Comments on: Rumoured qualifying changes for 2008

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:59:17 +0000

does anyone no if this is 100% going to happen?

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:54:31 +0000

Actually I think Alonso’s Minardi was without traction control for some time after it was re-legalised in 2001. They didn’t have the latest version of the Cosworth engine – by a long way – and so it wasn’t part of the engine control unit.

By: Don Speekingleesh

Don Speekingleesh — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:31:13 +0000

DC is not the only one with experience of no TC – Barrichello (even more experience than DC), and Fisi (if he gets the seat), Kimi and Alonso had at least a few races in 2001 with no TC.

By: Mike Fritz

Mike Fritz — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:03:28 +0000

All this Quali talk makes for good discusion, however I think the bigger X factor is the loss of Traction Control. We might see the return of DC as a fronrunner providing he’s got a good car set up because he’s the only veteran in the field to remember what it’s like to race with no TC. I believe you’ll see a lot more overtaking this yr and not only is it a factor on the grid but also out of the pits. We might even see cars being pushed back to the pit box for refiring because of engine stalls thus loosing valuable time and positions. We all knew a couple of yrs ago that F1 was gearing up for major rule changes for 08 and it’s hear and I got less then 80 days to see which teams made the adjustments that will make them winners.

By: George

George — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 13:03:44 +0000

With the ban on tire warmers, it will give a whole new meaning to “hot” lap, won’t it? Seriously, instead of fuel burn laps will we now have tire warming laps before the hot lap can be registered?

And Nelsen Jr and Heikki both know who number one is don’t they?

By: Number 38

Number 38 — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:19:10 +0000

Let’s face it the ONE HOT LAP mentality still pervades qualifying. 60 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, it doesn’t matter they all still wait until there’s only time for ONE LAP !!!
And if you can prevent your team mate from getting in his ONE HOT LAP all the better!!!!

By: George

George — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:59:37 +0000

3 session Q’s have been great, EXCEPT for the fuel burns. Make all 3 low fuel, add whatever fuel you want after Q for your race strategy.

By: milos

milos — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:31:43 +0000

the only thing I found about this on the web is the “hint” dropped by Domenicali …

there is definitelly still some way to tweak the existing system, that I actually quite like, except the boring fuel burn part of Q3

I think they should allow the cars to go out with minimum fuel and give each session just enough time for at least 2 timed laps per car. then we would not see nothing happening for 5 minutes in Q2 and slow burn in Q3

By: Steven Roy

Steven Roy — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:36:50 +0000

It looks like it is going to happen if the comments attributed to Domenicali are true.

Nathan makes a great point which I hadn’t considered. If you want a banzai lap in Q3 then you are going to run at the minimum necessary speed in Q1,Q2 to get the fuel credit. That is going to lead to lots of complaints about traffic.

Unless the bit about not re-fueling before the race means that there is no fuel credit system any more.

By: Robert McKay

Robert McKay — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:06:03 +0000

I remember reading at the end of last season that the teams had agreed to shorten the final session, Q3, to lessen the fuel burn stint. And I’m fairly certain that they agreed they would no longer get fuel “credits” back, so what they were left with at the end of Q3 would be what they would start the race with.

I’m not sure about the “no refuelling at all during qualifying” statement though. I think Q1/Q2 will be as they were before, low fuel runs. Then the runners in Q3 fill up before that session, knowing what they use is gone and they will start the race with whatevers left. If it is as you say, no refuelling at all, that will just be stupid, frankly.

Anyway I have to mention this comment: “The first, second and third parts of qualifying will be 20, 15 and 10 minutes long respectively (currently they are all 15 minutes long.) This seems to make sense as there are more cars in the earlier sessions than the later ones. But it is the proposed changes to fuel loads that confuses me.”

Yes, that makes sense for the reason given. But if you think the top-10 shootout for pole is meant to be the highlight of the session, it doesn’t make sense that it gets so little time! It just becomes even more of an anticlimax.