TBK-Light.com

random remark perhaps, but anyone else missing the old style 60 minute qualifying session with 12 laps that were allowed to be completed?

No, I actually like the knock out system. Best system from the last decade, where they experienced with a lot...

I actually quite like the way it is now. The single lap-qualifying sucked hard imo.

I liked the old 12-lap system. The current one is OK too.

The single lap qlf was good to see backmarkers for more than a couple of seconds, and for the odd freak grid because of weather.

I like this one, although Q3 should have another incentive to the cars in the bottom of it.

I do. I don't know, but I usually skip Q1 because I know who will be eliminated, I watch Q2 to see if there are any suprises and usually just watch the end of Q3 to see the result. With the 12 lap system it would be more cars battling for pole at the very last moment with more traffic involved.

_________________
Free F1 live stream for every session during a raceweekend: http://www.watchF1forfree.com

I like this format very much. If just the field was closer, like it was at the end of 2009. Now three teams are so much off the pace that only excitement in Q1 is about one fall guy.

Vergne has dropped seven times, Senna three, Räikkönen, Perez, Webber, Button, Ricciardo, Rosberg, Hülkenberg and Kobayashi once each.

Kovalainen made it to Q2 in Valencia so that's why the list above counts up to 18 occasions.

Didn't follow F1 with the 60 minute qualy so I'm used to the timed qualifying and the knockoutsystem. I like the knockout system more, there is more action on the track in general, the ending of every part is pretty intense and it results pretty often in a mixed up grid which is great for the race .

The worst format had to be early 2005 with that Saturday afternoon low-fuel/Sunday morning race-fuel qualifying. That was just abysmal.

I don't recall the 60 minute session, but the current one is good. The only issue is that Q1 is a bit predictable, it was fun in 2009 when everyone was so close.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Not really. I always found the 12 lap qualifying system boring as hell. The knockout system we have since 2006 is probably the best change F1 has come up with in the last 10 years.

I can remember the 12 lap/60 minute sessions being exciting ... I can also remember when they became dull as dishwater (I'm embracing my increasing middle-aged tendencies). Overall, I think the current format is the best we've had for a long time and further tinkering seems unnecessary as well as unlikely to improve things ...

Also, I'm looking forward to this race only slightly more than I'm looking forward to work on Monday morning ...

The old 1 hour/12 lap format was better before they introduced the 12 lap limit in 1993 & then reduced it to 1 day in 1996. Limiting to 12 laps reduced the running & dropping the Friday session then saw nobody wanting to go out for the 1st quarter/half of the session because they didn't want to waste runs/tyres.

From 1996-2002 the 1 hour/12 lap session was often around 20mins sitting around watching an empty track but in the end you often got a super exciting final 5mins.

The current knockout system works well in that you get cars out on track immediately & you still usually get a pretty exciting final few minutes.

Ferrari broke the curfew again, but today it was someone turning up too early...

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

No. It was 30 minutes of nothing, then a Minardi would do a lap, and then it'd be fun at the end. Now we still get the fun, without the 30 minutes of rubbish. In fact, we get 3 sets of fun as teams are forced to continually go out and meet benchmarks.

Someone's given Lewis his weetabix this morning

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Did I hear Vettel was out of the session with brake issues

Vettel's brakes being repaired with duck tape ...

If he makes it out in this session, it will be an installation lap at most ...

He'll still get pole

Who's the commentator on the BBC alongside John Watson? It's not Ben Edwards.

The Leg.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011