Qualifying Can it be Improved..

[no-FIAt-please]

Surely part of the reason behind that is Red Bull having produced and maintained the fastest car over 2 seasons, and with the absence of different fuel loads it was likely that a Red Bull (usually Vettel) would nearly always take pole.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I posted something on along the same lines a while back. What I would do is let all the cars run for 15 minutes to sort out an order of 1 to 24 or however many are running. The next round would be cars from 24 to 13 who would run to sort out those final spots. The final session would be cars who finished in 1t to 1 in the first round. There would be no need to save tyres because in theory each car would run in two sessions rather than now where some run in one, some in two and some in all three. Another bonus would be the fact that it would make teams more likely to run in each round. Currently, if say a force indiamakes it in to Q3 they sometimes opt not to runand save tyres knowing that tenth was maybe all they could have got any way. With an extra two cars in the mix in a close midfield, there would be a big difference between making it onto the grid in 8th or sitting it out and ending 12th behind slower cars.

 

[RasputinLives]

Whilst I think all of these ideas are great ideas does anyone think too mcuh is made of qualifying these days? Since its become standard to become broadcast live (I remember the days where if we ever saw Televised qualfying it was a treat) it seems to have also become standard to try and make qualifying exciting and part of the show. Lets remember its just a bridge to the actual race which is the actual show.

Already qualifying has lost its meaning as no one actual qualifies for anything - you don't even have to set a time to be in the race(unless your considered a lesser team) lets not lose what it actually is - a set up session for the actual race. The qualifying can be as exciting as you like but if the actual race is uncompetitve and dull no one will remember.

To me qualfiying can be as dull as dishwater but as long as it sets up the grid in a fair way but allowing for potential upsets which leads to a good genuinally competive race I really wouldn't give a hoot!

I reckon the current format works out well. It means the faster cars are at the front but only if the driver keeps his head, it allows for someone to pull off an amzing lap and be rewarded for it and due to the situation with the tyres it even allows for comebacks from bad performances and upsets. Personally I don't care if 3 out of the top 10 don't do a lap in Q3 to save tyres if it means they have a chance of mixing it with the big boys come race day.

Qualifying is qualifying - people get too hung up on it. The sport is about actual racing.

 

[Bleu]

At the moment, the one big problem is that three teams are so much off the pace. So more often than not, Q1 sees six drivers from those teams and one from the other nine knocked out. Bahrain was the exception as Kovalainen beat both Schumacher and Vergne.

Regarding shootout, if it was to happen, I would like to it being for one try only. The fastest in Q2 is set to go last, but he has an option to go first. This would only happen if there is rain predicted and it looks like it will rain before he is set to go for his lap in Q3.

 

[johnnoble1990]

I think this is the best qualifying format F1 has ever had. There have been a few problems pop up, but they are very minor after all. Let's not forget that the reason we ended up with this format is because of lack of interest in qualifying before we had it. It annoys me when people start arguing for something to change when you know they won't be watching when it does. Don't fix what isn't broken ey?

As for the broken part, just take a set of tyres away from them if they don't run in a session.

 

[The Artist.....]

The way I see it is that in q3 there's often a incentive not to run- as this burns up a set of tyres... Personally, I wouLd say that teams are allowed an extra set of option tyres when they set 2 timed laps in a session. However, this woudn't be perfect either- as teams would just do a lap on an old, worn out set of tyres, just to get the extra set!

The equitable system would be to limit tyres for qualifying, but then have additional, new, sets only for use in the race!

 

[Kewee]

johnnoble1990.....There is always lots of action due to the number of cars on track with the current format and I'm sure you will have read my comments. Qualifying in a couple of hours will reinforce my argument. It will be no different than the practice session we've just watched. Lots of cars on track creating all sorts of action but we won't get to see one complete lap from any of the top qualifiers. Sorry John, I'm a purist and I would much sooner see the spectacle of one complete lap from any one of the worlds leading drivers. Nothing compares to qualifying when we get to see it, unfortunately we don't, or at most we see one or two corners before the cameras jump to another car. Not my idea of a spectacle I'm afraid, just frustration knowing what I'm missing.

 

[johnnoble1990]

I think F1 will always go for the audience figures though. As I was saying, often people say they want one thing, then wonder off shopping on Saturdays when it is changed to what they want because it looks good on paper, rather than the tv screen. Not saying that is true for you, but with everyone wanting so many different things, I think the current system pleases the most people. I agree that they should stay longer on one car or another though. They do have on-board options too for everyone else.

 

[The Artist.....]

Kewee

We've had single lap qualifying before. The biggest problem is that casual watchers get bored! Even if you were to have just the top 10 doing single laps, that would cover a minimum of 20-25 minutes and probably longer! (allowing for 1.30 for a lap, then at least 39 seconds for the next car to come along so they got clear air! The biggest problem comes with all this waiting around... Then of course, you have the weather problem..... Personally, I'm happy with how qualifying is run, and change for change's sake is probably not necessary!

 

[Kewee]

johnnoble and The Artist...... As I have said the greatest spectacle for me is watching one top driver striving for a perfect error free lap and having the privilege of seeing it from start to finish. I overcome the problem in part by following qualifying on my laptop as well as on screen, that way I can at least follow a drivers lap and watch the purple sectors come up if he's on a good one. Over here in NZ I always attend qualifying day of big meetings, it's always superb, sometimes even better than the race. Keep enjoying though, the changes i'd love to see will never happen.

 

[Il_leone]

I like the current quali format because any other format was always dependent on the weather . Drivers and teams always tried to delay or not waste their time in quali if they knew the weather was going to dry later or they would hurry up if it was going to rain

WIth this format it forces teams and drivers to come out and do quali runs


Any other format apart from the single lap format drivers and teams would wait for the last 15 minutes do anything which meant the first 45 minutes was a waste of tv time and fans having to sit patiently

I expect they will tweak the format for quali tyres given more and more teams are saving tyres and sacrificing quali for races .... I am sure if one of the main teams starts winning regularly from the lower end of the top 10 or so then this will be forced through when it did not last year

 

[Wombcat]

I like the format in itself, but don't like the tyre rules. They should give everyone free choice, or everyone should start on the tyres they set their fastest time. What I think is especially silly is that if you're getting to Q3 and don't set a time, you get a free tyrechoice. I think that in that case you should be starting on the tyres with which you set your fastest time in Q2.