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Correct me if I am wrong, but I have always believed the objective of pre-race F1 qualifying is to allow teams to ensure the cars are at the peak of performance and the selected tyres are supplying the necessary grip to exploit said performance.
That should, logically, result in one driver and car combination being the quickest and therefore claiming pole position for the start of the race.
This F1 season we have seen a major improvement. The rule stipulating the top 10 qualifiers had to start the race on the same tyre compound used for their quickest lap in qualifying session two (Q2) has been scrapped.
That resulted in a free tyre choice on race day, making a lot more sense and eliminating any confusion for the more casual F1 viewer. Unfortunately, we have also suffered the rather strange situation regarding qualifying and the sprint session.
I have yet to meet two people who understand and agree on this season’s rule changes regarding who’s on pole and which pole, sprint or Grand Prix.
This situation once again introduces confusion for the casual fan. Perhaps by the end of the F1 season we will comprehend the new rules, just in time to face more new proposals for 2023.
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The powers that be who “control” the sport have now decided on running two trial sessions of yet another “improvement” within the sport and once again, it changes the qualifying sessions.
In a move to a more sustainable use of tyres, the F1 commission has apparently decided during these two trials the aim will be to reduce the tyre allocation from 13 sets to 11.
The number of tyres will change per team, the soft compounds will drop from the current eight sets to just four, medium compound tyres will increase from three to four sets and hards increase from two to three sets.
Here comes the rather obscure aspect of these changes as it is will be mandatory for all three compounds to be used during qualifying in the following order, hard compounds will be used in Q1, mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3.
This proposal is, to say the very least, nonsensical. This must result in a complete change in the meaning of F1 qualifying sessions.
Currently, drivers and teams push hard from the outset, but now we have an aspect that will play a major role; tyre temperatures, and how long it will take to reach and sustain optimum temperatures for the different compounds, since the hards and mediums do not normally do well on short runs.
Let’s face it, tyre blanket temperature was decreased for this season and we have seen many an interesting pit lane exit as the warm rubber fights for adhesion, not always successfully.
I have to wonder about this magic sustainability factor and the weird and wonderful proposed solutions, once again I have to say: “If it ain’t broke, do not fix it.”
To see the 2022 F1 race calendar, click here.
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