Qualifying for 2010 rule changes

[dpbird90]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77775

Basically the same as last year, but 8 cars go out, and Q3 is in low fuel mode.

[DSM2]

That's 'if' there are 26 cars - no small 'if' if you ask me............

[Scuffers]

DSM2 said:

That's 'if' there are 26 cars - no small 'if' if you ask me............

no st...

really think they should look at 3 car teams..... costs for a 3rd car would be somewhat less (per car) than the current 2, and gives another sponsorship/pay driver income stream...

teams could say nominate which two cars earn constructor points?

[anonymous-user]

It seems a bit silly to get rid of the T-Car on cost grounds, then to bring a 3rd car to race as it doesn't cost much.

[llewop]

because I'd just read the F1 Magazine (Aug) article about MB engines - one thing I checked was the number of engines they can use;

still 8 next year - in the article it suggested it was going to go down to 5!!

it also (still) says that a motor manufacturer supplying engines can only supply 2 teams... (which gives Cosworth an escape since they are not a manufacturer) but could cause an issue for Brawn. It would be awful if they lost the MB engines next year as they seem to have done so well with them and reading the article seems like there is mutual respect and enthusiasm.

[profstoff]

At least refuelling during the race has gone at last. No more second guessing strategy, just racing.

[skinny]

profstoff said:

At least refuelling during the race has gone at last. No more second guessing strategy, just racing.

what happens if there's no racing tho? the more fundamental issue is the aero of the cars. sort that, and you'll have racing - refuelling or not.

[Wanta996Gotta]

Interesting that KERS seem to be staying for next year.

[FourWheelDrift]

What about the silly rule on using both sets of available tyres? If they still do they will all still be making pitstops. No one will be able to go the whole race on one set, managing their tyres whilst racing against someone driving like their hair's on fire but making a tyre stop due to wear.

[llewop]

FourWheelDrift said:

What about the silly rule on using both sets of available tyres? If they still do they will all still be making pitstops. No one will be able to go the whole race on one set, managing their tyres whilst racing against someone driving like their hair's on fire but making a tyre stop due to wear.

I don't think they were ever going to not stop, so perhaps the 'use both sets' rule will be one of the few dice they'll be able to roll next year. I doubt Bridgestone would want to totally change the tyres to make ones that last the whole race.

Personally I'm actually slightly disappointed by the dropping of refuelling - I know that the pureist view is that Q3 and pole should be about the quickest man in the quickest car, but there have been a number of races where guys have done well by getting clever with their fuel load and pit stop strategy, maybe to compensate for a bad qualifying (in a quick car). I worry that with modern F1 cars that full fuel from the start and convergent race simulation modelling that there will be even less overtaking than the last couple of years.

[luke111s]

Low fuel qualifying back at last!!!

[patmahe]

I seem to remember reading many years ago that even if refuelling were banned, stopping for fresh tyres during a race is still the quickest way to complete the distance. So it looks like pistops are here to stay unless they are specifically banned.

[llewop]

patmahe said:

I seem to remember reading many years ago that even if refuelling were banned, stopping for fresh tyres during a race is still the quickest way to complete the distance. So it looks like pistops are here to stay unless they are specifically banned.

I think they did try that a few years back (2005 - I had to look it up! lol) - but the Indy fiasco put paid to that - plus the various races where there were debates on whether someone could replace a damaged tyre...how dameged did it have to be to be allowed to be changed...?

[SRT77]

I wonder if all teams will stick to the no KERS agreement, particularly Mclaren who have clearly worked hard on theirs, which may have contributed to their lack of performance earlier in the season i.e developing the KERS system rather than working on the aero.
Am I right in thinking that the intention was for KERS to become mandatory.

[skinny]

i believe there's a 'gentlemens agreement' amongst FOTA that it's scrapped for next year. however, now that mclaren are making theirs work (now that they've caught up on aero basically) they might not be so keen. ferrari seem to have an advantage with it too. and apparently williams, suspended from FOTA, are still developing theirs and might use it next year.

[zac510]

Overall, glad they resisted the temptation to mess with the qualifying too much. Changing the cars and making Q3 low-fuel were the only logical and necessary changes required IMO!

[A911DOM]

Will this not play into the hands of the 'dominant' teams again.

For example: This year renault have managed to catapult themselves up the grid by running really low fuel to steal a bit of the limelight for a while. Arent we just going to wind up with exactly the same as before - Mclaren, Fezz and one other team in the top slots and very little chance of anyone else breaking through!?

I hope Im wrong and it evens itself out, but if it winds up processional again its going to turn a lot of people off!

[flemke]

patmahe said:

I seem to remember reading many years ago that even if refuelling were banned, stopping for fresh tyres during a race is still the quickest way to complete the distance. So it looks like pistops are here to stay unless they are specifically banned.

I believe that they are keeping this asinine, fkwitted rule that you have to use two different compounds during each race.

[flemke]

DSM2 said:

That's 'if' there are 26 cars - no small 'if' if you ask me............

Funny you should mention that.
On one of the racing sites this morning they mentioned that, since BMW have dropped out and the tender process has been reopened, the FIA are considering accepting two more entrants.

The idea was supposed to be that it was unsafe to have more than 26 cars in a race. The idea was supposed to be that, if they were to raise funding, the new teams had to be certain that they would be in the show.
24 cars now, plus 2 new entrants, would equal 28 cars...

[andyps]

flemke said:

DSM2 said:

That's 'if' there are 26 cars - no small 'if' if you ask me............

Funny you should mention that.
On one of the racing sites this morning they mentioned that, since BMW have dropped out and the tender process has been reopened, the FIA are considering accepting two more entrants.

The idea was supposed to be that it was unsafe to have more than 26 cars in a race. The idea was supposed to be that, if they were to raise funding, the new teams had to be certain that they would be in the show.
24 cars now, plus 2 new entrants, would equal 28 cars...

I can't see how a new team could possibly have time to get a car ready in time now. The reason I think that is that Max said the arbitrary date he set for entries to be received and the entrants list to be finalised was so that any new entrants had sufficient time, that date has now passed so there surely is no chance to be properly prepared........