Breaking News : No change to qualifying

[Kicking-back]

The current qualifying - ie one car at a time - will remain for the rest of the season.

The teams didn't want to confuse things with a mid season change.

Good plan.

[ASCII Man]

Well, there goes DC's chances of a good qualifying performance straight out the window!

[BootsOntheSide]

I think this is the right move. Changing the system mid-season would be unfair on the teams who thoughtfully built a smaller tank into tehir car, and an unfair gain for people who did, evne though it was unlikely to be used. Announcing the change and then un-announcing it is a bit of a farce though.

[Logrence]

It's starting to get a bit ridiculous now!

I still think something needs to be done about qualifying, though.

[alesi95]

Go back to last years rules, please!

[Kicking-back]

As most of us only watched the Saturday session last year, and only watch the final one now, there's no real difference.

[ralf fan]

i feel it is a correct descision.....
i think the smaller teams would have got sponsers based on the fact that they promised exposure in qualifying atleast... with a change in the quly the sponsers for these smaller teams probably were not happy with the lack of exposure

[ASCII Man]

[CYNIC]It was probably because Ferrari protested! [/CYNIC]

[Logrence]

I'd rather see an hour of free running for quali where drivers have to complete at least 12 laps, but can run as many as they like - teams like Minardi will treat it as a test session at the same time and people will get their value for money.

[Adam43]

Confusing! Give us a break.

[Knowlesy]

Personally, I feel this is a bad decision.

The sponsorship exposure thing is invalid because the Minardis always got coverage at the start of the old style sessions. Probably more than they do now. So that is totally invalid!

It better be changed next year, is all I can say!

[Gt_R]

I'd be glad to see the current format stay for this year.

I'm not a fan of this one - lap qualifying on race fuel load, but lately, the qualifying gets more interesting. In any case, to jump and change rules isn't good for F1. At least give this format one full season before killing it, and use this time to work on one FINAL format for next season. There's no point changing at Silverstone, then come Monza, we hear moans and complains again.

Take the time to work out the best possible format for next year, which would be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

[Pingguest]

The current qualifying format is boring. The drivers don't drive on the limit and they don't take to much risks.

I would like to see just one or two 60 minutes qualifying sessions. The parc fermé-regulations should be abolished.

[neil_davidson2]

Originally posted by Gt_R
Take the time to work out the best possible format for next year, which would be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

I completely agree. The current system is not good, but changing it mid-season is surely a knee jerk reaction.

By all means change the system, but take the time to make sure that you get it right and allow the teams the necessary time to make the appropriate alterations to the cars.

And if we're throwing ideas around, how about three twenty minute sessions in which the teams have to make at least one run of three laps. In addition they get three spare laps that they can choose to run in any of the sessions. So still 12 laps in total and fastest lap gets pole.

[neil_davidson2]

Ooops - double post.

[BootsOntheSide]

Hardly anyone complained about the qualifying last year. At times it was quite exciting as the fast guys started to come out, adn when they made mistakes and ended up at the back of the grid, it often enhanced the race. The only damaging this was the change to running the sesisons back-to-back this year.

[esorniloc]

Good move, with the current format, you see everything and every lap.

I don't understand why they need a first run though!

[Logrence]

People made more mistakes when they had qualifying runs on low fuel - that would be more of a spectacle...

I fell asleep during the first couple of Grands Prix qualis this year - didn't used to happen with the one hours majig.

[foreversideways]

Remind me what was wrong with the original hour long session, either with restricted or non restricted laps. The driver made the decision when he was going to do his laps and invariably the tension at the end of the session was high. Just remember some of the great qualifying sessions involving Rosberg or Mansell or Senna. Also remember people pay to go and watch this stuff and it just aint value for money at the moment.

[Kicking-back]

I'm pretty much ambivalent - the importance of the qualifying session being entertaing doesn't really concern me. Qualifying is merely to set the grid.

It's probably best that the format is not changed mid season.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by esorniloc
I don't understand why they need a first run though!

because the order they go out is very important!

[shiny side up!]

What was "wrong" with the original format was:

1. Slower cars did not get much air time / sponsor exposure
2. It was quite possible to miss seeing the pole lap live if the coverage was following a different car
3. It didn't allow for teams with slower cars to play games with their fuel loads to gain grid position (and an opportunity for TGF to *maybe* screw up

But for all of those things that weren't ideal, I still thought it was a better Quali format. None of that aggregate-time BS, though...

[Spritle]

The change to one lap qualifying from the original format was designed to penalize Ferrari in the guise of artificially mixing up the grid. It failed in 2003 and is failing in 2004.

Penalizing the winner of the WDC in 2003 by making them go out first in the first session is just as stupid as penalizing the winner of the last race in 2004. There is too much luck involved in current format and weather really hasn't even come into play… yet. I for one don't think attempting to intentionally introduce luck into qualifying is what the sport of motor racing is all about.

It's time to forget about screwing Michael and Ferrari and get back to a better system. BAR and Williams and I'm sure the Macs will have the pace to prevail in any qualifying format and win, but what good does it do to have a Minardi in the first row just because Kimi, Rubens, or JPM screwed up? They aren’t winning and even if they do it’s a one off that just makes a few fans feel good for a day. I know a lot of fans like the fact that scoring is closer but having the #2 driver who hasn't won one race a handful of points from someone who has won 7 is just stupid.

If mixing up the grid is all that matters do it by lottery. It can’t be any dumber than aggregate time or some other FIA creation designed to give us a feel good result.

The old system with its blindingly fast final laps will for me always be the best. TV could easily fill the dead air time at the beginning of the session with something and with all the down time at a live event during practice and qualifying, I don't see what the issue is for the fans at the track. With the new format, “watching the P1 for a minute” teams is as boring as watching an empty track in the old format.

As far as the lower teams not getting air time, maybe if Bernie & Company would let loose with some of that tightly held cash to teams that qualify lower than row 4 maybe that would become a moot point as well.

I for one am waiting in anticipation for the end of the Concord Agreement in the hopes that either Bernie will stop messing with F1 or a new series will emerge that will once again have the fastest, most technologically advanced cars and drivers in the world and a qualifying format that rewards excellence and victory, not luck and reliability.

[Pingguest]

Originally posted by shiny side up!
What was "wrong" with the original format was:

1. Slower cars did not get much air time / sponsor exposure

In 2002, Minardi had much air time. Maybe more than McLaren, Sauber, Jaguar, Jordan and BAR.

[Tweed]

Bring back the 60 minutes and I'm sure we'd all put up with 20 mins of no action after suffering this farce for the past couple of years. But you'd also have to bring back Mika Hakkinen so he could steal pole away from MS with 2 minutes to spare!