03/03/2016
NEWS STORY
On a day that saw the new Halo safety device - or at least Ferrari's version of it - hit the track for the first time, behind the scenes the sport's powers that be have yet to decide on the precise qualifying format for the Australian Grand Prix which takes place in two weeks.
Just over a week ago, following a proposal by the controversial Strategy Group, a new format was agreed, even though it instantly met with criticism from drivers and fans alike.
Then came Bernie Ecclestone's admission that the system might not be in place in Melbourne because the requisite software cannot be written in time. Consequently, the F1 supremo suggested that the system would most likely make its debut in Spain in May.
Then came the revelation that a 'bastardised' version of the format would be used in Australia, comprising the new 'knock-out' style elimination in Q1 and Q2, and the 'traditional' format in Q3.
In the meantime, the FIA has met with team bosses and drivers, and as pre-season testing comes to a close, not only does nobody have a clue as to what qualifying format will be used in Melbourne, most don't know why something that wasn't broken needed to be fixed in the first place.
Even though Mercedes has yet to show its hand, many fear another season of Silver Arrows domination, this at a time when the sport appears to be shooting itself in the foot (again) in terms of the regulations.
"I am sad for the sport," Fernando Alonso told reporters tonight, "because it doesn't look right from the outside when in one week we change the qualifying format three times, or we pretend to change the format three times but no-one confirmed anything.
"If I was from another sport, I would look at Formula One a little bit surprised," he admitted. "I don't think that it's right, the changes, too many changes.
"The complexity of the rules also for the spectator is high. All my friends in Spain, they want to switch on the television and watch battles, big cars, big tyres, big noise and enjoy the race like they do with other sports. But for us they only know about MGU-H, MGU-K, state of charge, supersoft, used, mandatory, medium, when you are fourth in the race three laps to the end, you need to put on another mandatory tyre... things like that. It is understandable they switch off the television."
Meanwhile, in a week in which Romain Grosjean was politely advised to remove a number of videos from his Facebook page by FOM's lawyers, Bernie Ecclestone's star asset, Lewis Hamilton, was also dissing the sport.
Asked if the sport is fundamentally broken, lacking direction or in rude health, he replied: "Probably the first two... I don't want to say too much but I agree with those."
Asked about the proposed qualifying format, he added: "It was fine, it was OK. Why confuse people even more? Even we don't understand what is going on. Imagine how people watching on TV can try to understand."
Finally, asked about the Halo device, having previously taken to Instagram to write 'Please no! This is the worst looking mod in Formula 1 history. I appreciate the quest for safety but this is Formula 1, and the way it is now is perfectly fine', he admitted that he yearned to drive an F1 car from twenty years ago.
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