Australian GP wackiness
It's been a few hours now since the first qualifying session for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
They had wacky weather, which resulted in a myriad of qualifying craziness. The slowest officially timed qualifier was none other than seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, who slipped and slid his Ferrari through the heavy rain water on intermediate tires.
Giancarlo Fisichella was certifiably blessed, running the best time of the day as he found the circuit at the driest time and ran his Renault with dry tires. Heavy rain almost immediately followed his hot lap, leaving Felipe Massa in a downpour in his Sauber with dry-weather tires. The circuit stayed wet from that point on and plagued about half the field.
Takuma Sato was the only driver to punt off his car in the wet, damaging the front wing and both left side suspensions of his BAR-Honda.
Provisional podium?
Qualifying, however, won't be completed until tomorrow (Sunday in Aussieland). So then why were the top three provisional qualifiers invited to the interview room after the Saturday session? What have they won to deserve the honor of doing the official post-qual interview?
It didn't take but a moment for this false ceremony to show that the FIA's new qualification schedule, in which final qualifying takes place on race day, is a mistake and should be changed as soon as possible. Hopefully this season. Preferably before the next race.
Earning the pole position should be reserved for Saturday, not Sunday.
I do like the aggregate qualification system, in which drivers have to combine the times of two laps to determine start order for the race. That means drivers can't have just one good hot lap -- they now need two consistently good laps.
But, the first qualification session should take place on either Friday or Saturday, with the final start order determined on Saturday, one day before race day.
Seeing three drivers in the interview room after the first day of qualifying is like handing out a man-of-the-match award to a soccer player at halftime.
It's absurd and it has to end.
They had wacky weather, which resulted in a myriad of qualifying craziness. The slowest officially timed qualifier was none other than seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, who slipped and slid his Ferrari through the heavy rain water on intermediate tires.
Giancarlo Fisichella was certifiably blessed, running the best time of the day as he found the circuit at the driest time and ran his Renault with dry tires. Heavy rain almost immediately followed his hot lap, leaving Felipe Massa in a downpour in his Sauber with dry-weather tires. The circuit stayed wet from that point on and plagued about half the field.
Takuma Sato was the only driver to punt off his car in the wet, damaging the front wing and both left side suspensions of his BAR-Honda.
Provisional podium?
Qualifying, however, won't be completed until tomorrow (Sunday in Aussieland). So then why were the top three provisional qualifiers invited to the interview room after the Saturday session? What have they won to deserve the honor of doing the official post-qual interview?
It didn't take but a moment for this false ceremony to show that the FIA's new qualification schedule, in which final qualifying takes place on race day, is a mistake and should be changed as soon as possible. Hopefully this season. Preferably before the next race.
Earning the pole position should be reserved for Saturday, not Sunday.
I do like the aggregate qualification system, in which drivers have to combine the times of two laps to determine start order for the race. That means drivers can't have just one good hot lap -- they now need two consistently good laps.
But, the first qualification session should take place on either Friday or Saturday, with the final start order determined on Saturday, one day before race day.
Seeing three drivers in the interview room after the first day of qualifying is like handing out a man-of-the-match award to a soccer player at halftime.
It's absurd and it has to end.
posted by Administrator at 10:49 PM
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