The Australian Grand Prix marked the appearance of the new elimination-style qualifying format that was devised by the FIA. It was created in order to tighten competition, but Toto Wolff is not satisfied.
The new qualifying format was a last-minute change that was announced after the first pre-season test in Barcelona. It was originally designed so that the slowest driver would be eliminated after a short period of time, until the fastest driver remains. It has since been modified because FOM, who are in charge of developing the timing software, were not confident that they could adjust the computer systems until the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Australian Grand Prix is the first Formula One event to have used this new qualifying format and it is expected to change, as the sport’s governing body try to iron out any issues that they may have with the way they it is run. Some of the teams and drivers were not happy with the new qualifying, many of which have spoken to the media about it.
Toto Wolff, the Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, was one of the people who was not satisfied with the new qualifying format:
“We need to look at the qualifying format again. I’m the first person to say that we shouldn’t talk the sport down but when the evidence is there before your eyes, you cannot shut them and deny reality. The new format is pretty rubbish – much too complicated to follow and a damp squib at the end with nobody running. These were the downsides that we expected to see – and they outweigh the upsides, that much is clear now. We wanted to listen to the promoters who were calling for a change – but my personal opinion is that we have found the wrong solution and we need to think carefully about what we do next.”
As of right now, there are no current plans to revise the qualifying format, although it is eventually a possibility. This means that we could see various different qualifying regulations throughout the season, turning 2016 in a sort of beta version for the seasons to come.
