Jump to content


Photo
* * * - - 2 votes

The end of qualifying as we know it ?


  • Please log in to reply
76 replies to this topic

#1 Mohican

Mohican
  • Member

  • 1,965 posts
  • Joined: May 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 06:35

n alphabetical order:

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here ? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1. Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.

Advertisement

#2 Stephane

Stephane
  • Member

  • 4,351 posts
  • Joined: February 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 07:28

One hour of qualifying could be a pretty simple format.



#3 SenorSjon

SenorSjon
  • Member

  • 17,543 posts
  • Joined: March 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 08:22

Qualifying as we know it died 10+ years ago.



#4 Lights

Lights
  • Member

  • 17,874 posts
  • Joined: February 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:15

The qualifying format is still going to be kept the same this year. They're not going to revert back to something used 10 years ago just because some teams leave.



#5 MikeMM

MikeMM
  • Member

  • 884 posts
  • Joined: October 07

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:19

n alphabetical order:

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here ? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1. Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.

 

I do need Q1.

Maybe teams also need this to set up cars for Q2 and Q3.



#6 Tsarwash

Tsarwash
  • Member

  • 13,725 posts
  • Joined: August 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:24

n alphabetical order:

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here ? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1. Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.

Ferrari, McLaren, Force India are the midfield there. Quite simple. Granted, they could lose Q! if we lose two teams next year, but we will still need the top ten shootout. The current qualifying format is the best it has ever been. There's no point letting everybody have a whole hour, as the track would be 100% empty until the last twenty minutes. 



#7 Mohican

Mohican
  • Member

  • 1,965 posts
  • Joined: May 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:26

They have three FP sessions to set up the cars. Should be more than enough.

#8 SanDiegoGo

SanDiegoGo
  • Member

  • 1,065 posts
  • Joined: July 13

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:26

n alphabetical order:

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here ? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1. Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.

 

mclaren, force india and STR. lotus and sauber are now back markers.



#9 Mohican

Mohican
  • Member

  • 1,965 posts
  • Joined: May 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:31

I did not mean scrapping current system, just Q3.
Q1 35 mins, Q2 20 mins ?

#10 Lights

Lights
  • Member

  • 17,874 posts
  • Joined: February 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:34

http://adamcooperf1....r-18-car-entry/

 

The FIA Sporting Regulations include the provision for changing the number of cars that are eliminated. The numbers specifically referred to are eight for a 26-car entry, and seven for a 24 car entry. It follows that with an 18-car entry four cars would be bumped from Q1 and Q2. The regulations refer to the size of the ‘championship’ entry rather than that for an individual race. However sources confirm that once the stewards have officially been notified that only 18 cars are in the Austin field they will have the option to decree that four cars are eliminated in Q1 and Q2."


Edited by Lights, 27 October 2014 - 09:34.


#11 prostspeed

prostspeed
  • Member

  • 164 posts
  • Joined: October 14

Posted 27 October 2014 - 09:37

I like how the title frames the question as though "qualifying" is some big thing that if changed will be a tragic and irrecoverable loss. 



#12 Nonesuch

Nonesuch
  • Member

  • 15,870 posts
  • Joined: October 08

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:02

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1.

Q1 is the first qualifying 'session', so how does it make those who end up last the midfield?

I'd say the midfield this year is made up of teams like Toro Rosso, Force India, and - dipping in and out from race to race - Ferrari and McLaren.
 

Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.


I think the qualifying format is rather tiresome. I rarely ever tune in for the first half hour, and even in Q3 we often not see the pole lap. If F1 is desperate to keep this segmented qualifying, I don't see why it couldn't have a quick 20 minute Q1 to select the top 10, and then a one-lap shoot-out for pole in which we spectators can see all the laps that matter in their entirety.

Edited by Nonesuch, 27 October 2014 - 10:02.


#13 baddog

baddog
  • Member

  • 29,695 posts
  • Joined: June 99

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:08

Qualifying has never been better than 1 hour.

 

Unfortunately TV and small team sponsors made it 3 segments, and the insanity or the use of hard drugs added all the crap about tyres and (formerly) fuel which have ruined countless sessions and races.



