Hear me out on this one please.
i just thought of this, and fine tuned it as I was writing. I usually like my ideas that evolve that way.
Imagine F1 were to divide the qualification result in 3 groups, A(1-7) - B(8-13) - C(14->>) . You'll want to qualify quick enough to be in A (Magic 7).
Within each quali group drivers are, as suggested earlier, placed on the grid in reverse order of championship standings. Great idea BTWbut mine makes it work ;-)
Once safe for expcted Magic 7 cut-off time, it doesn't whether you're 1st of 4th. But if you end up 8th by being lazy or slow or missing the good conditions on your one fast set of tires, you're in group B of 6 and would (reverse championship standings) likely end up 13th on the grid. So drivers WILL take quali serious. They much rather be 7th on the grid (let's say Hamilton this current season) than 13th when not feeling motivated to really try for what will "only" be 7th on the grid. Hamilton might not easily win from 7th now, but would get many second places, good points. And Rosberg from 6th, would he score more points than Hamilton when both need to get through fiercely defending traffic?
Imagine the Williams boys scrambling to stay in Magic 7, to not look at a terrible race from the back. If they make it to Magic 7, they are forst row. And Silverstone showed that with good race pace, that can work out for them. Mid-pack...not their forte.
For slower teams, there is a HUGE incentive to reach the first group of 7. Much more than the honor of coming 9th or 10th in Q3 today. Because if you break top-7, you get a pole position due to your poor championship standings. Free track, but not an easy race ahead by any means. Opportunity to fine-tune your care aerodynamically for that race will help (I'd allow for that). Backmarkers would be equally motivated to make it to the 2nd group of 6. Placing 13th could get you an 8th grid position (again reverse champion standing for group B). Pretty sweet for a Sauber or even McLaren at this stage. Rarely achieved on outright speed.
Now if we are using these 3 groups, why not separate them a bit on the grid itself? Just a few empty rows between them. So we have a better visual of the 3 separate races thought the first lap. The front runner from group B (worst placed driver that qualified top-13) will be holding up group B. first a lap or so making contact with the back of group A, where the back has more inherent pace than the very front. The group B lucky 13th might well make contact with the championship leaders within group A, making it quite interesting. Same dynamic between B and C. Diffent paces mixed of everywhere. But not like a total grid conversion. Still a great incentive to qualify really well. No 1-2-3, just an hour where drivers pick their tires and laps. Let's say they get one tire for quali only, not needed to be races, softer than option. But when to use them? Conditions change. Traffic everywhere. All have something to race for. Maybe not Marussia. But they'll work hard on their race pace to make it extra interesting for us. Guys around 13-14th place will be fighting for group B quali to be 8th on the grid while Marussia are just doing all to have great setup and tires for the race. Nice, huh?
One the first lap of the upcoming Spa race, presuming no overtakes on the straight or first corner mix-up, and quali results now presumed as per championship standings,
Group A will be moving at the pace of Ricciardo.
Group B is led by Perez, trying to make contact with Hamilton at the back of group A
Group C is led by a Marussia trying to make contact with Kvyat at the back of Group B.
You'll see, in the beginning 3 sub-races emerge. Drivers will be eager to get out of traffic to get onto free track.
Qualifying in a better group is super important, as is not falling into a slower one.
Look at a driver like Verstappen. Good quali (7th) gets him a pole, opportunity to slowly slip down and get 6th if no-one retired. Bad quali (14th) gets him the red lantarn in 20th. Just getting up to 10th would be quite a result already. And deserving of points.
Such a grid system may then ask for a points scoring scheme that rewards further down the result sheet. Staggered less than now. Or not. You tell me.
Whether or not F1 cars are good to overtake, such a system WILL see overtake. And much more than today. Without being too unfair to good qualifier NOR standings drivers.
If there is a driver swap exactly mid-season, this driver gets to have the cars handicap (prior gained points) in grid positioning.
Comments please.
Edited by Cloxxki, 31 July 2015 - 00:43.