BOF Posted April 27, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2021 It has pluses and minuses, and I'd much rather they attempt it over 3 races rather than hammer it home by adopting it season-wide without knowing if it will work. So that's common sense at least, and the changed format will add some novelty value for those races. If it works then great. If it doesn't then the teams will probably bin it because the biggest factor will be cost. At least they didn't **** around with reverse grids. That would have been shit to see in the pinnacle of motorsport. Have your clown races further down if you want (and they do). As for what it will do to the Sunday. I think it will probably improve the spectacle and do so without compromising the integrity of the result. Firstly the negative. On one hand anyone who would have had to start at the back because of a changed gearbox etc will now have a chance to start in a more representative grid slot. That's probably not good for the spectacle. Similarly people who missed Q2 or Q3 will be able to rectify it. But, and it's a significant but IMO, what I think will more than offset the above will be the chance for crashes and the normal stuff that happens during a race to send someone to the back of the grid on a Sunday. That'll be happening on the Saturday too now. So for me they're the pros and cons. Also, Friday is now worth watching as that's the qualifying for the sprint race. Which is kinda the main thinking behind the change. Turning it from a 2 day weekend to a 3 day weekend from the fans' perspective. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 27, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 27, 2021 1 hour ago, BOF said: But, and it's a significant but IMO, what I think will more than offset the above will be the chance for crashes and the normal stuff that happens during a race to send someone to the back of the grid on a Sunday. That'll be happening on the Saturday too now. So for me they're the pros and cons. Yeah that's what I was getting at above. Hamilton is more or less ALWAYS going to start from the front 2 rows of the grid in normal qualifying. With a sprint race there's far more unpredictability as anyone could have a crash or mechanical failure and end up at the back. The potential for a greater spectacle is definitely there, it's just whether the integrity of proper qualifying is worth getting rid of for that. Like you I'm glad it's happening in a couple of races rather than a big bang of having it all season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichfield Dean Posted April 27, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 27, 2021 I'd still quite like the sprint race to have one or two points associated with it, and a restriction on setup changes for the main race, giving "lesser" teams a chance to prioritise the sprint races and maybe bag a handful of points. Although the downside of that would be if it makes the main race even more uncompetitive I guess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 27, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2021 Just now, Lichfield Dean said: I'd still quite like the sprint race to have one or two points associated with it, and a restriction on setup changes for the main race, giving "lesser" teams a chance to prioritise the sprint races and maybe bag a handful of points. Although the downside of that would be if it makes the main race even more uncompetitive I guess... The sprint race does have points. The first 3 will get points. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichfield Dean Posted April 27, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 27, 2021 1 hour ago, BOF said: The sprint race does have points. The first 3 will get points. Ah cool, they listened to my suggestion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 How do they decide the grid for the sprint race? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 27, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2021 10 minutes ago, Genie said: How do they decide the grid for the sprint race? Friday qualifying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted April 27, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2021 So Friday is regular qualifying, Saturday is a sprint race which is like a operate event but with some points and then Sunday is the Grand Prix? A regular Grand Prix with an extra mini Grand Prix sandwiched into the middle of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeyb Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Could make them run to their cars like olden days.....or make half go clockwise and the rest anticlockwise and last man standing gets pole 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 I do like the idea of the Friday now having something to really look forward to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 28, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 12 hours ago, OutByEaster? said: So Friday is regular qualifying, Saturday is a sprint race which is like a operate event but with some points and then Sunday is the Grand Prix? A regular Grand Prix with an extra mini Grand Prix sandwiched into the middle of it? Or as The Race are calling it, a Saturday grand prix with a 24 hour red flag 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted April 28, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 So Satruday and Sunday don't have any effect on each other? But Saturday does have some effect on the World Championship because there are points? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 28, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said: So Satruday and Sunday don't have any effect on each other? But Saturday does have some effect on the World Championship because there are points? Well Saturday's result is Sunday's starting grid. But they can start on whichever tyres they want in both races now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted April 28, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 28, 2021 15 hours ago, mykeyb said: Could make them run to their cars like olden days.....or make half go clockwise and the rest anticlockwise and last man standing gets pole Or a penalty shootout but driving a car into a giant inflatable ball over the finishing line. Haloball is not allowed of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted April 28, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 22 minutes ago, BOF said: Well Saturday's result is Sunday's starting grid. But they can start on whichever tyres they want in both races now. Now I'm confused. I thought Friday's result was Sunday's starting grid. So the little race on Saturday is part of qualifying but with points? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 28, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 28, 2021 7 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: Now I'm confused. I thought Friday's result was Sunday's starting grid. So the little race on Saturday is part of qualifying but with points? Friday's qualifying is for Saturday's starting grid. The result of Saturday's race is the starting grid for Sunday's race. So if Lewis Hamilton qualifies first on friday, but crashes on Saturday, he starts last on Sunday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted April 28, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 So it's a race that's qualifying but with a licence to hamper? I mean, it'll be fun to watch I guess, but I'm a bit wary of a format where there are quite such massive gains to be had from instigating accidents. American billionaires messing about with sport, that's a good thing right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 28, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 28, 2021 5 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: So it's a race that's qualifying but with a licence to hamper? I mean, it'll be fun to watch I guess, but I'm a bit wary of a format where there are quite such massive gains to be had from instigating accidents. American billionaires messing about with sport, that's a good thing right? I don't think i agree with it being used in F1, but it's a format that has been and is used in plenty of other racing series. It's not something they've invented just for F1. Instigating accidents will be met with significant punishments, as they are in the normal races, so I can't see it being a particularly good tactic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 28, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 28 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: American billionaires messing about with sport, that's a good thing right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted April 28, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2021 31 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: So it's a race that's qualifying but with a licence to hamper? Exactly. And the discussion over whether it's good for the Sunday spectacle boils down to whether you get more grid upheaval from the current qualy format or whether you'd get more from a 100km race. The proof of the pudding... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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