#14 ANF

ANF
  • Member

  • 29,236 posts
  • Joined: April 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:12

I did not mean scrapping current system, just Q3.
Q1 35 mins, Q2 20 mins ?

I'd love that. Even better, make each round 25 minutes long.



#15 Talisker

Talisker
  • Member

  • 382 posts
  • Joined: January 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:32

Lets face it you can't beat the simple old system of an hour to do whatever you want, and everyone knows it. Sure, it sometimes led to periods with no cars on the track, but that doesn't matter. Just like long periods in soccer when people pass the ball around in midfield don't matter. It's all part of the game. Everything else they've tried is contrived nonsense.

 

Actually, I think all the problems come from thinking qualifying should be a spectacle. No it shouldn't, it should be about establishing grid positions based on the speed people drive. It may be riveting, it may be boring as hell. Doesn't matter.  Once you confuse entertainment and sport, the sport stops being entertaining. 


Edited by Talisker, 27 October 2014 - 10:36.


#16 SpaceHorseParty

SpaceHorseParty
  • Member

  • 1,585 posts
  • Joined: September 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:39

Qualifying has never been better than 1 hour.

 

Unfortunately TV and small team sponsors made it 3 segments, and the insanity or the use of hard drugs added all the crap about tyres and (formerly) fuel which have ruined countless sessions and races.

Small team sponsors? Didn't the small teams get more coverage in the one hour system (where they tended to set a lap before the leaders) or the shootout?



#17 gribbli

gribbli
  • Member

  • 135 posts
  • Joined: July 14

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:41

More fun to just dump qualies and do something more interesting on a saturday, sprint races etc. All qualy does is put everyone in order of speed and then everyone wonders why the race is boring with no overtaking... 20 cars, 20 tracks random starting positions each race (so you have started in every position by the end of the season) would make fantastic Sundays week in week out, and separate the men from the boys in the process.


Edited by gribbli, 27 October 2014 - 10:42.


#18 johnmhinds

johnmhinds
  • Member

  • 7,292 posts
  • Joined: July 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 10:47

Small team sponsors? Didn't the small teams get more coverage in the one hour system (where they tended to set a lap before the leaders) or the shootout?

 

Yup, they hardly ever focus on what the back markers are doing during Q1.

 

They're always focused on which of the front runners is fastest out of the gate for some pointless reason. Which doesn't really matter when none of them are going flat out with the best tyres during that period, they're just going through the motions.



#19 Mohican

Mohican
  • Member

  • 1,965 posts
  • Joined: May 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 11:02

Q1 is the first qualifying 'session', so how does it make those who end up last the midfield?

I'd say the midfield this year is made up of teams like Toro Rosso, Force India, and - dipping in and out from race to race - Ferrari and McLaren.


I think the qualifying format is rather tiresome. I rarely ever tune in for the first half hour, and even in Q3 we often not see the pole lap. If F1 is desperate to keep this segmented qualifying, I don't see why it couldn't have a quick 20 minute Q1 to select the top 10, and then a one-lap shoot-out for pole in which we spectators can see all the laps that matter in their entirety.


Sorry, I meant who qualifies last in Q3.

Advertisement

#20 Jambo

Jambo
  • Member

  • 2,614 posts
  • Joined: January 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 11:30

You know what they could do, bear with me now, this is a little extreme.

 

So, one one hour long qualifying session, madness I know.

 

And say 12 laps allowed so that would be 4 runs of three laps.

 

And you just start the race on whatever tyres you want.

 

What do you think?



#21 Stephane

Stephane
  • Member

  • 4,351 posts
  • Joined: February 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 11:31

Just one hour, no 12 laps gimmick


Edited by Stephane, 27 October 2014 - 11:31.


#22 superden

superden
  • Member

  • 4,185 posts
  • Joined: May 11

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:04

As mentioned above, qualifying died years ago when they scrapped the 1 hour format.

#23 Doughnut King

Doughnut King
  • Member

  • 624 posts
  • Joined: November 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:09

I do need Q1.

Maybe teams also need this to set up cars for Q2 and Q3.

 

Parc Ferme.



#24 Fastcake

Fastcake
  • Member

  • 12,548 posts
  • Joined: April 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:10

Lets face it you can't beat the simple old system of an hour to do whatever you want, and everyone knows it. Sure, it sometimes led to periods with no cars on the track, but that doesn't matter. Just like long periods in soccer when people pass the ball around in midfield don't matter. It's all part of the game. Everything else they've tried is contrived nonsense.
 
Actually, I think all the problems come from thinking qualifying should be a spectacle. No it shouldn't, it should be about establishing grid positions based on the speed people drive. It may be riveting, it may be boring as hell. Doesn't matter.  Once you confuse entertainment and sport, the sport stops being entertaining.


Yes, you can, and it's called the current system. Qualifying is fair to all competitors, entertaining, and is structured so that cars will be on track for the entire session. Any return to the old system would be a retrograde step.

#25 Thomas99

Thomas99
  • Member

  • 2,581 posts
  • Joined: September 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:11

Bring back open qualifying, Ive always hated the split system



#26 ANF

ANF
  • Member

  • 29,236 posts
  • Joined: April 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:16

Yes, you can, and it's called the current system. Qualifying is fair to all competitors, entertaining, and is structured so that cars will be on track for the entire session. Any return to the old system would be a retrograde step.

Fair to all competitors = the ten fastest drivers must start the race on a certain set of used tyres. :p



#27 SenorSjon

SenorSjon
  • Member

  • 17,543 posts
  • Joined: March 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:27

More fun to just dump qualies and do something more interesting on a saturday, sprint races etc. All qualy does is put everyone in order of speed and then everyone wonders why the race is boring with no overtaking... 20 cars, 20 tracks random starting positions each race (so you have started in every position by the end of the season) would make fantastic Sundays week in week out, and separate the men from the boys in the process.

 

Parc Ferme orders the cars on speed. More often than not, you could find something in the warm up and have a faster race car. Remember the fast Williams early '00 in Q, but unfortunately not in race trim.



#28 johnmhinds

johnmhinds
  • Member

  • 7,292 posts
  • Joined: July 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 12:32

Fair to all competitors = the ten fastest drivers must start the race on a certain set of used tyres. :p

 

And then it's not even the tyres they did that Q3 time on...but for some reason the tyres they used in Q2...and the Q3 tyres have to go back to pirelli to be scrapped after only being used for 2-4 laps.

 

http://www.formula1....gulations/8680/

 

The current qualifying rules are such convoluted bullshit.



#29 Fastcake

Fastcake
  • Member

  • 12,548 posts
  • Joined: April 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:27

Fair to all competitors = the ten fastest drivers must start the race on a certain set of used tyres. :p


That's got nothing to do with the knockout system though. You could just as easily have the same tyre rules under the 12 lap qualifying.

#30 Imateria

Imateria
  • Member

  • 2,424 posts
  • Joined: January 14

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:34

Whilst I'm no fan of the top 10 having to race on the tyres they started on, people really need to get rid of those rose tinted glasses. The old 1 hour, 12 laps each system was tedious in the extreme, I lost count of how many times in the last couple years of that system that we'd sit around for 35-40 minutes with absolute sod all happening and Martin Brundle struggling desperately to find something to talk about. It was absolutely ****ing boring and I'm glad it was done away with. And contrary to what some people have said the small teams didn't get any extra air time, the Minardi's would tend to be first out and before they'd even got half way around their first timed lap everybody else would be out and the camera's would switch to whatever Ferrari, McLaren and Williams were doing. Also, with everybody trying to get 4 runs into 20 minutes and trying to get their best possible lap time on each run, you actually ended up missing most of what was going on.

 

However, 1 lap qualy wasn't an answer either. Yes, you got to see everyone put in their fast lap, but it took an hour and was also very dull as there's was no chance to counter and only 1 person got the track at it's best. There was little sense of tension and no excitement.

 

The current system is the best I've seen as we get lots of action and see the drivers as they build up over multiple laps to get their best possible time. True, we tend to miss the full poll lap (TV directors being idiots is nothing new) but going one by one isn't and answer, even with only the top 10 it would take 40+ minutes to give everybody 2 runs and only 1 person gets the best track conditions.



#31 FlitchPower

FlitchPower
  • Member

  • 80 posts
  • Joined: October 14

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:39

What is the hige thing? Instead of having cater ham and marussia as the de facto q1 laggards you will have sauber and lotus

#32 tifosi

tifosi
  • Member

  • 22,649 posts
  • Joined: June 99

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:50

Qualifying as we know it died 10+ years ago.

