No More Fuelburning: Q3 Format Revised

[Metar]

According to Formula-1 UpdateSport:

F1's Sporting Working Group has agreed to rid the current qualifying format of the controversial phenomenon known as 'fuel burning' ahead of the 2008 season.

Because of the format's clash with the parallel parc ferme regulations, drivers currently approach the opening laps of the top-ten runout with the objective of simply burning fuel and earning 'credits' to add more fuel before the race.

Renault technical director Bob Bell remarked that the unrefined system is at the moment "a completely strange thing to do given we're all becoming eco-friendly".

The agreed solution for 2008 is twofold; the final Q3 session will be reduced from 15 minutes to a new (unknown) timeframe, and teams will no longer be able to replace burned fuel prior to Sunday's race.

The tweaks effectively mean that competitors will have to approach the battle for pole position with an initial load of fuel for the race, plus an additional amount for qualifying.

Should drivers make an error on a flying lap, therefore, they will have to weigh up the benefit of another qualifying attempt with possibly compromising the desired strategy for the first stint of the race.

The revised format will now be sent to the World Motor Sport Council for approval.

I'm happy to see this go, as it was just a stage of 10 minutes boring lapping the circuit. Send 'em out for two-three hotlaps with full racefuel, and that's it.

 

[peterjford]

I am hoping that with only 10 cars in Q3 there will be plenty of time for them to get out there with a clean track for their flying laps.

 

[Danoff]

Doesn't seem as good. I liked the buildup of fast times leading to the eventual culmination as all of the cars crossed the finish line one after another. If a run was botched, it might cost you a few spots, but it wouldn't necessarily ruin your race.

Are they seriously doing this to improve emissions???

 

[jammyozzy]

Bear in mind, all they were doing on those laps was burning fuel that they were then gonna put straight back into the car at the end of qualifying, while simply cruising around the track not setting any fast lap times. If that isn't wasteful then I dunno what is - the Q3 fuel credit system has always struck me as bieng a complete waste, and I'm glad they're doing something about it.

It might lead to an end to the fantastic final laps of qualifying we've seen this year, with all 10 cars crossing the line within seconds of each other, but it's kinda hard to justify simply burning fuel for the sake of it.

 

[Blake]

Doesn't seem as good. I liked the buildup of fast times leading to the eventual culmination as all of the cars crossed the finish line one after another. If a run was botched, it might cost you a few spots, but it wouldn't necessarily ruin your race.

Indeed. Why not just make the final session like the others? 15 minutes for the top 10 to go for pole on low fuel. Leave fuel decisions to Sunday and bring back a 15 minute warm-up session in the morning…

At least with fuel decisions being free it makes the races interesting from a strategic point of view because you don’t know what strategy everyone is on. These days you can tell within a few laps when everyone will pit from their Q3 runs.

 

[Metar]

I don't support the race-fuel qualifying, and as such, Blake's idea seems perfect in my eyes. Q2-style qualifying is always very intense, yet some of the spectacle is taken away because the top teams all have a Q3-worthy laps pretty early. Giving them another chance to battle in equal, low-fueled cars would be just awesome.