Formula One 2016

[Lineker]

Quote

The introduction of Formula 1's new qualifying system is to be delayed, according to commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone.

Following meetings of the Strategy Group and F1 Commission in Geneva last Tuesday, it was announced qualifying would revert to a knock-out style system.

Across the three qualifying sessions, the slowest driver would be dropped at various intervals until there is a last man standing on pole position.

The FIA confirmed it would be introduced "potentially as soon as the beginning of the 2016 season", the Australian Grand Prix next month.

F1 drivers lukewarm over elimination qualifying plan

But Ecclestone has now revealed that due to complications developing the software, the new qualifying format is on hold, potentially until the Spanish Grand Prix in mid-May.

"The new qualifying won't happen because we can't get everything together in time," said Ecclestone, speaking to The Independent.

"It was going to come in at the start of this year, but we are not going to be able to get all the software done in time, so the qualifying changes will probably be in Spain.

"In Australia it will be the old qualifying. All of the software has got to be written so it's not easy."

Ecclestone has revealed the latest tweak to qualifying is "not what I wanted in the end", and instead he sought to introduce a time-penalty system for poles and race wins.

"All I'm trying to do is muddle up the grid so that the guy that is quickest in qualifying doesn't sit on pole and disappear, because why he should be slow in the race if he is quick in qualifying?" added Ecclestone.

"I wanted a very simple thing. I wanted qualifying to stay as it is, because it is good, and then if a guy is on pole and has won the last race, he gets so many seconds added to his time so he has to fight through the bloody pack to get in the lead, which he would do in the end.

"It would be exciting racing while he is doing it."

But Ecclestone claims it was vetoed by the teams as "they don't want to do reverse grids".

He said: "There are a million things they could do, but they are completely mad.

"We can't do it alone because to get things voted through it has to go through the commissions and then we have got the teams all deciding."

[hugobomb]

Gotta love how he bitches about F1 not being the pinnacle of motorsport anymore for all of last season and now he's trying to stop the fastest driver being on pole. But of course radically changing the sport for no good reason is fine when he does it

[Katsuya]

Hulk's had some great drives (the year he should have won in Brazil being one of them) but he's just got a bit of a consistency issue. He seems to be a bit like Kimi in that on his day, he's probably one of the best, but he needs to be in the mood to do it. Hulk is definitely better than Perez, but Sergio has always been a "right place, right time" driver.

Ted Kravitz reckons that Ferrari are now only 0.2-0.3 seconds by Mercedes now too, then it's either Force India or Williams in 3rd (both teams believe they're in that position). Toro Rosso are well ahead of Red Bull too.

[Lineker]

Depends how quickly Renault can develop that engine I suppose.

[Adam]

1. How can you use two different qualifying formats in the same season?

2. Bernie's proposed idea is utterly ridiculous as usual and that needs to never happen. Would you even need to do qualifying with that idea? Awful.

How making it so the teams are more competitive with each other so someone could win a race then legitimiately qualify 7th/8th the next race? You know, genuine sporting contest rather than it being entirely manufactured.

[The Lusophone]

28 minutes ago, Katsuya said:

Toro Rosso are well ahead of Red Bull too.

If they beat Red Bull do they get the rights to the name, Harlem Heat-style?

[GA!]

1 hour ago, Adam said:

1. How can you use two different qualifying formats in the same season?

 

No idea. It's like having a Premier League season where suddenly, eight games in, matches are 80 minutes long instead. Rule changes are fine but unless there's a special circumstance, not in the same season.

[Lineker]

It won't happen this year; I can see it now.

[Katsuya]

They changed the qualifying halfway through a season once before, no?

[GA!]

3 minutes ago, Katsuya said:

They changed the qualifying halfway through a season once before, no?

2005 

Rear diffuser size reduced to limit downforce, all engines now required to last two race weekends, qualifying format changed to two aggregate times from Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to count towards grid positions (this format lasted until the European GP when qualifying reverted to a driver's fastest single lap to count from Saturday afternoon qualifying), further changes to dimensions of front and rear wings and nose of car to make overtaking easier, restriction on tyre changes during qualifying and the race itself, if a driver stalls on the grid after the parade lap the other cars will now complete a second lap whilst the stalled vehicle is removed, in the event of a red flag the two-hour race clock will no longer freeze between race sessions.

 

 

Forgot about that, but I wasn't watching F1 much until late in 2005 because I got bored of Michael Schumacher winning all the time. But this would be the first time a rule is changed midway into the season, not reverted like then. I think.

[Lineker]

C4 have launched their F1 coverage's Twitter handle.

Their first live race will be the Bahrain GP.

[Chris2K]

Any rumours on who the C4 presenting/commentary team is? I know Coulthard's almost a certainty and Jake Humphrey owns the production company that has the F1 contract so he'd be a strong favourite for the main presenter, but I've heard nothing else about it.

[Lineker]

DC is confirmed for C4. Jake has a gig presenting the football for BT Sport and surely won't give that up (I doubt he would even be able to get out of his contract) to travel the world all season.

I'm sure that all of the rest of the team will be revealed in due course.

[EddieG]

6 hours ago, Chris2K said:

Any rumours on who the C4 presenting/commentary team is? I know Coulthard's almost a certainty and Jake Humphrey owns the production company that has the F1 contract so he'd be a strong favourite for the main presenter, but I've heard nothing else about it.

Isn't it Coulthard that owns the production company?

[Lineker]

They're joint owners with a third person also involved in the enterprise. 

[Lineker]

Quote

Sauber has released images of its 2016 Formula 1 challenger ahead of its track debut on Tuesday, with team boss Monisha Kaltenborn aiming to become a regular midfield runner.

The Swiss team ran a 2015-spec car at the first pre-season test after adjusting its plans due to the late change to the F1 calendar.

Sauber's technical director Mark Smith told Autosport not debuting the C35 until this week's second test would "not hurt us too much".

Speaking ahead of the rollout of the new car, which will take place in the Barcelona pitlane on Tuesday morning, Kaltenborn said: "We want to clearly improve."

"Obviously, there's a certain position we'd like to achieve.

"But, to start with, it's important to become established in midfield.

"Only then are we going to focus on individual positions."

Felipe Nasr has previously acknowledged the threat of newcomer Haas and admits it is tough to know where Sauber will rank among its rivals.

"It's difficult for me to predict how the positions behind the top teams are going to pan out this season - and where we'll be able to line up in that part of the field," he said.

"The whole team has been working very hard to explore areas in the car that we can improve. That's why I'm confident that we've made progress."

Team-mate Marcus Ericsson added: "The battle for positions is getting fiercer.

"But I'm convinced that, with the new car, we're going to take a step forward so that we can finish in the points with greater consistency and under our own steam.

"Last year we managed a good start. In the second half of the season it was a harder struggle for us to score points.

"This season I'd like to see us being in contention for points and fighting on a level where speed is decisive."

 

[Lineker]

GP2 racer Alex Lynn has been retained by Williams as a development driver for the 2016 Formula 1 season. As with last year, Lynn will dovetail a GP2 season with DAMS with his Williams work, after being appointed to the development role ahead of the 2015 campaign. The 2014 GP3 champion represented Williams in the Barcelona in-season test last year, but the announcement does not mention similar outings this year. Williams has appointed Formula 3 driver Lance Stroll as another development driver, while former tester Susie Wolff retired at the end of 2015.

[Chris2K]

Here's Lewis arriving at Catalunya this morning:

How can anyone hate this man?

[Lineker]

Quite easily. He's a total cockend.

[Adam]

I mean, the proof is literally right there in that photo with his ridiculous method of transport.