Linksheaven 2006 F1 Preview: Ferrari
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Today:Ferrari Now spell checked for greater reading pleasure! |
Continue Reading 3 comments March 6th, 2006
Archive for March 6th, 2006
Linksheaven 2006 F1 Preview: Toyota
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Today:Toyota Now spell checked for greater reading pleasure! |
Continue Reading Add comment March 6th, 2006
Still not happy with qualifying ? Why not ?
Some people are never happy. Now I’ve always been of the opinion that there are certain types of people who are at their happiest when they are moaning. That regardless of what you do to try and make them happy, they will find fault and remain unhappy (but happier for it …. if you get my meaning :))
I think this years new qualifying format has brought a lot of them out of the woodwork.
Let me first say that I was not a fan of last years qualifying but that I am happy with this years attempt. It is people who are not happy with either format that this article relates to, because on the face of it, this new format has solved a lot of what people were complaining about last year.
Lets go through the 2 main complaints made about qualifying last year.
Firstly there was the fact that fundamentally, with 1 chance per driver, there was a huge possibility that not all of the fastest drivers would be at the front. That the very nature of being potentially punished for going gung-ho on your only flying lap actually discouraged drivers from going 100%. This in my opinion was the most valid complaint of all. Qualifying by its very nature is supposed to put the quickest cars at the front. There should never ever be a system that punishes quick cars artificially just so that the viewing public can watch the superior driver try and claw his way back through a field of backmarkers. OK it is the drivers fault if he messes up, but if racing is about going 100% then qualifying is about going 105% and I don’t think the punishment justified the crime. Maybe if overtaking was easier, but in this age of F1 where overtaking has been made difficult by the FIA, they should not be bringing in rules that make it more likely that quick cars will be behind slower cars. Yes it is probably a more exciting show but it’s not what racing is about.
This years qualifying format deals with this issue. Apart from the ‘engine failure’ punishment which still unfortunately remains, the drivers are allowed to make as many runs as they possibly can within the time limit given. So someone who is quick but prone to mistakes can now set a ‘banker’ then improve on it. The net result will be less ‘wacky’ grids but that in my opinion, and most true race fans’ opinions, is a very good thing. We get the quick guys at the front where they belong. On the face of it that’s problem 1 solved.
Secondly, people complained that last year’s format was dull dull dull. I agree with this too. One car on a hot lap at any given time. No excitement other than watching the split time. The breaks between watching 1 car and watching another. OK the Minardi and Midland sponsors got airtime, but again as a racefan I couldn’t really care about the sponsors. I realise the need for them but I just want loads of action and drivers gunning it as often as they can.
This years qualifying format addresses this shortfall too. Now there is no limit to the amount of cars on the track and no limit to the amount of times a car can go out. It is all about setting a time. There will be plenty of action and the short time for each section will ensure there is no waiting around for 10 minutes before seeing a car leave the pits. Now rather than artificially creating a ’show’ by putting quick cars behind slow cars F1 will be creating a show by doing what it does best. Letting the drivers go hell for leather. This is a much more healthy ’show’.
These were the 2 main complaints people had with last years format. Now you could argue that the FIA have made qualifying unnecessarily complicated, but somehow I think we will all be familiar with it after the first race. If, after Imola, you are still confused about qualifying then I’m sorry but you are clearly a stupid person. It will not be that difficult to follow.
Qualifying was, is and always should be an exercise in putting the fastest cars at the front. The FIA’s attempts to mess with the raison d’etre of qualifying last year is in my opinion damaging to the sport - some could say it robbed us of a Finnish world champion last year. The ‘engine failure’ punishment is now the only thing that artificially re-orders our grid. I believe the FIA have this rule in as more of a punishment on the team (the WCC is important too) so that they don’t design their parts too sparingly, but too often it skewers the results, and most probably will do the same this season. When this rule is done away with (and there’s no sign that it will be) then I’ll be happier, but for now I believe this season’s qualifying will be a huge improvement on last years, even when we take some of this years obvious quirks into account.
21 comments March 6th, 2006
