New race weekend format 2021

[El Scorchio]

I read on BBC that the results of the sprint race would decide the grid for the main race.... Surely that would just reduce the chances of a mixed up grid compared to the current quali format.

I can see the appeal of a sprint race in theory, but I don't see how it could be made to work without significant changes to the rules and I would not want it to replace qualifying.

Agree. I think I read that Qualifying will be Friday, sprint on Saturday and full race on Sunday. Doesn't this just mean that the usual cars qualify in the usual order for Saturday, where you'll get the same results as you would in a usual race, and then if the grid is based on Saturday's results, just a longer rerun of Saturday on Sunday? If anything it'll surely just widen all the existing gaps between the teams? No wonder Mercedes are in favour.

All I see is opportunities for 'accidental' contact in Saturday races to manipulate the starting grid Sunday's races.

[Stu]

Not particularly a fan of the sprint race idea, but if it were to be used so that drivers start in reverse championship order, a 10 lap sprint race could make for some interesting inter-team battles. No points for the Sprint, just grid spots.

[nzjrs]

I don't do race day (or even qualifying) these days. The cost is too high for what you get, to be honest

I can recommend the Hungarian grand prix as great value for money. The views from the banking is good and the security is usually pretty lax so you can sneak in and out of places after everyone has had a few beers.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was cheaper to fly to budapest and go to the Hungarian grand prix than it would be to go to silverstone!

[El Scorchio]

I don't do race day (or even qualifying) these days. The cost is too high for what you get, to be honest

I can recommend the Hungarian grand prix as great value for money. The views from the banking is good and the security is usually pretty lax so you can sneak in and out of places after everyone has had a few beers.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was cheaper to fly to budapest and go to the Hungarian grand prix than it would be to go to silverstone!

Seconded. I think it actually is! Also it’s only a 20 minute cab ride from central Budapest to the ring and the city is great for a weekend, and extremely cheap.

[NathanOlder]

The worse part of all this would be Qualifying on Friday when most people are at work!!!

[feni_remmen]

Dear god. I feel like an old man. I can't think of anything worse than a Saturday sprint race to decide the grid for the GRAND PRIX. If I have to tolerate this, I hope the sprint race grid is decided by reverse championship order and the results of the sprint race determine the race grid.

[JordanMugen]

Not particularly a fan of the sprint race idea, but if it were to be used so that drivers start in reverse championship order, a 10 lap sprint race could make for some interesting inter-team battles. No points for the Sprint, just grid spots.

Why not do the qualifying for the Grand Prix, then do interviews and then lineup for a frantic & fun Sprint Race based on the reverse of the Grand Prix grid?

[JordanMugen]

just a longer rerun of Saturday on Sunday?

When the Adelaide 500 was held over two days, as two 250km races, the result was not always the same. The idea of a "double grand prix" is not necessarily without merit.

[El Scorchio]

just a longer rerun of Saturday on Sunday?

When the Adelaide 500 was held over two days, as two 250km races, the result was not always the same. The idea of a "double grand prix" is not necessarily without merit.

Not always- true. But very likely to be very similar.

[Stu]

Not particularly a fan of the sprint race idea, but if it were to be used so that drivers start in reverse championship order, a 10 lap sprint race could make for some interesting inter-team battles. No points for the Sprint, just grid spots.

Why not do the qualifying for the Grand Prix, then do interviews and then lineup for a frantic & fun Sprint Race based on the reverse of the Grand Prix grid?

That would be open to ‘gaming’ qualifying in such a way that it would become pointless. “Damn! If only I hadn’t picked up that puncture in sector two I’d be starting from the back of the grid instead of pole”.
It would become bigger than the fiasco that qualifying on starting fuel turned into during the last refuelling era.

[JordanMugen]

That would be open to ‘gaming’ qualifying in such a way that it would become pointless. “Damn! If only I hadn’t picked up that puncture in sector two I’d be starting from the back of the grid instead of pole”.
It would become bigger than the fiasco that qualifying on starting fuel turned into during the last refuelling era.

I don't follow?

Qualifying would set the grid for the Grand Prix, but the Sprint Race's grid would be the opposite of qualifying. I don't see what is to game?

Edit - Are you implying lower order teams would go out of their way to qualify last, since they have no hope to score points in the Grand Prix anyway?

In that case, a randomly selected number of positions would could be reversed, but that would rather deny Williams of their pole position starts.

[hUirEYExbN]

If they're going to mess with qualifying for the entertainment, then surely the fairest would be a random draw?

Or, they could keep the qualifying format and try to fix the problems with the race.

[Stu]

That would be open to ‘gaming’ qualifying in such a way that it would become pointless. “Damn! If only I hadn’t picked up that puncture in sector two I’d be starting from the back of the grid instead of pole”.
It would become bigger than the fiasco that qualifying on starting fuel turned into during the last refuelling era.

I don't follow?

Qualifying would set the grid for the Grand Prix, but the Sprint Race's grid would be the opposite of qualifying. I don't see what is to game?

Edit - Are you implying lower order teams would go out of their way to qualify last, since they have no hope to score points in the Grand Prix anyway?

In that case, a randomly selected number of positions would could be reversed, but that would rather deny Williams of their pole position starts.

Apologies, I misunderstood your proposal (thinking that you meant qualifying for a reverse order grid for the sprint, the result of which would decide the grid for the main race.

[JordanMugen]

Or, they could keep the qualifying format and try to fix the problems with the race.

Why not require three tyre compounds be used in a dry race?

The Pirelli sections are sometimes geared towards encouraging a two-stop race, but if they want a two-stop race why not just make it mandatory to do two-stops?

[Wouter]