 

  2 sessions on Friday, 2 on Saturday, 1 hour each, fastest car on pole.

 

 THAT was qualifying.  Super sticky tires, fuel that would make NASA blush, componets that literally disentegrate after 3.00000001 laps.



#33 tifosi

tifosi
  • Member

  • 22,649 posts
  • Joined: June 99

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:51

Ferrari, McLaren, Force India are the midfield there. Quite simple. Granted, they could lose Q! if we lose two teams next year, but we will still need the top ten shootout. The current qualifying format is the best it has ever been. There's no point letting everybody have a whole hour, as the track would be 100% empty until the last twenty minutes. 

 

  Too easy.  Cars are required to make one qualifying run in each 15 minute segment or they lose their best time.



#34 TomNokoe

TomNokoe
  • Member

  • 33,568 posts
  • Joined: July 11

Posted 27 October 2014 - 13:52

Make Q3 a separate one-lap shootout, weather pending. Order is Q2 reverse. All sorts of tension. Would be no longer than 20 minutes.



#35 SenorSjon

SenorSjon
  • Member

  • 17,543 posts
  • Joined: March 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:10

We need rules that a 6 year old can understand. ;)

60 minutes and here you go.

 

The 12 laps rule was brought in when teams bought an infinite number of tires for a maximum amount of laps. That rule has been made obsolete by the limited amount of sets for qualification and race.

 

The 50 minute buildup gave a 10 minute festival of speed. You had frontrunners tweaking the car throughout the session, going at full speed. Most of the time, Q1/2 aren't at full speed for the top of the crop.



#36 Zoetrope

Zoetrope
  • Member

  • 1,408 posts
  • Joined: April 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:21

Make Q3 a separate one-lap shootout, weather pending. Order is Q2 reverse. All sorts of tension. Would be no longer than 20 minutes.


I always feel like watching live timing in Q3 when everyone is doing their hot laps at the same time and all I really care about are numbers not actual driving. I also find live onboard footage lacking.

They could show each competitor in compairison to currently fastest łap achieved on split screen etc.

Starting order would also make Q1 interesting as you want to be as fast as possible to allow yourself preferable tarmac conditions later on.

I actually like this idea.

#37 OS X

OS X
  • Member

  • 213 posts
  • Joined: November 09

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:41

You know what they could do, bear with me now, this is a little extreme.
 
So, one one hour long qualifying session, madness I know.
 
And say 12 laps allowed so that would be 4 runs of three laps.
 
And you just start the race on whatever tyres you want.
 
What do you think?

 
Seriously, it'll never be able to work. The current system is perfect.
 
How thrilling is Q1 when the slow cars go slow and the fast cars go slightly less slow? And then we have that 7-minute break do recover from that exhilaration. The session has such a profound meaning - given that the fastest 16 times count for nothing - that they decided to dedicate 40% of the on track time to finding the slowest 27% of the grid. Pure genius. :drunk:
 
Q3 is a marvelous spectacle too. Two minutes of nothing, two minutes of something, five more minutes of nothing and finally a bit more of something. Four action-packed minutes where you get to see exactly 10% of what's going on on track. Must see TV. :stoned:
 
Your wacky proposal means that there could be periods of no cars on track. Quel horreur! Why run the risk of there being no cars on track when you can guarantee it by having designated periods of inaction between each quali session. If there's one thing the kids like, it's unnecessary pauses. I can literally hear the viewing numbers rising. :cool:



#38 Henrik B

Henrik B
  • Member

  • 2,861 posts
  • Joined: March 03

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:43

One hour qualification was ****. I mean, really ****. A lot of broadcasters, if they don't have air time to spare, would drop qualification if that was brought back again and rightly so.



#39 bourbon

bourbon
  • Member

  • 7,265 posts
  • Joined: February 10

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:44

http://adamcooperf1....r-18-car-entry/

 

The FIA Sporting Regulations include the provision for changing the number of cars that are eliminated. The numbers specifically referred to are eight for a 26-car entry, and seven for a 24 car entry. It follows that with an 18-car entry four cars would be bumped from Q1 and Q2. The regulations refer to the size of the ‘championship’ entry rather than that for an individual race. However sources confirm that once the stewards have officially been notified that only 18 cars are in the Austin field they will have the option to decree that four cars are eliminated in Q1 and Q2."

