We know that the main format of a Grand Prix weekend consists of three free practice sessions, two held on Friday and the last one taking place on Saturday, the qualifying session and, finally, the main race held on Sundays.
While it is true that the FIA has tried to implement new formats, such as the sprint, where there is only one practice session, the qualifying session for the Sunday race, the sprint shootout, the sprint race and the main race, this is something that is only done a few times throughout the season.
The opinion on the two different formats that exist are completely divided, both among the fans and among the members of the teams, including the drivers themselves. Similarly, one of the changes that the FIA has made to the “traditional” format was in the qualifying session. One of them was to implement a maximum time allowed between the pit exit and the pit entry, this with the aim of avoiding dangerous situations where there are drivers who are on fast laps and there are others who are trying to create a space between their cars and those in front to begin their respective fast laps.
Apparently, this new implementation has not been to everyone’s liking, so much so that Fernando Alonso has come out to criticise the qualifying format, stipulating that it is “obsolete” and that it is no longer what it used to be due to various different problems.
“It proves that the qualifying format is obsolete. We cannot have these things and this stress,” the Spaniard affirmed. “It used to be the best session of the weekend where the cars come alive, you drive these very fast cars.
“And now it’s the worst session of the weekend for the teams, for the drivers, for traffic management, for track limits, going to the stewards, not respecting the delta, impeding people, deleting laps. It should not be like that.
“You’re risking more unfortunately, because there is no way that you can be a bit calmer in one corner and lose one tenth. You cannot afford that anymore because you are out of the session.”
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team
Throughout the season we were able to observe how there were more and more penalties against drivers, either for having impeded a driver who was on fast lap, for not having respected yellow flags or because they exceeded track limits and lost their time.
While it is true that the drivers have to be disciplined and, even if they don’t like it, they have to abide by the rules stipulated by the FIA. However, Alonso emphasises that the drivers must be more careful now in this session, making them feel like they have lost some of the special feeling that a qualifying session gives.
