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I think the rule that states you must start on the tyres you qualified on is obsolete, it isn't needed with the current high degredation tyres.
I think the limited amount of tyres per driver was introduced to save money? I think the idea was to stop thems shipping rediculous amounts of fresh rubber to very race, so it's probably best to leave the rule alone. Perhaps a slight adaption?
Maybe each driver should get 2/3 sets of qualifying only tyres, which they can't use in the race. However, they would have the option of dipping in to their allocation of race tyres as well if they wanted to.
So for example each driver would have say 2 sets of fresh rubber for exclusively for qualifying. The top teams would probably get through Q1 on prime tyres, where as the back markers would use all of their qualifying tyres and mid-fielders would probably dip in to them. Then in Q2 the mid-fielders would probably attempt 1/2 runs on their qualifying tyres, and possibly a set of their option race tyres, top teams might also be pressured in to using a set of their qualifying allocation. Then in Q3 you would have all top teams using their qualifying allocation so some would get atleast 2 runs. Any midfielders than made it through might consider using race tyres if they have run out of qualifying tyres.
One of the biggest problems at the moment is the prime tyre, it doesn't last long enough. It's crazy that the prime is considerably slower but barely lasts as long as the option. It means that any primes used in qualifying are pretty much useless for the race because they are already slow and then they won't go very far in the race. Hamilton found this out the hard way in KL when he was forced to use a set of used primes.
James Allen mentioned this in his latest blog regarding teams trying to have as many new tyres as possible, "It is likely to encourage midfield teams to consider throwing qualifying in order to have new tyres for the race."
it has to be considered that the tyres will become more important than the times in quali.
i think something needs to be adjusted whether is adding quali tyres to each drivers allocation, or giving the drivers more tyres for the whole weekend.
could they go as far as set out what each driver can have per session?
for the race the drivers are given 2x options and 2x primes
q1 each driver gets 1 set of prime
q2 ""
q3 ""
so no used tyres are ever carried over, its always new tyres but in allocations so its the same for all
The end of qualifying will prove to be as elusive as Francis Fukuyama's "end of history" ... this doesn't mean that qualifying is now irrelevant, just that drivers are going to need to be smarter in how they approach it.
Although starting position is not the be-all and end-all that it once was, it will still confer an advantage (even though it is somewhat diminished). Once drivers have learned the optimum approach to managing the new set of variables, the teams will start to converge on a more uniform approach and the strategic advantage will effectively be nullified.
Naysayers are always extremely quick to announce that a given change will mean doomsday for another aspect of the sport, but these always seem to be drivers in struggling teams that need more exposure or journalists seeking additional hits to their site. If there is one constant in this sport then that is change; even the ferrari "redwash" at the beginning of the millennium didn't last forever, although it might have seemed that way for some of us.
If you removed Red Bull from the turkish qualifying, you'd have had an interesting battle for pole : it is only the dominance of the Newey designed cars that is making the situation seem so dire.
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine ..."
at the moment RB is so much faster than the others that they could probably set pole on a once used set of options , and sit in the pits and wait and see if anyone looks close
I wouldn't be surprised to see this tactic used by other top teams , not expecting to beat RB , but competing with each other to save a fresh set
to the optimist a glass is half full ; to the pessimist a glass is half empty ; to the F1 engineer the glass is twice as big as it needs to be
as i stated in the Turkey GP thread it´s already obvious that you cannot afford to throw away those seconds in the option tyres for grid position ....especially when you have to serve 3 or more stops anyways.With a good job on strategy you will be brought forward and the main concern is how to rid yourself of traffic.The two options when saving ALL 0ption tyres for the race are:
long first stint on primes- bad idea - as you will have to wait with slow car in traffic and loose time no end this possibility does not exist anymore.
or:very short but aggressive first stint on primes dive into the pits with the first guys(or before) changing and max out the supply of new unused softs in the following 3 stints.The sticker options will buy you 1or two extra laps of freedom when to do your stops and the accumulated time gain should bring you to the leading pack.
I admit this is not a race winning strategy but apart from RedBull all others maybe including Webber have to consider this option.
Slightly off topic, but im very surprised RedBull has not yet opted to try and qualify on the primes. At worst I think Vettel/Webber would start 3rd imo, then I doubt they would lose that much time in the 1st stint.
This is of course based on the fact that for the last races the prime tyre has been slower, but not yielded much more endurance.
On the topic, I think given the tyre performance and DRS, the value of pole position in terms of an advantage is much less imo. Whilst leading im sure one of the thoughts (or hopes!) is that the drivers in 2nd/3rd do not short pit and this so called undercut.
The idea of 3 sets of tyres for qualifying and 3/4 fresh sets for the race is something i think i would like to see.
you are right..With RedBull and their weak KERS maybe it´s altogether not worth aiming for pole and sacrifice anything before the race...Who cares if you start 5or 6 when you got the speed and tyre endurance ..to make any inroads in Q3 you need to compete wich is instantly compromising your race elapsed time....I think the line here is very fine.
PNSD wrote:Slightly off topic, but im very surprised RedBull has not yet opted to try and qualify on the primes. At worst I think Vettel/Webber would start 3rd imo, then I doubt they would lose that much time in the 1st stint.
This is of course based on the fact that for the last races the prime tyre has been slower, but not yielded much more endurance.
On the topic, I think given the tyre performance and DRS, the value of pole position in terms of an advantage is much less imo. Whilst leading im sure one of the thoughts (or hopes!) is that the drivers in 2nd/3rd do not short pit and this so called undercut.
The idea of 3 sets of tyres for qualifying and 3/4 fresh sets for the race is something i think i would like to see.
PNSD wrote:Slightly off topic, but im very surprised RedBull has not yet opted to try and qualify on the primes. At worst I think Vettel/Webber would start 3rd imo, then I doubt they would lose that much time in the 1st stint.
This is of course based on the fact that for the last races the prime tyre has been slower, but not yielded much more endurance.
On the topic, I think given the tyre performance and DRS, the value of pole position in terms of an advantage is much less imo. Whilst leading im sure one of the thoughts (or hopes!) is that the drivers in 2nd/3rd do not short pit and this so called undercut.
The idea of 3 sets of tyres for qualifying and 3/4 fresh sets for the race is something i think i would like to see.
He said, "but im very surprised RedBull has not yet opted to try and qualify on the primes."
Which is wrong, Webber did it in China..
And where does your comment fit in apart from being a fanboy comment so blinded that you can´t see that i´m just giving him an answer and not bashing anything named RBR.
