Pointless quali shake-up to be introduced?

If you were asked what would you change within Formula One to improve the sports spectacle you probably wouldn’t opt for qualifying.

The current qualifying system of three sessions has proved hugely popular since its introduction in 2006.

In the past Formula One has had qualifying split over two days, changed to one day and at one stage was changed to just one lap.

All had issues of either not enough running time on track, or not enough excitement.

The current three session system ensures that every driver must complete three competitive laps to progress through to the pole position shoot-out, tyre regulation tweaks over the years has also ensured that drivers do partake in the final session and do not instead opt for strategy for the race.

Overall qualifying is thought to be very entertaining with far more obvious pressing concerns within Formula One in need of improvement.

But that has not stopped the F1 Commission unanimously voted in favour of revamping it and we could see the change introduced as early as Australia next month for the 2016 Formula One World Championship season opener.

The new format of Formula One will retain the current three sessions, but the timings and the eliminations will alter.

Instead of set times for each session with the bottom five eliminated at the end of Q1 and another five eliminated at the end of Q2 leading towards a top ten shoot-out in Q3. The new system will see drivers eliminated at 90 second intervals until the session ends.

Q3 would see just 8 drivers advance until the final 2 drivers left to contest pole in the 90 seconds of the session.

The proposals would have to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on March 4th if they are to be introduced for the 2016 season.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes the new format will add an element of unpredictability to qualifying.

‘The idea really is that it will be the same as qualifying in wet conditions, Maybe one or two of the hot-shoes aren’t going to make it [to the front]. So we won’t see the obvious on the front of the grid.’ he told Sky Sports.

But for that to happen the current Pirelli tyres would have to radically change their behaviour.

The current Formula One tyres have a small optimum operating window, this means that the best chance to set a fast time is within a three lap window on average, with either one hot lap, two hot laps back-to-back or two hot laps with a slower lap in between.

Due to this the likelihood of cars continually running on track is small and instead the action is likely to just take place at the start of sessions rather than at the end.

The only unpredictable element comes when traffic is involved, but with GPS locations teams are well equipped at finding space for their drivers on track.