 

Make that 3/4 if Vettel is not participating in qually.


Edited by bourbon, 27 October 2014 - 14:45.


Advertisement

#40 MikeV1987

MikeV1987
  • Member

  • 6,371 posts
  • Joined: July 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:52

I really like the current qualy format, I just wish the drivers had separate tires for it.



#41 SenorSjon

SenorSjon
  • Member

  • 17,543 posts
  • Joined: March 12

Posted 27 October 2014 - 14:59

One hour qualification was ****. I mean, really ****. A lot of broadcasters, if they don't have air time to spare, would drop qualification if that was brought back again and rightly so.

 

Most viewers dropped F1 already, so what is your point. ;)

 

They decided to move F1 behind paywalls and that is just one of many reasons F1 is in decline.



#42 Nonesuch

Nonesuch
  • Member

  • 15,870 posts
  • Joined: October 08

Posted 27 October 2014 - 15:28

Make Q3 a separate one-lap shootout, weather pending. Order is Q2 reverse. All sorts of tension. Would be no longer than 20 minutes.

:up: It is baffling to me that even in Q3 we viewers have to resort to live timing or waiting for the dreadfully boring 'static finish line shot' to see events unfold.

Sure, one-lap shoot-outs can be a little unfair if conditions change rapidly, but even that supposed downside has the benefit of placing faster cars lower down the order every now and then. While it was a little embarrassing for the other teams to see Hamilton slice through the field during those first laps in Austria, it was at least somewhat entertaining for us viewers.

Edited by Nonesuch, 27 October 2014 - 15:28.


#43 Risil

Risil
  • Administrator

  • 61,515 posts
  • Joined: February 07

Posted 27 October 2014 - 15:28

I liked the single-lap format. I haven't seen a complete qualifying lap since 2005.



#44 Button4life

Button4life
  • Member

  • 6,037 posts
  • Joined: October 14

Posted 27 October 2014 - 19:09

I think the current quali is the best of all quali ideas. 1 hour quali session is just boring as ****, because everyone wants to set his time at the end of the quali when the track is at his best. So we've 45-55 minuten of nothing.

 

A 1 lap shoutout wouldn't be fair, because people will set their time at the end and some in the begin. And in the begin, the track is obviously slower



#45 Dolph

Dolph
  • Member

  • 12,129 posts
  • Joined: March 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 19:32

n alphabetical order:

Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, RBR, Sauber, STR & Williams.

Where is the "midfield" here ? By definition whoever qualifies last in Q1. Do we in fact need qualifying broken into three parts ? I think not - and what does this mean ? 20 minute qualifying sessions ? Surely not good for TV. Etc, etc.

 

Oh the disaster...



#46 Dolph

Dolph
  • Member

  • 12,129 posts
  • Joined: March 01

Posted 27 October 2014 - 19:33

Most viewers dropped F1 already, so what is your point.  ;)

 

 

 

 

Wow, what a load of BS

 

So most viewers? What are we talking here ? 70%? 90%? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Edited by Dolph, 27 October 2014 - 19:34.


#47 Nonesuch

Nonesuch
  • Member

  • 15,870 posts
  • Joined: October 08

Posted 27 October 2014 - 19:51

Wow, what a load of BS

 

Check out this thread. It depends a bit on when you want to start counting and comparing to 2014, but quite a few people in that thread report that in their country viewership has gone down dramatically over the past 10 years.



#48 f1RacingForever

f1RacingForever
  • Member

  • 1,384 posts
  • Joined: October 13

Posted 27 October 2014 - 20:26

He current system is fine imo. The only problem is sometimes drivers get held up by slower cars. The track condition advantage that the last car had in single lap qualifying isn't a problem anymore. Also less likely cars get caught out by changing weather. They only have themselves to blame if that happens now. Teams need to be given more tires in Qualy so they aren't sitting in the garage until there's only a few minutes remaining.

