New Qualifying format a flop or not?

**AndyL** · 2nd April 2016, 16:52

Here's an idea that came from someone out there internet land and was mentioned on the Sky P3 coverage:
2 qualifying sessions. Half the cars are knocked out in Q1 and half go for pole in Q2. But the wrinkle is, it's one car from each team that drops out at the end of Q1. As gimmicks go, it's pretty gimmicky, but I think it would actually be pretty exciting. There would be no coasting through Q1 for the front-runners, everyone would have to go for it.

**Koz** · 2nd April 2016, 17:00

Originally Posted by AndyL

Here's an idea that came from someone out there internet land and was mentioned on the Sky P3 coverage:
2 qualifying sessions. Half the cars are knocked out in Q1 and half go for pole in Q2. But the wrinkle is, it's one car from each team that drops out at the end of Q1. As gimmicks go, it's pretty gimmicky, but I think it would actually be pretty exciting. There would be no coasting through Q1 for the front-runners, everyone would have to go for it.

Oh dear god no!

**The Black Knight** · 2nd April 2016, 17:01

Well I have to say that I really enjoyed that qualifying. It wasn't all that much different to last year but the top 4 had a shootout again. The main difference is that the shootout happened before the clock ran down.

**Whyzars** · 3rd April 2016, 01:59

The brains trust wants to mix things up?

Using a drag of "0.03 seconds per lap per kilo" (I read it somewhere), qualifying with reserve fuel minimums of one kilo per championship point may just have the desired effect.

1	Hamilton	1:29.493	1.30.033
2	Rosberg	1:29.570	1.30.32	-1
3	Vettel	1:30.012	1.30.462	-1
4	Räikkönen	1:30.244	1.30.244	+2
5	Ricciardo	1:30.854	1.31.214
6	Bottas	1:31.153	1.31.273
7	Massa	1:31.155	1.31.445
8	Hulkenberg	1:31.620	1.31.8
9	Grosjean	1:31.756	1.31.996	-4
10	Verstappen	1:31.772	1.31.802	+1
11	Sainz	1:31.816	1.31.876	+1
12	Vandoorne	1:31.934	1.31.934	+1
13	Gutierrez	1:31.945	1.31.945	+1
14	Button	1:31.998	1:31.998

After only one race, Grosjean would be spitting his coffee at random strangers and Raikkonen might consider it poetic justice after his DNF in Australia.

The rules already say that a driver must return to the pits with a minimum amount of fuel after qualifying laps. All this approach would do is increase that minimum figure.

The other thing that this highlights is that I must never allow myself to become this bored again.

**janneppi** · 3rd April 2016, 11:39

The only this could really work is if the quali tyres work for 20 laps without a drop in performance and that cars wouldn't be faster when weighing less.
So it's electric cars and metal tyres for round three.

**steveaki13** · 3rd April 2016, 14:06

I think we should return to the 2006-2015 system. It seems to work OK and people enjoyed it. This constant need to mix up the grid really annoys me.

Fastest should be at the front. Thats what its about. Fastest guy & car combo on pole, the best package of car, driver and team wins the race and the best at all combined wins championship.

If you wanted to get the top cars on track more maybe you could go for 4 sessions in the hour. 15 minutes for the first and 22 runners compete to get into the top 17? Q2 a 10 minute session. Pressure is on for drivers to get out and put laps in. Top 12 into Q3.

The same for the 3rd session 10 minutes and leaving a final 10 minute session for the top 6 cars shooting for pole position.

That would get cars on circuit more in each session and it would be action all the way. No 10 minutes to sit around knowing you are through.

Otherwise I think F1 has many problems generally. It needs to be easier and cheaper to enter. You guys may not agree, but I dont even care if a 26 car grid is filled if the bottom couple of teams are 6 seconds or more off the pace. Smaller teams need to enter like the past. However costs should not be cut to be successful.

