Qualifying restructured

[The Artist.....]

So, it looks like qualifying is going to be restructured again this season.

Cars will be on the track throughout the qualifying sessions, with the slowest cars being eliminated at 90 second intervals through the session,,,

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Here's some more details:
F1 teams agree elimination style qualifying for 2016

 

[FB]

Chairs, deck, Titanic?

 

[cider_and_toast]

I can see two issues with it. The first is that any yellows will wreck qually for the following drivers so how much more tempting would it be to over cook it and bang it up an escape road now? Secondly, on narrow tracks, especially tracks such as Monaco, you are going to have problems clearing the eliminated cars out of the way.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

So the last two drivers at the end of qualifying will both be driving Mercedes car's.

 

[teabagyokel]

Like it a lot, frankly. Thank all that is holy that didn't do the Championship position handicaps though.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

They've got until March 1st to give it the OK so not a huge amount of time.

 

[olegg]

It's very strange "style of qualification".
What about if driver is slowest after one second will cross the finish line and will set the fastest time for session?

 

[F1Brits_90]

what is happening with Formula 1 no wonder some of the drivers & calling rule makers (or ex drivers > bernie) clueless but then its not an insult if its based on fact

because they asked the fans their opinion which Im finding out isnt worth the paper It was written on. because instead of fixing the racing makes the rules less complicated & make racing closer reducing dirty air. they make things more complex & then decide change something perfect. So much many motorsport series haved copied it or had a variant of it (of top of my head DTM, Indycar, V8 Supercars, Formula E) & give something so manufaced & false its untrue

 

[P1]

I don't understand why they have to commit to something for the whole year when they haven't tested it. Why not give it a try in Australia, and if people like it try it a couple more times and then decide to commit to it.

These people are idiots.

 

[Grizzly]

Imagine if they implemented this just as Pirelli developed qualifying tyres or something ridiculous like that....

 

[RasputinLives]

Yes because the qualifying format is why most people fell asleep during races last year! Shaking that up will fix it! Give me strength.

I don't understand why they have to commit to something for the whole year when they haven't tested it. Why not give it a try in Australia, and if people like it try it a couple more times and then decide to commit to it.

They have actually done that before. Back in 05 (I think) they started the quality format as positions being decided through the combined time of one lap on Friday and one lap on Saturday. They scrapped it after two races because it was stupid and just did it over one lap. Of course back then you had an FIA who actually made decision rather than shrugging their shoulders and asking the teams what they think.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I still can't see what was so bad about giving all the cars an hour to produce their fastest time?

Yes, I know about the lack of interest in watching two back markers chug around for the first 15 minutes of qually but it's not that different to now. There were times in the season last year when Radio 5 would not even bother to broadcast Q1.

 

[FB]

There were times in the season last year when Radio 5 would not even bother to broadcast Q1.

That was just to save McLaren from more embarrassment.

 

[F1Brits_90]

On thinking this elimination idea couldve been a good idea but in true f1 fashion its a potentially good idea done badly. Because they couldve & in all sanity shouldve left qualification alone but there morons

Instead improved fridays spectacle had 2 1hr Fp's . Then had a 20/25 lap race using the 3rd/reserve drivers. Where you have few laps beginning & end danger free. But every lap like the elimination race in cycling the last car is eliminated

 

[Westy]

I don't want them to change qualifying. It's such a good system right now. You could foresee a dominant driver in a dominant car going out for one lap and then having a lovely seat in the motor home for the remaining 53 minutes.

Or, more likely we could have a rain affected qually session. It could start dry and then start raining 10 minutes into the session. No one would be able to go faster so everyone would just park it. Quality tv right? With the current format drivers would be forced to drive as each session requires you to set a new lap time.

I hate casting a negative light on this new proposal but the current qualifying system is just so good.

 

[Westy]

After more research I see that my worries are unwarranted. They seem to have a handle on things. I guess the proof will be in the pudding.

 

[marksawatsky]

I like what we do for a kart league-there are points for Qualifying position but the race start position is based on the season points but inverted. So, the points leader starts at the back, then next highest starts 2nd last, etc. This ensures passing but there's enough points available for qualifying that nobody sandbags. Would make F1 very interesting

 

[soccerman17]

Would make it interesting but its never gonna happen in Formula One. The proposed new system doesn't seem horrible, could be quite dramatic on occasion. Really though, its hard to say whether this change will be good or not, but its already obvious that this wasn't the change F1 needed.

 

[Greenlantern101]

It sounds like a decent tweak to an already good system to me. Instead of the exciting final seconds of Q1,2&3 we are now having exciting 6 or 7 minutes at the end of each qualifying session.

It will be interesting to see how it works in practice, but I'm willing to give it a chance.