23/03/2016
NEWS STORY
Fresh off the back of the opening round of the 2016 Formula One season, the Pitpass trio of Chris Balfe, Mat Coch and Max Noble are back in the studio.
It was a weekend which provided the team with plenty to talk about, from the weather to tyre rules, qualifying to safety structures.
One of the key talking points was the all-new qualifying format, which was universally panned not only by the Pitpass crew but almost the entire Formula One paddock.
The drama, the anticipation and the banzai lap were all missing, Balfe, Noble and Coch agree. Instead it was replaced with a confusing system that lends itself to over-excited commentators yelling their way through the broadcast before realising just how silly it all is.
Predictably, Fernando Alonso's crash was discussed at length with both positive and negative outcomes as a result. Though pleased to see the Spaniard walk away there are concerns over how easily the crash happened, and how fortunate it was not to have ended differently. This naturally sees the conversation turn to the revised head protection the sport is looking to introduce as the trio analyse whether a halo-style devise would have helped or hindered the Spaniard.
Editor Balfe feels that young Max Verstappen is an accident waiting to happen, and that following Sunday’s tantrum should have been sent to his room without any supper and his PlayStation confiscated. On the other hand he admits that much worse is seen every day of the week on our roads.
There are positive words for Haas and Ferrari, and a collective sigh of relief that Mercedes hasn't run away with it - yet - as was feared it might.
There's a special mention for Sebastian Vettel's sense of humour following the banter with former team-mate Mark Webber on the podium, Balfe arguing that the sport should be making much more of the drivers’ different personalities.
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