New qualifying is 'shit' - D.C.

[|Nuno|]

Aggregate qualifying in F1 is 'artificial' and 'a farce,' David Coulthard growled following the largely futile Sunday session at Melbourne's Albert Park. The Scot, albeit an auspicious fifth on the grid, said adding up the times from two sessions does not create a level playing field -- especially in the event of fickle weather.

"Poor (Felipe) Massa," he said, referring to the young Brazilian who - yesterday - found himself stranded in a rain shower.

33-year-old DC, who said skill had little to do with his own qualifying triumph, added: "To not get another opportunity to have a go is, to my mind, ludicrous. You may as well pull the grid from a hat. I think it's shit."
-----------------

Couldn't agree more.

[ikon2003]

Interesting news. I think i'd have to agree.

F1 needs changes for the better, not for the worse. I dunno where they're going, but i think they should revise the board or whatever the process is when making changes to the sport. I wouldn't be averse to some sort of democratic system where fans are somehow involved.

[caneswell]

Couldn't agree more. The deciding session isn't shown on tv here. Its a complete farce! Qualifying is about someone doing a magical lap on the same circuit as everyone else is trying to drive on! (Like sennas magical monaco laps!). Not aggregate times, not different conditions, not heavy fuel loads!!

If you just want a more topsy turvey grid then pick it out a hat!

[T5]

F1 changed for worse with this qualifying system,part of the show have now disapeared... :cry:

[sameerrao]

As the commentators on Speed said, splitting the qualifying on two days provides another opportunity for weather to scramble the results around as it did this time. Wish we could back to 1 hour of low fuel qualifying and 12 laps max as before

[5vz-fe]

This all comes down to stupid Max and Bernie too desperate to attract audience. The qualifying format that make the most sense is the old old 1 hr all ur can eat format =P~ (well, not all u can eat but 12 laps without race fuel load).

[ZfrkS62]

they are going to have to change this and the engine rule to. just look at it, anyone who doesnt finish in the top 8 point possistions on the last tap they should just pull in to the pits so they get a new engine for the next race. BAR did it and im not sure who else.

There were only 3 retirements and BAR were not amongst any of them. A Minardi retired after it's pitstop because of a blown gearbox, Schumacher because of his collison with Heidfeld who also retired.

[ZfrkS62]

they are going to have to change this and the engine rule to. just look at it, anyone who doesnt finish in the top 8 point possistions on the last tap they should just pull in to the pits so they get a new engine for the next race. BAR did it and im not sure who else.

There were only 3 retirements and BAR were not amongst any of them. A Minardi retired after it's pitstop because of a blown gearbox, Schumacher because of his collison with Heidfeld who also retired.

i didnt say BAR retired, but on the last lap i think it was they decided to pull into the pits. so next race they can use a new engine and not get penalised.
and notice i didnt say people had to retire, anyone who does not cross the finish line at the end of the race can use a new engine in the next race and not be penalised.

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=78971

hmm..I thought that rule was a little loose :?

[Toronto]

anything to stop schumi :roll:
and it really didn't work, the weather has more power then they do!

[sameerrao]

they are going to have to change this and the engine rule to. just look at it, anyone who doesnt finish in the top 8 point possistions on the last tap they should just pull in to the pits so they get a new engine for the next race. BAR did it and im not sure who else.

Absolutely Agree. Dumb rule. Anyone else who finished 9th and beyond and who didnt retire missed out

Also found that due to the engine rule, I think a lot of drivers were taking it easy towards the end of the race. I am sure they could have gone faster but were interested in conserving their engine for the next race.

I found the qualifying confusing - I had to get my PC out to figure out the lap time in QLF2 (subtract QLF1 time from aggregate time). They showed it very briefly on screen before they moved on to the next driver. The commentators were as confused as us to figure out who went where. A mess!

[antonioledesma]

lemme see if I get it.... if you have a DNF, you can use a new engine next race... :| so we'll be full of DNF this season?
I don't really mind the new qual rules, but the engine rules are stupid

[irrational_i]

Not a single GP fan I have spoken to actually like this new format. Everyone wants the old 12 lap format.

As for the engine thing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Same goes for tyres.
I have also never seen so many ugly little appendages on the cars.

I think this is going to be the worst year for GP as far as rules are concerned. 8/

[|Nuno|]

lemme see if I get it.... if you have a DNF, you can use a new engine next race... :| so we'll be full of DNF this season?
I don't really mind the new qual rules, but the engine rules are stupid

Yeah, but the "new" engine will also have to last 2 GP's, so it's not a big advantage... That's why Ferrari didn't change the engine in Michael's car, since it would have to run in Sepang and Bahrain, which are hard races for the engines.