Its always been the way that top teams can spend more. I dont quite know if I want to see more regs to cut aero and make cars more exciting and harder to manually drive. Or less regs so that people can push the limit of technology to put the cars and drivers on edge again. I would like to see two tyre suppliers again and no rules on which tyres to use. Teams should have free reign. Same with Fuel. Bring back re fueling and allow full tanks or 4 stoppers.

I guess you cant un learn whats gone before so it will be hard to get F1 back to what I personally want to watch.

I am sure though F1 needs to be more a motorsport and less a show. Cars & Drivers trying to be the fastest in quali and the race.

**Duncan** · 4th April 2016, 00:55

Originally Posted by steveaki13

Fastest should be at the front. Thats what its about. Fastest guy & car combo on pole, the best package of car, driver and team wins the race and the best at all combined wins championship.

This. I really don't understand Bernie & Jean's apparent obsession with the need to "mix things up". It's a motor race. The fastest driver & car combination that makes it to the checquered flag is supposed to win.

And really, is Bernie concern with the races being "a bit boring" actually valid at this point? Right now we've had two really interesting races (all the way up and down the order!) and everything points to that situation continuing. All this nonsense with qualifying is creating a new problem in the name of solving one that doesn't exist.

**The Black Knight** · 4th April 2016, 07:55

Originally Posted by steveaki13

I think we should return to the 2006-2015 system. It seems to work OK and people enjoyed it. This constant need to mix up the grid really annoys me.

Fastest should be at the front. Thats what its about. Fastest guy & car combo on pole, the best package of car, driver and team wins the race and the best at all combined wins championship.

If you wanted to get the top cars on track more maybe you could go for 4 sessions in the hour. 15 minutes for the first and 22 runners compete to get into the top 17? Q2 a 10 minute session. Pressure is on for drivers to get out and put laps in. Top 12 into Q3.

The same for the 3rd session 10 minutes and leaving a final 10 minute session for the top 6 cars shooting for pole position.

That would get cars on circuit more in each session and it would be action all the way. No 10 minutes to sit around knowing you are through.

Otherwise I think F1 has many problems generally. It needs to be easier and cheaper to enter. You guys may not agree, but I dont even care if a 26 car grid is filled if the bottom couple of teams are 6 seconds or more off the pace. Smaller teams need to enter like the past. However costs should not be cut to be successful.

Its always been the way that top teams can spend more. I dont quite know if I want to see more regs to cut aero and make cars more exciting and harder to manually drive. Or less regs so that people can push the limit of technology to put the cars and drivers on edge again. I would like to see two tyre suppliers again and no rules on which tyres to use. Teams should have free reign. Same with Fuel. Bring back re fueling and allow full tanks or 4 stoppers.

I guess you cant un learn whats gone before so it will be hard to get F1 back to what I personally want to watch.

I am sure though F1 needs to be more a motorsport and less a show. Cars & Drivers trying to be the fastest in quali and the race.

This sums up what F1 should be about and also it sums up exactly why Bernie needs to go as well.

Finally, I don't believe that teams should be dictating the rules of the sport. Likewise, I don't believe that race promoters should either. Bernie is right when he says the team shouldn't have the control, it's only the FIA that should set what the rules are and leave it at that. If the teams want to take part they can and likewise with the promoters.

**zako85** · 4th April 2016, 12:58

The old format was fine. The new format is crap. It simply ensures that most cars will stay in the garage in the closing minutes of the session (any one of the three sessions).

**Duncan** · 4th April 2016, 21:17

...and now for another stupid idea. Let's do aggregate qualification times! Because what better to try now than something that has already been tried and was almost immediately abandoned because it was such a stupid idea?

Vettel and Button's comments sum up the situation pretty well:

Sebastian Vettel has labelled the proposed aggregate qualifying format as a "s*** idea"

Jenson Button, however, believes any change will be for the better given the failure of the current elimination format.

"We'll give it a go. It's all we can say. It's better than this one. I think everything's better than this one.

"I think drivers driving with one eye closed would be better than this one."

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ve...t-idea-684705/