F1's forthcoming sprint race qualifying format risks turning the sport into "a game".
That is the view of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, but it comes at the same time as Max Verstappen likened the reverse-grid Saturday race idea as akin to "American wrestling".
Villeneuve told Russia's Championat: "It's fun, but it's not Formula 1, it's not a race. This will turn a professional sport into a game. If they want it, ok, but there will be almost no sport in it. I do not think changes should be made to make the show more fun on TV. Racing should remain a sport. There are some unshakeable foundations that should not be changed."
In fact, Villeneuve is not sure why Liberty Media wants to make such a drastic change.
"The racing has never been so good," he said. "Everyone constantly looks back at the 50s, 60s, 70s, and the Senna and Prost era, and they say that it was great then.
"But Senna and Prost lapped everybody, there was no overtaking - was it that great?
"Or is it that in our era we need something new every five seconds? What I do know is that if we move Formula 1 in this direction, we will destroy it."
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I agree that sprint race Formula 1 qualifying will destroy Formula 1 by making a formula 1 start more like NASCAR. In formula racing this is insane!
If we have a 'race' to determine the Sunday grid positions - how would the grid positions for the qualifying be arrived at? do we also have a 'race for that? If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Jacques is hard to agree with on some points, but he is ever so right on this one. Here is where tradition matters and can help stabilize an otherwise runaway situation regarding rules, changes and more rules! Micci is right: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" ( If anyone thinks this is a good idea, then why don't we try a "LeMans Start" and see how that goes over...)
l have to say this will not help f1 in anyway at all. f1 is about speed. fast cars and well fit drivers. we need to keep qualifying as it is, then every driver gets the same chance. speed is the name of f1. ask any driver. and why do we need a Sprint race?
Amaya, you are correct. What do you think of this: NO DRAFTING in qualifying. Start 30 seconds or more apart and do 2-3 lap stint, then get off the track. We need to revert "balking" of other drivers, and/or waiting for "the ideal time" to make a run. In that way NASCAR gets it right, as does IndyCar. Spaced qualifying is the nest way to make sure the driver in the car is the one responsible for the performance, not just his ability to pick the right time and draft his way to the front. That is reserved for the actually race!
Everett the olde - It sounds good, but if qualifying is changed we really don't need f1 to be anything like NASCAR because then it would not be f1. f1 as always been about being fast, you need to qualify first, to start first in the race. reversing the qualifying sounds stupid to me. keep the tradition of speed.
My point about qualifying was to make sure that everybody got an even chance to get their best lap in; not an artificial one aided by drafting (team or otherwise). I think sregard you will see that NASCAR and In dyCar allow the driver spaces between them or alternate starting on the track with no other cars present — thus eliminating the draft and aLso ELIMINATING blocking, whether it be un in tensional or not. I feel that allowing drivers to get a false sense of their speed while in the draft does not help them in the long run. It nis not something you can always count on — IF you take away that drafting silliness at the get-go.If you feel that F1 has always been this way and do not want to see it change, then fine; leave it be. But if you would like to see this constant charge of blocking, slowing on the Racing Line and that sort of bad sportsmanship — then, by all means, let them all loose to play nice with others...WHICH AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN~!!
THANKS FOR REPLYING — Really! Always glad to hear what other folks think. Because diverse thinking is a good thing~!
My point about qualifying was to make sure that everybody got an even chance to get their best lap in; not an artificial one aided by drafting (team or otherwise). I think you will see that regarding NASCAR and IndyCar allow the driver spaces between them or alternate starting on the track with no other cars present — thus eliminating the draft and aLso ELIMINATING blocking, whether it be unintensional or not. I feel that allowing drivers to get a false sense of their speed while in the draft does not help them in the long run. It is not something you can always count on — IF you take away that drafting silliness at the get-go. If you feel that F1 has always been this way and do not want to see it change, then fine; leave it be. But if you would like to see this constant charge of blocking, slowing on the Racing Line and that sort of bad sportsmanship — then, by all means, let them all loose to play nice with others...WHICH AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN~!!
THANKS FOR REPLYING — Really! Always glad to hear what other folks think. Because diverse thinking is a good thing~! (This is draft #2, as it is awfully early where I am and I forgot to engage the spellchecker! Also just added the latest MacOS to my faithful desktop and it is in the 'night' mode, which takes some getting used to — at least for me! )
Why don't they do three laps i.e. - out lap fast lap for the time and then the in lap? regards blocking and backing up other driver's that's what it's all about. get fastest lap, start on pole and go as fast as one can to win the race. I also believe the FIA and will have / come up with all the right answers regarding sprint racing.
Everett thye olde. I know your comment on Le Mans style driver - jumps into car - sets off,bam! the race is on, is to generate some robust thought and comments. With todays cars having the HALO device and a harness that requires the pit crew to tighten up for said drivers,then maybe that's a bust already. Maybe we should leave that aspect alone. I think that the cars going down the straight to turn one is already potentially dangerous without drivers lining up to get a 'tow' off a team-mate. The fans all like a good crash,but no injuries,please.
Yes, Micci, the remark was very on due in cheek. I though some of the more ridiculous ideas could be put into focus with an obviously flawed one to look at! Regards qualifying: I firmly believe the only way to make it "fair' for everyone is to have them be able to do their out lap and then maybe one of two tries for fastest lap, without any interference, slow drivers, etc., getting in the way. I've followed F1 for about 61 years and thing have evolved to the point where definite changes in the way SOME things are done need to be updated as well. If we can eliminate the drafting in qualifying, that eliminates an unfairly quick lap from upsetting the field. y being alone on their qualifying attempts the driver has but one thing to think a bout — go fast! (No one in his/her way, no surprises, etc.) And when the Q-sessions are over, then let them really race! None of this nit-picking about who got in whose way, who ran who wide, etc., because that is racing. Unless contact of the avoidable kind enters into it, just let the race unfold. It's what real fans of racing (of any type) really want, right?m Hey, most of all, thanks for making a great reply!
To those who read my comments, sorry about the typos. I sometimes write in as hurry when i have something in mind and usually forget about the spell-checker — not to mention the grammar-checker! I am truly amazed how many of you stick with the subject and make intelligent replies. I love this site and the people who take the time to make their feelings known!
If they are going to go down the stupid track of changing something that isnt broken, then I think we should make their grandmothers race in the car they use to get their shopping, the person with the fastest grandmother starts on pole. It would be as relevant as a sprint race....
If we are to change F1’s qualifying (which we shouldn’t), I believe it should be to the style of the Bathurst Shootout that happened yesterday. Really exciting and gives drivers in Q3 a chance to set an uninterrupted lap, with much pressure alongside that chance. If you haven’t seen it before I recommend it.
I like the NASCAR Method of a clear track, with a 3-lap timed period — until the first car crosses the Start/Finish line, at which Time the second car can begin, ist 3-lap qualifier and so on. There is, in effect, a warmup lap and the two laps to do the best on e can, with the fastest one counting.
There is no balking, no "blocking", no slowing to impede another car's progress, etc. With a field of 22 cars or less, this would take no longer than it currently does and would be fair o everyone. It would also ensure tension I the Qualifying, as they would get that one 3-lap shot and that would be it. (n the event of a tie to the hundredths of a second, a repeat of the process would take place. There is also less inherent danger of a shunt if only one car is on track at a Time.)
Americanizing F1 will destroy it. Prefer European class to what I saw on grid prior to the race.