It's still a stupid rule tough... It only harms the show. Williams and McLaren proposals for the extended life of the engine were much better but hey, this is the FIA so...

As for the Qualy, I agree with what y'all said. And now that I think of it, when F1 comes back to Europe, my Sunday mornings will be screwed, since I'll have to get up at 9:00 to see this stupid Qualy...

[mindgam3]

The only difference the engine rule makes is more cost.

Changing your engine at the end of the race doesent make much difference at all. All new engines will be designed to last the distance. You're not going to push any harder on the first race of a new engine than the second - if its going to blow, it'll blow, not too much you can do to prevent it.

I don't see why Coulthard is complaining about the weather effecting qualifying, it would have been exactly the same result if it was just a single session as last year.

Bring back 1 hour, 12 lap banzai runs!

[ZfrkS62]

Don't react too soon to F1's controversial 'aggregate' qualifying format, Ross Brawn has warned. The Ferrari technical director, although his drivers lined up down the grid due only to bad Melbourne weather, said everyone should wait 'at least two races' before assessing the change.

"Clearly Australia wasn't a good example," the Englishman said. "But I'd say that after Malaysia, or maybe Bahrain, when we can see it running normally, if we don't see a reasonable spectacle, then things might be considered again.

"We seem to be going from poor solution to poor solution."

from www.f1racing.net

i couldn't find any rules/regs for qualifying, can someone clarify what is going on for me? all i can gather is setting the fastest time doesnt mean you get pole. :| just judging by the confusion this is causing, i think i like last years version better. :|

[mindgam3]

2 qualifying sessions, 1 hot lap per driver at each qualifying session

Add times from the 2 sessions together...

Fastest time gets pole, not that difficult ;)

[ZfrkS62]

ah, ok. i didn't get to watch qualy and hadn't followed any of the rule changes in the off season. thanks mindgam3 :)

[SPEEDCORE]

This years qualifying at melb was the worst yet, DC is 100% correct.

They sooo badly need to go back to the old 12lap in 60mins system, it makes it fair, Fishi got pole cause he was lucky with the weather not cause he was the fastest.

The old system u were on the edge of the seat for the whole hr now u barely awake for 2mins.

Resign MAx RESIGN!!!!!!

[mindgam3]

Yeah but as I said, with last years quali system, the result would have been almost exactly the same....

The problem with the 12 lap, 1 hour quali is that there was always a lot of waiting around until the last 15/20 minutes

[|Nuno|]

The problem with the 12 lap, 1 hour quali is that there was always a lot of waiting around until the last 15/20 minutes

Yeah, but they could do like this:

12 laps : 3 (in, out and hot lap) = 4 attempts

60 minutes : 4 = 15 minutes

So it would be kinda like 4 mini sessions, in which each driver had to make at least one attempt. And they could as well put a 5 minutes break for commercials between session 2 and 3. :D

And this would be done in low fuel and with 2 sets of tyres availiable; the tyres would have to be the same (compound wise) as the ones used in the Race. Also, the last tyres used in Qualy would have to make it to the Race. This would leave space for different strategies:

Use both sets just on Qualy, or use only one set on the Qualy and start the Race with fresh tyres.

[phantomfocus]

I can't see the FIA allowing this pulling off business to continue much further than the next race. But as far as the qualifying goes, if the weather is perfect, it can work ok. But I agree with most of you that the old 1 hour format was the way to go. Although the blocking nonsense did get a little out of hand if you remember correctly.

[tekwar]

I miss the days when the fastest man and machine got pole position. Plain, easy and simple. Not the recent qualifying which is done to give the minnow teams equal air time for their sponsors, Its just stupid and in most cases not even worth watching anymore.

[No.1]

Yeah but as I said, with last years quali system, the result would have been almost exactly the same....

The problem with the 12 lap, 1 hour quali is that there was always a lot of waiting around until the last 15/20 minutes

Who says you have to watch the first 40/45mins. That was the highlight of race weekend for me. The mad rush as the track filled with the whole grid 8)

[SPEEDCORE]

The problem with the 12 lap, 1 hour quali is that there was always a lot of waiting around until the last 15/20 minutes

Not really unless it rained. Sure the most action happens the last 15mins but more cars on the track the more problems with lap traffic which can spoil the lap. They would still have some early laps.

Current situation its still the same thou, the last drivers get the fast times(pending weather), the rest will be struggling.