New qualifying format...

[Italiano]

New format sounds awesome tbh. Entire grid scraping to find some clean air just to get under before the clock goes. I think its going to be lovely!

This has to be sarcasm. Because honestly this system along with the halo is the bigget load of bollocks I have ever witnessed.

[ferkan]

No really, I like it. Fast cars will still be fast and likely first but it will be more dynamic Im sure of that.

[Henk]

To understand the regulations you always have to look at how the teams will incorporate them in their strategy.

To set a good lap you have to be the last and the lightest. In every session you will start out with setting a fast banker lap. They will then calculate if they have to go out again. If you have to go out again you do it when your banker is not enough to make the cut. You will then only 1 lap because that's the only option with the tires and fuel. If your banker isn't good enough you do another banker.

A slower car will set a slower banker and be the first to have to try to improve. So they get the worst track conditions. If you have a better car you get to go out later. Maybe in Q3 there is not enough time for 2 banker laps and it might shake things up a bit.

In the end this will strengthen the hold of the top team. They get the easiest qualifying. This makes the race boring because the fastest cars will be in front from the start of the race. If you want exciting races you have to make qualifying harder to control. The only thing I can think of to do that is make Q3 a one lap shootout.

[Italiano]

No really, I like it. Fast cars will still be fast and likely first but it will be more dynamic Im sure of that.

And what is the shortfall with the current system, that doesn't make it dynamic enough? Do tell, because I seriously doubt there's anything.

[ChrisDanger]

I think what they're trying to do is make that end-of-session excitement last for the elimination period, i.e. for longer albeit to a slighty lesser degree.

What I find sad is that most people are being so negative towards this idea (without having experienced the reality of the change), to such an extent that when someone has a positive outlook people assume he's being sarcastic.

[Just_a_fan]

It's being changed because FOM thinks that the new format will increase a chance of a non-manufacturer team (Mercedes and Ferrari in reality) being on the front row. It's an attempt to "spice things up a bit" by mixing the grid. That's an admission that they think that the main event (the race) is boring. It's also an admission that they don't know how to make F1 races "more exciting"; of course, the real question is: does anything need to be done to the races? After all, there is lots going on on track but FOM don't seem able to direct the cameras to show it. Perhaps if they freed up the feed, made all of the cars carry several cameras and gave the viewers the option to watch the bits of the race they want to watch, they could solve the whole issue in one go. Fans can then watch the mid field battles as and when they wish. They get to see real racing. Sure, they may not see their favoured driver win but that's outside of anyone's control, even Bernie's.

Of course, if by "make F1 more exciting" they mean "make someone other than [current dominant car] win" then they're just going to end up messing up the whole thing. Dominance is part of F1. It's happened throughout the history of the sport and it can't be prevented.

Bernie doesn't like the modern media consumption model so he's trying to fit F1 in to his old fashioned view of what a televised race should be. Let go of that anachronistic view and you can make the show fun by letting the viewer decide what he watches. That way the majority of viewers will be happy. And happy viewers means more viewers means more advertising revenue means bigger wallets for Bernie and his friends. Why they can't see this is beyond me.

[ChrisDanger]

It's being changed because FOM thinks that the new format will increase a chance of a non-manufacturer team (Mercedes and Ferrari in reality) being on the front row. It's an attempt to "spice things up a bit" by mixing the grid.

That seems like a reasonable assumption, but do you have a source for this? I can't find any official statement saying this. It might just be totally obvious, but it also doesn't mean it's the only reason. I find change is always refreshing, although I realise it's not a common opinion.

Just because it might "spice things up a bit" doesn't really indicate an admission that F1 is boring, as much as is any attempt to mix up the grid which is a common practice in many levels of motorsport. Maybe this means motorsport is inherently boring; I mean, if you are in the unfortunate predicament of being an F1 fan yet also finding it boring.

[Italiano]

I think what they're trying to do is make that end-of-session excitement last for the elimination period, i.e. for longer albeit to a slighty lesser degree.

What I find sad is that most people are being so negative towards this idea (without having experienced the reality of the change), to such an extent that when someone has a positive outlook people assume he's being sarcastic.

You own a car I assume. Let's say it's been working without problems, reliably and brings you pleasure. And then one day you decide its suspension is broken (all fine, no problems) and change it all with new shocks and springs, because you had a whim. And changing it won't being any improvements in road holding or handling, it will just empty your bank account and make people question your sanity. Can you see what I'm on about?



The Q3-Q2-Q1 system is good for spectators in its current form, it brings the cars out, there's action and that is all we need.
There's so much wrong in F1 right now, but the one thing that didn't need fixing was qualy. And now because someone had a brain fart we have to have this. An unnecessary suspension swap with no performance benefits.

