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Vettel critical about 'aggregate' qualifying format

Published on 05 Apr 2016 10:27
3
By: Rob Veenstra

Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel is once again leading the fierce criticism amid the latest instalment of the 2016 qualifying format debacle. The Ferrari driver did not hide his anger when F1 switched to the hated 'musical chairs' system without the backing of drivers and engineers, and now he has blasted news that the next move could be an all-new aggregate format.

"It's time to go to the circus," Vettel sneered when asked about the idea of aggregating the drivers' two best laptimes in the Q1, Q2 and Q3 sessions from China. He is quoted by the Mirror: "It's a good idea if you want random things to happen, but formula one should be about racing. It's a sh-- idea."

At a meeting with bosses in Bahrain, FIA president Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone reportedly told the teams that reverting to the popular and tested 2015 format is no longer an option. "A simple explanation? Madness," Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is quoted by AFP news agency when asked how F1 got itself into this situation.

Bosses will get together on Thursday to consider the FIA's latest proposal. "After two pretty decent races do we really need to mess around with qualifying?" wondered Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

Daniel Ricciardo also joined his old teammate Vettel in criticising the aggregate idea. "Qualifying is one lap, that one perfect lap," said the Australian. "To have an aggregate it starts to sound more like endurance racing. I wouldn't be too keen on that, no."

But F1 veteran Jenson Button said that if the aggregate format is the only option on the table, the sport needs to vote for it. "It's better than this (musical chairs) one," said the McLaren driver. "Everything is better than this one. Drivers driving with one eye closed would be better than this one." (GMM)

F1 News Jenson Button Daniel Ricciardo Sebastian Vettel Susie Wolff McLaren Ferrari Mercedes

Replies (3)

khasmir

Posts: 893
If this is the only option I hope they all vote against it to send a clear message to Bernie and Todt. But one vote is enough because it has to be unanimous.
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- Apr 5 2016 - 18:55
dr002

Posts: 141
We've got one to throw out there! Why not make qualifying a teams event for Q1 & Q2, and an individual event for Q3?

If the intention of the qualifying changes are to:
1. Get all of the cars that qualify in each session actually onto the track;
2. Ensure all cars compete aggressively; and
3. Legitimately mix up the grid,

Then why not base the grid placements on 3 separate formats comprising a team element to the qualifying line-up, which could legitimately mix up the field if one of the cars within each team were to have a poor qualifying, thus rewarding consistency AND speed.

A group of us fans who get together to watch the races started talking about the quali situation over a few beers and came up with a format that we’d LOVE to watch, which comprises the following team formats for Q1 and Q2, and individual format for Q3:

Q1 (TEAM) - SAME FORMAT AS 2015, BUT BASED ON AVERAGE FASTEST TIME PER TEAM
Same format as for 2015, but average the fastest time for each driver within each team. The fastest 8 teams progress to Q2.

Q2 (TEAM) - BASED ON THE TEAM AVERAGE OF EACH DRIVER’S AVERAGE TIME OVER SAY 4 TIMED LAPS
Progressively, give 2 teams at a time, 20 minutes on track, to set say 4 timed laps. The fastest and slowest teams would go first (then the next fastest and slowest and so on). Each team’s lap time for Q2, would be calculated as the average of, each driver’s average time over 4 laps. The fastest 5 teams would then proceed to Q3

Q3 (INDIVUAL) – BASED ON THE 2015 FORMAT FOR Q3
Exactly the same format as was the case in 2015, ie top 10 fastest cars in order.

This qualifying format would truly advance F1 as a team sport, and would reward,

1. Driver speed,
2. Driver consistency,
3. Car speed, and
4. Car reliability
- + 0
- Apr 6 2016 - 10:16
- Pompey
  
  Posts: 84
  GOOD GRIEF! WHAT ARE YOU ON?
  + 0
  
  Apr 7 2016 - 19:14