Drivers have voiced their unease at a change to the qualifying format which is to be trialled at two races this 12 months.
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Naturally, it’s the broadcaster’s – and Liberty’s – dream of what the game must be.
Followers of all ages watch open mouthed because the drivers battle it out on what can solely be described as a Scorching Wheels observe in the midst of some nameless metropolis… at evening, natch.
A loop-de-loop permits the combatants to show the previous adage concerning the aero effectivity of the automobiles right, they actually can race on the ceiling.
And regardless of what we witnessed in Bahrain final weekend, on this race a Crimson Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari race three abreast, a lot to the delight of the roaring crowd… although for as soon as Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are silent.
The soundtrack to this thrilling spectacle is Elvis Presley’s A Little Much less Dialog, considerably ironic contemplating the quantity of waffle followers are subjected to most weekends.
That is clearly the dream and although the Scorching Wheels format could also be just a few years down the road, the game’s powers that be proceed to tinker with the foundations within the hope of getting… A Little Extra Motion.
As first reported a 12 months in the past, a brand new qualifying format is to be trialled this 12 months. Although it has not been confirmed at which tracks, it’s broadly thought that Imola, which hosts the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix might be one in every of them.
The format is sort of easy. In Q1 drivers will solely be allowed to make use of the C1 compound. In Q2 they’ll solely use the C2, whereas in Q3, effectively… you get the image.
The drivers are usually not in favour.
“I hope it isn’t going to be chilly in Imola,” warned Max Verstappen, “in any other case it will be fairly tough.
“It’s the identical for everybody,” he added, “however I do not suppose we have to truly do these sorts of issues in qualifying. I do not actually see the advantage of it.
“It is higher if we be sure that all of the automobiles are shut to one another and extra aggressive as an alternative of spicing issues up in that method, which I feel might be for the present.”
“Yeah, it is for the present,” added teammate Sergio Perez. “I feel we do not want that if you see the qualifying we had, how shut all the things was.
“We don’t really want to vary something,” he added. “However we’ll see, we’ll see as soon as we attempt it however I do not suppose there is a want to vary one thing that’s working effectively.
“I do not really feel there was a necessity for change,” agreed Charles Leclerc, “however let’s try to see.”
