pole position shoot out vs Q2
Discussion
having been at silverstone on the weekend, i watched a recording of the qualy and race when i got home, and things seemed pretty different watching the qualy with the benefit of hindsight and knowledge of fuel loads.
as MB often reminds us, it is the times in Q2 that are the quickest, low fuel runs, which show which cars are the fastest. so if a car gets 1st in Q2 and 3rd in Q3, we can probably assume they are heavier on fuel rather than those in front simply driving a better lap. 'doing a renault' is ok for the saturday but the Q3 results don't necessarily translate into the race results, which i think adds a decent level of interest. for that reason, i don't agree with MB that final qualy should be on low fuel loads too.
i think for the rest of qualy i'll be taking a much closer look at the Q2 times, and taking the final session positions with a little pinch of salt
as MB often reminds us, it is the times in Q2 that are the quickest, low fuel runs, which show which cars are the fastest. so if a car gets 1st in Q2 and 3rd in Q3, we can probably assume they are heavier on fuel rather than those in front simply driving a better lap. 'doing a renault' is ok for the saturday but the Q3 results don't necessarily translate into the race results, which i think adds a decent level of interest. for that reason, i don't agree with MB that final qualy should be on low fuel loads too.
i think for the rest of qualy i'll be taking a much closer look at the Q2 times, and taking the final session positions with a little pinch of salt
The problem is that the top drivers don't push quite so hard in Q2. They are just banking a lap good enough for a Q3 slot. That's why I take Q2 results with a pinch of salt 
MB is right in that something needs ot be done about Q3. Having them all on low fuel only means they come out at the very end, so the spectators don't see the fast guys much. Then again, the "fuel burn" is just a load of parade laps, which is fine if you like that sort of thing.
A 5 lap sprint race would be good for Q3, with the starting grid based on Q2 results. I can't imagine that would happen, as you would actually see people trying to pass for position.
MB is right in that something needs ot be done about Q3. Having them all on low fuel only means they come out at the very end, so the spectators don't see the fast guys much. Then again, the "fuel burn" is just a load of parade laps, which is fine if you like that sort of thing.
A 5 lap sprint race would be good for Q3, with the starting grid based on Q2 results. I can't imagine that would happen, as you would actually see people trying to pass for position.
johnph said:
I'd keep the Q1 and Q2 sessions, but replace Q3 with an '05 one lap shootout to decide the top 10.
Exactly what I'd do. It works in other series and you get to keep the fuel strategies that add a bit of unpredictability to the race, plus the advantage of several cars on track for the first half hour. In the last session at Silverstone we only saw the last sector of Hamilton's pole lap.The fuel-burning stage is dull until the last 5 minutes (if I record qually then I fast forward the first 10 minutes of this session) but more importantly sends out a terrible message, when F1 is trying to defend itself from the environmental lobby.
i guess the race fuel load and the parade laps are simply to make sure the cars are on TV for a full 15mins and to attempt to mix the grid up a bit
Personally i preferred the 1hr session - those last 10mins were always great fun - ok - we did miss alot of action but there was more excitement than there is now
The best solution to this is to go with a straight forward fight for pole on low fuel. Scrap fuel stops and give each team a set amount of fuel for the race. Each season they could cut back on this amount to encourage further development into economical engines.
Having cars on the start line in either light or heavy fuel configurations simply makes for no real racing.
Having cars on the start line in either light or heavy fuel configurations simply makes for no real racing.
kevin ritson said:
The fuel-burning stage is dull until the last 5 minutes (if I record qually then I fast forward the first 10 minutes of this session) but more importantly sends out a terrible message, when F1 is trying to defend itself from the environmental lobby.
Yep, I can't believe on one hand the FIA are pushing for all these green technologies for F1 in a few years time, yet still happily support a "fuel burn" segment to qualifying at present. Surely if they were serious about their green credentials, ditching fuel burn in Q3 and changing the format to qualify on low tanks in the final segment (maybe with fuel loads in a sealed envelope) would be a quick win that would also appease the majority of F1 fans.
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