Qualifying races for 2020 fails to gain support of all teams

  • Published on 16 Oct 2019 22:27
  • 5
  • By: Fergal Walsh

Plans to implement qualifying races at three rounds during the 2020 season has failed to gain the support of all Formula 1 teams.

A vote was set to be carried out on Wednesday between the ten teams, as only a unanimous agreement would secure the new format into the regulations for next year.

However, it was recognised that there was not going to be a mutual agreement between all 10 teams, and so the matter was rolled over without a vote. 

Nevertheless, the reversed qualifying race format may yet be part of the rules next year, as there is still a chance for it to be implemented before the start of the 2020 season

Three teams were strongly against such changes, GPToday.net understands. The proposed regulations would shake up the format at three race weekends - France, Belgium and Russia. 

The venues were chosen based on data and information that was gathered regarding overtakes over the last couple of years, with the aforementioned races having the least overtaking moves, according to the statistics. 

The opening race of the weekend would see drivers line-up on the grid in reverse championship order, placing the faster cars at the rear of the field.

Many questions were raised by the teams over the proposals amid worries of the added implications it would have to cost, as well as tyre and power unit usage.

Drivers were also not in favour of the potential alterations when the matter started gaining traction and coverage in the last month.

Replies (5)

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  • hadi.f3

    Posts: 1

    hmm FOM came up with a great proposal, the fans love it or at least I do, 3 teams rejected it (most likely the top 3 who have the most to loose from this or really nothing at all because no one else stands a chance of winning or taking a podium). Perez, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Grosjean, are all capable of winning races but there is no-where to go and their Teams will probably never compete for championships. .

    Watching F1 has become really tough especially with Tilke designing all the new circuits with the same characteristics; Abu Dhabi and Sochi are literally the same flat piece of boring tarmac. He did well with Bahrain and Malaysia (I guess his design philosophy lost its flair over the years), 2 tracks which have nothing in common with Yas and Sochi. We have a boring season with 21 races, adding another race or 2 isn't going to help the show, even if management makes more money and teams get to sample new local cuisines.

    Barcelona is a boring test track which results in a parade race, test tracks shouldn't be on the calendar. How many times do we get weekends with limited running producing a great show? hint hint?????

    You can't apply a franchise copy paste business model to F1 because it results in the last decade of boring. Bring back San Marino, Istanbul Park, Yeongam, Valencia, Mangy Cours (Paul Riccard is a joke of a circuit, it looks more like an exhibition space) all perfectly able circuits that are a great show. We had 4 years of Redbull and Seb domination and now 6 years of Mercedes, that's a decade of rubbish that produced about a season's worth of great races. and a few decent races.

    Assuming an average of 20 races a season over the last 10 years, that's 200 races of which at least 120 where holistic healing alternatives to medicinal sleeping aids,, 120 races!!!! and that's being generous.

    Something is wrong here, I think Brawn should implement these format proposals dictator style for the benefit of the show and the fans and the long term benefit which some team's cannot see.

    • + 0
    • Oct 17 2019 - 08:15
  • I like this news

    • + 0
    • Oct 17 2019 - 16:16
  • I dunno, racing for grid positions feels weird to me. Better to maybe vary the race formats themselves a bit more, e.g some sprint style races, some endurance and so on.

    • + 0
    • Oct 18 2019 - 09:30

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