would compromise the duration of their first stint. This would then lead to the situation that not necessarily the fastest car/driver started from pole, but the one who decided to gamble or compromise the race. This then created more unknowns and therefore a more interesting race, where strategy would dictate who actually held the largest advantage and might win the race.

We want that back. The problem with modern qualifying is that when the fastest car qualifies on pole, he will usually drive into the distance, taking away that unpredictability. So, as bad as qualifying was in Melbourne, the fact that Ferrari refused to go out again, creating that anti-climax, actually made the race more unpredictable. We were faced with the question: Will that unused super-soft actually create an advantage for them?

Maybe with a mix-up between elimination for Q1 and Q2 and old-style Q3, we might see a better mix of interesting qualifying and better unpredictable races.

[TzeiTzei]

Maybe with a mix-up between elimination for Q1 and Q2 and old-style Q3, we might see a better mix of interesting qualifying and better unpredictable races.

No no no. It's not all about Q3. I want to see the battles in Q1 and Q2 that we had before. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken.

[Thunder]

Imho Q1 in Australia was pretty good. It started to lack in Q2 when the First Drivers decided to sit out and became a Farce in Q3.

But all in all i have to say i had asolutely Zero Problems with the Old Format. It didn't need fixing. But sadly that's the best way of knowing it will be messed with in F1.

[Phil]

No no no. It's not all about Q3. I want to see the battles in Q1 and Q2 that we had before. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken.

At the same time, it isn't all about qualifying either. Qualifying doesn't net you any points. Most people watch the race, over qualifying. So at some point, you have to ask yourself; What is more important: Interesting qualifying or interesting race? And if there is a trade-off to be made, would you make qualifying slightly more boring if as a result the race would become more interesting?

There is no right or wrong here. It's a question of trade-off.

[krisfx]

Maybe with a mix-up between elimination for Q1 and Q2 and old-style Q3, we might see a better mix of interesting qualifying and better unpredictable races.

No no no. It's not all about Q3. I want to see the battles in Q1 and Q2 that we had before. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken.

Personally, I only watch Q3 with full attention as it's always been pretty predictable who's going to drop out in Q1 (bar any issues) and Q2 is also generally quite predictable, with the odd surprise of who gets into the top 10.

[turbof1]

And guess what:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... or-bahrain

F1, the olympic "shoot yourself in the foot" sport.

They are that confused about knee-jerk reactions they fear knee-jerking the knee-jerk. #obsolete

[Thunder]

#facepalm

Nothing more to say.

[henry]

Were they to organise a party at the distillery, I think we'd all be safe to drive there and back.

[FrukostScones]

And guess what:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... or-bahrain

F1, the olympic "shoot yourself in the foot" sport.

They are that confused about knee-jerk reactions they fear knee-jerking the knee-jerk. #obsolete

Would they have waited for 2016 we would not have got those sh*tty 2017 rule changes (which will backfire).

So I thing it is a good thing to wait another race an see before they alter it.

They will alter it, if only Q3. But that maybe is enough hot spices too keep Bernie pleased.

For all who havenot noticed:
Bernie wanted "time penalty based reverse grids based on qualy times"; only to prevent this the new qualifying sysrem was introduced by the teams I think.

[Sevach]

I'm at that point where i hope it will be even worst.

It's too stupid.

[Tim.Wright]

Did they just u-turn the planned u-turn from wednesday of the u-turn from sunday?

Man, if only mankind could somehow harness all that rotational energy...

[mrluke]

I think Bernie is playing a game (when is he not!), there's an ulterior motive to keep this qualy format for another week.