Next race at Silverstone will be the unveiling of the new format. Two 20 min sessions where the driver must put in 6 timed laps. The average best of each session will be used to determine grid position.

Thoughts/comments?

 

Run through the old format one more time for those of us not up on that detail?

 

Old format 2004 version.

Pre qualifying - cars get one hot lap with any fuel load on board. The time set will be reversed for qualifying. So if you get best lap in pre qualifying you start last in the qualifying segment.

Qualifying - based on fuel loads that the team has announced the cars take to qualifying. What I mean by fuel load is the teams have to tell FIA how much fuel they will put in their car for qualifying and the start of the race. They must also use the tires they run in qualifying for the start of the race. This is again a single timed lap that determines starting order in the race.

The problem became that teams would get a light fuel load and get pole and then short stop in the race. In a track like Monaco this meant the best car didn't start from the pole.

This format has got a lot of flack because you have to get it perfect or you don't get pole. So they are deciding to change that with two 20 min sessions where the driver has to record atleast 6 laps. The best from each session will be averaged for the aggregate time.

 

UPDATE: FIA has refused to ok the new format, the old one lap method will remain.