We got duped in Q3

[ShiftingGears]

Here I was expecting to see the drivers driving fast laps the whole ten minutes but instead the revised Q3 left us with more drivers going on fuel saving laps at approx 0kmh. Definitely not what I want to see in qualifying.

[Tazio]

Don't know quite what to make of that. Did Massa let up on his last lap after a bad split time to conserve fuel as well?

[edv]

Vettel didn't even register a time...he just scrubbed tires on a warmup lap and then called it quits!

[Ranger]

Don't know quite what to make of that. Did Massa let up on his last lap after a bad split time to conserve fuel as well?

Yep. Really unfortunate that the FIA really can't get something like qualifying format right.

[Hotlavaaaa]

Q3 should be low fuel. None of this race fuel bull. Just let the teams declare how much fuel they want to start the race with before Q3 and let them run light to see who is actually fastest for a change.

[Valve Bounce]

Only one way to solve this: allow refueling after quals. and I have been saying that all along. This is going from stupid to abduller.

[BDunnell]

And again we have the absurd situation of the fastest time recorded during the whole of qualifying not being the time that gave the pole position man his pole position. This really needs to be changed.

[Ranger]

No one set any time until 5 minutes left. Glock set a Q3 time that was 2.5 seconds slower than Hamilton. Vettel didnt even bother.

Proof that Q3 is a joke, hopefully the FIA will see that it needs fixing, licketty-split.

[ioan]

Vettel didn't even register a time...he just scrubbed tires on a warmup lap and then called it quits!

He had a mechanical problem, otherwise we might have had a surprise position coming from this young man!
Definitely he's the one to watch for very good drives this season.

[F1boat]

Vettel is very fast and I think that soon he will challenge for points regularly. DC also drove very well.

[CNR]

i think q3 + q2 + q1 /3 to determine grid position

[FIA]

Vettel had Mechanical Problems and Glock had a Ten Place Grid Penalty, but still a little dissapoiting.

[Valve Bounce]

i think q3 + q2 + q1 /3 to determine grid position

Just let everybody refuel after Q3 if you want action!!

[Tazio]

Vettel had Mechanical Problems and Glock had a Ten Place Grid Penalty, but still a little dissapoiting.Which is one less car for Kimi to have to pass :)

[Powered by Cosworth]

1 hour. Unlimited laps. Single Race Qualifying engines.

[AndyRAC]

And again we have the absurd situation of the fastest time recorded during the whole of qualifying not being the time that gave the pole position man his pole position. This really needs to be changed.

Yeah, agree, but if they're going to keep this up, maybe we should be told how much fuel each car is carrying so we know the times relative to the weight they're carrying. If not, just have low tanks, and lightest car is fastest. Simple.

[Nikki Katz]

That was pretty bad. I really hope that they do something about that. One flying lap to decide the top 10 is silly, if they're going to do that then they might as well revert to the single lap qualifying of a few years ago.
Toro Rosso are claiming that Vettel broke down, but I think that that might just be an excuse.
Hopefully in future races it won't be as bad even if there are no further changes, as I think that a number of quite big teams really messed up qualifiying today by leaving it too late and getting caught out by yellow flags and traffic.

[wedge]

Here I was expecting to see the drivers driving fast laps the whole ten minutes but instead the revised Q3 left us with more drivers going on fuel saving laps at approx 0kmh. Definitely not what I want to see in qualifying.

You sound a bit naive to expect that.

They shaved off 5mins from last year, still fuel-load qualifying so why should they do hot laps for most of Q3?

And even if it was low fuel qualy we would've seen the cars venturing out in the last 5mins which is no worse than the old 1hr system when nothing happened for the first 20mins!

[WSRfan82]

I cant see why we stoped the old skool qly format and hour 12 laps. this q1,q2,q3 format is a joke

[MrJan]

Agreed that there wasn't much wrong with th 12 lap format apart from the first 15 minutes so just cut it back to a 45 minute session. I haven't got a lot of problems with the current way apart from Q3. Didn't see the last 2 sessions today but it all sounds very similar to lasr year.

[maxu05]

I have to agree with Valve on this one. Qualifying is meant to be the fastest time you can do in the allocated time, the fastest qualifier should get pole. I think you should start the race with the fuel load that you want, and according to your strategy. This Q1,Q2,Q3 with fuel limitations is just rubbish. Build the best car, use the best driver, have the best team, isn't that what it is supposed to be about ? Perhaps they will make footballers that score more than 5 goals in the season wear leg irons to even things out. The best is the best, and these teams pay millions upon millions trying to be the best, only to have to sand bag in Qualifying to get the chance to be competitive for the race. I don't like this situation one bit. I would like to see teams slug it out without all this BS. Perhaps they should have no pit stops, and an allocation of fuel for the whole race, one set of tyres and see who can win in those conditions. Now that would be great to see IMO.

