New Formula 1 qualifying format is rubbish

Within ten minutes of our poll going up to gauge the success or flop of the new Formula 1 qualifying introduced at the season opener Australian Grand Prix, over 100 readers (97% at the time) voted that it was a flop, while Sky's similar poll had 92% of the voters giving it a thumbs down.

The new format, based on progressive elimination during the three sessions rather than at the end of them, was intended to inject more excitement but instead proved a monumental dud.

Rather than battle to the finish of each session, drivers posted early laps and then were content to return to their garages. The last few minutes of both the final sessions petered out with no drivers on track, sapping the entire process of suspense.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff who saw his drivers claim the front row, with first and second in Melbourne qualifying, did not mince his words, "I think the new qualifying format is pretty rubbish. We need to discuss it. Everyone is trying to do their best to improve the show and if we haven't we need to discuss it. The solution is not good in my opinion and that is why we have to look at it again."

Even pole winner Lewis Hamilton questioned the wisdom of the new format, "I miss the old days of qualifying when you would go out and run and run and run. This whole out one lap is neat but I think people were saying it was not exciting for the fans."

"All my engineers were saying it would be the case, they told the FIA but they ignored them. For me it proved how smart my engineers are, although I knew that anyway. I don't have the solution. I didn't see it so I don't know what did or did not work."

"To improve you have to make mistakes. Perhaps this is a step in the wrong direction but I'm not saying go back to the old system," added the world champion on the occasion of his F1 50th pole.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, "It didn't really work did that qualifying for me and we should apologise to the fans here. We didn't put on a great show. We need to learn from it. The important things is not to stick our head in the sand, address it properly first. I would prefer to go back to the qualifying sessions we had, but that is my personal opinion."

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda, speaking to Sky Sports: "I fully agree with Christian Horner. Have a quick discussion before Bahrain. Everyone makes mistakes - this is a big mistake."

Jenson Button: "In the end it all works out, quickest cars at the front as they save their tyres. It doesn’t really change anything."

Sebastian Vettel: "I don't see the point why everybody is surprised. We all said what is going to happen and it's happened. We were told to wait and see, but now we saw, and I don't think it's very exciting."

Damon Hill: "Irony is Lewis could've waved his own chequered flag for pole position. Changes needed urgently!"

Martin Brundle: "Don't like it, not acceptable, it's got to change," says a rather unimpressed Martin Brundle, who has seen more than a few qualifying systems in his 30 years in F1.

Nico Rosberg: "It's good to try something, but it hasn't worked, so we should go back."

Eric Boullier: "Today’s qualifying hour was exciting for the first few minutes of Q1, but it then petered out very disappointingly. Like many of my opposite-numbers within other teams, on behalf of our sport, I have to say I’m saddened that the new qualifying format produced such a lacklustre spectacle."

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