Even more complicated qualifications to follow?

For several years, F1 has been trying to find gimmicks to recreate suspense and spectacle while unchallenged dominations follow one after the other: at the beginning of the 2000s, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari left an indelible mark on F1. The beginning of the 2010s was marked by the emergence and then the hegemony of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull. The advent of hybrid technology led to the domination of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

Each time, regulations have been specifically altered to try to reshuffle the deck. This time, it’s the qualification system that would once again be overhauled. According to the rumors that have emerged from Geneva, the system would still be based on Q1, Q2, and Q3 but with a progressive elimination of the slowest driver on track. The system is so straightforward that we preferred to present it schematically below:

Q1 lasting 16 minutes

– Au bout de sept minutes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

– A partir de là, toutes les 90 secondes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

–> 7 pilotes sont donc éliminés

–> 15 pilotes progressent en Q2

15-minute Q2

– Au bout de six minutes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

– A partir de là, toutes les 90 secondes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

–> 7 pilotes sont donc de nouveau éliminés

–> 8 pilotes progressent en Q2

Q3 of 14 minutes

– Au bout de cinq minutes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

– A partir de là, toutes les 90 secondes, le pilote le plus lent est éliminé

–> il ne reste plus qu’un duel pour les dernières 90 secondes

The goal is therefore to encourage drivers to be constantly performing and, above all, to be on track all the time, instead of returning to the pits once a sufficient time is secured.

But one might wonder if the issue with F1 was really in a qualifying format that has been satisfactory in recent years. However, it’s true that it’s easier to change these kinds of sports rules than to tackle the real problem, which is the distribution of revenue among the different teams. But with an investment fund rather than the teams in charge, could it have been any different?

We will see if the FIA World Council on March 4 will endorse this reform, which would apply in Melbourne next month.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr