Qualifying Suggestions?

I’ve just caught up on all the Formula One news and gossip (I have been working lots over the past couple of days) and I came across a good conversation at F1 LinksHeaven about the 2006 qualifying vs. last years system (and how some people are never happy). Head over and take a read, but I would like to add one quote that I liked:

I will however always be a traditionalist and yearn for the qualifying format of the days of Prost and Senna.

F1Fan from Links Heaven, with whom I agree.

The purpose of this post though isn’t to outline the new regulations regarding the session (that’ll be happening nearer the weekend), but to say that I had a brain-wave whilst reading the article.

Instead of devising a session that trys to prove which car is quickest whilst maintaining TV revenue, why not just have a spitting contest between the drivers? A one spit shoot-out, starting with the oldest driver and working down to the youngest. It would save money and really separate the men from the boys.

Or, Bernie could set up a scaletrix track in Parc Ferme and drivers could battle it out that way. The model cars could be liveried up appropriately and it could work as a mini tournement. They could even spice it up by allowing the last placed driver to challenge the first placed driver to one final heat, and if the last placed driver wins, the two drivers swap positions.

Sorry for the sillyness, just in a humourous mood I guess!? I actually think the new qualifying is an improvement over the one lap shoot-out, but I also feel it will be too complicated for new-to-F1 viewers – and surely that should be one of the criteria of te FIA. Us oldies (and I consider myself a youngish fan, by the way – maybe middle-aged at a push 😉 ) will probably watch it regardless, but surely the sport needs to attract new fans as well as maintaining its current audience, and I always say KISS* works well at trying to please the majority of people.

Bah! I knew my first informal post would be about qualifying! Where’s the rant category?

*KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid (or something…)