[Kevincal]

Qualifying would be a hell of a lot better if it were just a 1 hour free for all with no stupid rules on fuel loads...

[markabilly]

I would just as soon skip it, and draw straws. The real governing force behind qulaifying is to get some tv time and revenue for Bernie, so all you purists type should just chill out, as it is all about the money, that great dieas ain't changing nothing unless benie thinks it will produce more tv revenue.

So if you got ideas on how to produce more revenue, then benie boy might listen, but otherwise quit wasting time worrying....

[SGWilko]

Qually was changed because 'they' thought that having the fastest cars starting at the front all the time, coupled with non existent overtaking, produced processional races...

So in came the one lap format, which got ditched, for the three stage format we have now.

Is there a format that will please everyone?

[markabilly]

Is there a format that will please everyone?
No, but sleeping in pleases me.....it is about as exciting as the race and definetly more exciting than qualifying.....

[SGWilko]

No, but sleeping in pleases me.....it is about as exciting as the race and definetly more exciting than qualifying.....

Why watch then? :confused:

[markabilly]

Why watch then? :confused:
helps me to go to sleep....

[Hawkmoon]

I think the 3 part format is good. It eliminates the dead time that blighted the old 1 hour format and provides interest all the way down the grid as drivers struggle to make the cut.

The problem is Q3. This obsession that F1 has with race fuel in qualifying has got to stop. It's not mixing up the grids as no team is willing to sacrifice their Sunday for a bit of Saturday afternoon glory.

Qualifying shouldn't be the start of the race and that's what it effectively is. Yesterday it looks like Massa aborted his lap becuase he had traffic so it was better to just pit, save fuel for the race and accept 4th place. Vettel supposedly had a technical problem but how do we know that Toro Ross didn't just park it knowing that they'd have more fuel for the race and probably wouldn't have been much better than 10th anyway?

Abandon race fuel qualifying now. We will get to see the drivers hanging it all on the line in Q3 and with no TC that's going to be pretty good to watch. Let them refuel on Sunday. We will get the same show as we do now as nobody will know who's stopping when, just as is the case now. Who knows? We might even get a few surprises as teams gamble on a different strategy after they see how qualifying plays out. We don't get that now as the strategies are set before Q3 begins.

Of all the stupid ideas the FIA has had since the end of 2002, race fuel in qualifying has to be the stupidest.

[aryan]

Everyone keeps saying that Vettel might have parked it to save fuel.

But isn't it true that they get back the fuel that they burn in Q3 for race?

So how can not running save you fuel, as you'll get that back anyway...

[Ranger]

Everyone keeps saying that Vettel might have parked it to save fuel.

But isn't it true that they get back the fuel that they burn in Q3 for race?
No, not this year.

[jso1985]

The problem is Q3. This obsession that F1 has with race fuel in qualifying has got to stop. It's not mixing up the grids as no team is willing to sacrifice their Sunday for a bit of Saturday afternoon glory.


Agree :up: without race-fuel, Q3 or the old 1-lap qualy would be something much better!

[Rollo]

The problem is Q3. This obsession that F1 has with race fuel in qualifying has got to stop. It's not mixing up the grids as no team is willing to sacrifice their Sunday for a bit of Saturday afternoon glory.

One of the consequences of parc farme is that however the cars finish on Saturday bar serious repair, is the way they go out on Sunday. It's supposed to stop sneakiness between qualifying and the race but alas, results are silly.

There is a serious saftey question, to be asked if you have a slow moving car around a track that in many cases can not been seen until you're on top of it is stupid.

[Hawkmoon]

One of the consequences of parc farme is that however the cars finish on Saturday bar serious repair, is the way they go out on Sunday. It's supposed to stop sneakiness between qualifying and the race but alas, results are silly.

There is a serious saftey question, to be asked if you have a slow moving car around a track that in many cases can not been seen until you're on top of it is stupid.

You can still have parc ferme and allow them to fuel the cars before the race. It happened last year when they got their fuel credits back.

I agree the safety question. The drivers slow to a crawl on their in laps as they're desperate to save fuel. We all no what happens when a fast moving object hits a slow moving object.