[Gridlock]

Question, under the now 'approved' system, do laps underway count when the cutting begins, or only completed laps? At 7 minutes into the session, do drivers on a flying lap get to complete the lap and have it count? Or is the cut instantaneous based on completed laps?

¯\(°_o)/¯

Combine this with the 3-compound rule and Brundle's gonna need a bigger cough sweet the first few races.

We're confident the first guy over the line at the end of the race is still the winner, right?

[ChrisDanger]

You own a car I assume. Let's say it's been working without problems, reliably and brings you pleasure. And then one day you decide its suspension is broken (all fine, no problems) and change it all with new shocks and springs, because you had a whim. And changing it won't being any improvements in road holding or handling, it will just empty your bank account and make people question your sanity. Can you see what I'm on about?

Well, it's not really like something mechanical that's either broken or not, or that wears out and needs replacing. I see it more like: I live in neighbourhood A, but think neighbourhood B might be better, so I move there because, really, I feel like change in my life. Maybe I'm unusual in that I'd rather do this than be stuck with the familiar. Whether or not it was ultimately a good or bad choice will depend on one's point of view, which can quite easily be conciously changed, and which will fade in time anyway as the new thing becomes more familiar.

I think my problem is that I see most comments here as simply being opposed to change, when no-one has seen the new format in practice and are just assuming it will be crap. I'm not assuming it will make things better or worse, but I'm interested to see how it will be. If there was no change then there would be none of this additional interest. At the end of the day, it's still qualifying, it's still going to be exciting, it may be a little different but so what...

There's far too much negativity about this sport from it's own fan base, and as a fan it gets me down sometimes.

[ME4ME]

Short video on the topic by Sky:
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sp ... ng-special

I must say I fully support Will Buxton's view here. I think the new system is worth a try.

[No Lotus]

It's unfortunately natural for people to be set against new ideas. I am pleased that there's the courage to try this new system out. If it doesn't turn out well we can return to the old system. I think it will make for more exciting qualifying. As Machievelli wrote five centuries ago:

"It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favour; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had the actual experience of it."

[Just_a_fan]

It's being changed because FOM thinks that the new format will increase a chance of a non-manufacturer team (Mercedes and Ferrari in reality) being on the front row. It's an attempt to "spice things up a bit" by mixing the grid.

That seems like a reasonable assumption, but do you have a source for this? I can't find any official statement saying this. It might just be totally obvious, but it also doesn't mean it's the only reason. I find change is always refreshing, although I realise it's not a common opinion.

"I think it's really important to remember the whole purpose of looking at qualifying was to try and shake up the grid to go into the race and make races a little bit more exciting."

Clare Williams

Just because it might "spice things up a bit" doesn't really indicate an admission that F1 is boring, as much as is any attempt to mix up the grid which is a common practice in many levels of motorsport. Maybe this means motorsport is inherently boring; I mean, if you are in the unfortunate predicament of being an F1 fan yet also finding it boring.

I think the problem is that certain groups complain that F1 is boring when their favoured team/driver isn't winning. Some teams will claim the same when their main opponent is doing better than they are. F1 is fine if they would just let the fans get on and enjoy it.

[Just_a_fan]

It appears that the drivers are not in favour either. The only people who seem to want this is the powers that be and the team principals.

Many of the drivers are opposed to the change because they fear it will make qualifying too complicated for the audience to follow.

There are also concerns the closing minutes of the final shootout will not be exciting because drivers may have used up their fresh tyres early on not have enough to go quicker on later on.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel said: "I'm personally not a fan of the new qualifying and I think speaking on behalf of all the drivers, no driver is. We don't get what's wrong with the old qualifying and why they had to change it."

[FrukostScones]

No new Quali Regs on FIA website yet...

So many "what ifs" in this sh*t new system...

Some big questions:
1. Do the times done before the elemination round stand or are the deleted before the 90sec elimination stage?
2. Can you change tyres? How many times? Do you have to use certain tyres or are you free to use which tyres (3 tyres compound available at each GP??? arrgh, how does it work with the new tyres rules, arrgh)
3. What is done with the used tyres, on which tyres will they have to start the race? Different who makes it to Q1, Q2, Q3?
3. Are you allowed refuel (only in the pit garage as per the rules, of course) during quali?
4. What will they do to minimise pit lane "green light chaos"? (first come first serve, two lane? one lane?, what about snaking , in pit lane overtaking?(penalties?)....
5. What about overtaking cars on track or impeding faster cars? Are there rules necessary?
5. What if there is yellow in 90sec elimination round, what if double yellow, what if there is red?
6. What else...?