#49 Afterburner

Afterburner
  • RC Forum Host

  • 9,173 posts
  • Joined: January 11

Posted 27 October 2014 - 20:39

I'm so tired of reading the same myopic complaints from the same kinds of people over the stupidest things.

"F1 is behind a paywall and this is responsible for worldwide decline" - do you even hear yourself? Over here in the US, any kind of racing worth watching is and has mostly always been behind a paywall, and ours doesn't give us online streaming, full weekend coverage, one-hour pre/post-race shows, or the ability to rewatch online whenever we see fit with Sky Go or whatever it is you guys have on that side of the pond--oh, and we've got LOADS OF ADVERTS on top of that. I fail to see how F1 going behind a paywall in a country that isn't even its biggest market (Brazil is) is supposed to account for the general malaise the sport finds itself in. Laughable. (And paywalls don't always have a negative effect on viewership; Italy recorded an increase in the last report despite switching to a subscription/FTA mix not entirely dissimilar to the UK.)

"Bring back 1-hour qualifying" - I can't understand any desire to return to this other than 'nostalgia' or 'that's the way we've always done things' (or TWWADT, if you prefer, which I do)--two stubborn attitudes which have been the Achilles' Heel of most modern racing associations as of late (I'm looking at you, SCCA). It won't kill the sport to try a new format, which I feel they've done with great success despite some obvious flaws which I'd personally liked to see axed. I don't have time to burn an hour in front of a TV set waiting for the big guns to come out and inevitably blast their way to pole position; as it stands, I tend to DVR past most of Q1 these days anyway. No way I'd go back to the old system.

~*~

That being said, my ideal format would involve a transformation of Q3 into an eight-car, single-lap shootout. There are a number of ways you could organise the running order, all of which I'd be fine with: you could do it in Q2 finishing order, aggregate Q1/Q2 times, or drivers' choice to avoid weather issues (I'm thinking compile a running order by polling the drivers from fastest to slowest Q2 times--or let the driver with the fastest time/best aggregate time decide whether they want the session to proceed in order of slowest-fastest Q2 times or fastest-slowest). Any of these would work for me but I'd prefer the ones that allow the drivers to choose when they'd run. It'd be eight cars as opposed to ten (maybe even six) for time constraints and to weed out drivers who aren't realistic shots for pole.

Modern technology would allow for the single-lap format to be a lot more exciting than it used to be--we could have split-screen with trackside shots and an onboard camera (don't know why they didn't do this to begin with, honestly), or use the exact same camera angles each time and generate a 'ghost car' for the driver with the fastest time.

I've got no problem with qualifying being a contest--time trials and racing are two different kinds of skills that can be equally exciting if pitched to the viewers properly. Single-lap was the only format that allowed us to see the artists at work, and I miss it for that--20 cars of it could be a bit tedious, but as a shoot-out I think it has potential. Q3 is exciting, but it does feel a lot like I'm just watching numbers pop up on screen and made to be excited by them sometimes rather than actually watching the drivers qualify or the effort that went into those numbers (think SV's temporary pole at Silverstone earlier this year).

Obviously all of the strategy bogusness would be ideally left to the wayside, but if you absolutely must keep it, then all drivers who proceed to single-lap shootout start on the tyres they used to set their best time in Q2.

Of course I'm fine with it as is, but I think falling numbers should mean Q3 having reduced participation and five cars as the minimum amount being dropped from Q1 and Q2. Indycar's six-man pole shoot-out manages just fine with a 20+ car field (though it's the only part of Indycar's qualifying format that can actually be followed without a tuning fork, a witch-doctor's mask, some ethanol-containing herbs, and a bewitched stopwatch), so F1 shouldn't have a problem.

Just my two cents on what is a much smaller issue than the thread title and collage of enraged responses would have you believe. :p

#50 f1RacingForever

f1RacingForever
  • Member

  • 1,384 posts
  • Joined: October 13

Posted 27 October 2014 - 20:48

More fun to just dump qualies and do something more interesting on a saturday, sprint races etc. All qualy does is put everyone in order of speed and then everyone wonders why the race is boring with no overtaking... 20 cars, 20 tracks random starting positions each race (so you have started in every position by the end of the season) would make fantastic Sundays week in week out, and separate the men from the boys in the process.

This is a fantastic idea. Teams would never agree though.