Several Formula 1 drivers commented on the FIA’s attempts to govern qualifying delta times after a proposed system was rejected ahead of Friday’s session.
The issue of traffic in the pit-lane exit and drivers impeding one another on track during out-laps or as a result of seeking space on track reared its head during multiple qualifying sessions.
This prompted the FIA to issue revisions to the maximum delta time rule during qualifying with the Race Director’s Event Notes point 2.1 noting that “drivers must stay on or below the maximum time set by the FIA ECU at least once in each marshalling sector and at both the first and second safety car lines.”
However, after trailing the system on Thursday the drivers rejected its validity and instead Race Direction reverted back to the ruling that states: “In order to ensure that cars are not driven unnecessarily slowly on any laps during and after the end of Qualifying or during reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the Race, drivers must stay below 1:54.0 between the Safety Car lines shown in the Race Director’s event notes.”
McLaren’s Lando Norris said: “I never really wanted [a change] in the first place. It depends on conditions, today [Friday] we’re going way quicker than the delta.
“I think this system avoids cars going slower by the final sector. You can still go slow, you can still gain loads on your delta and then slow down at the end of the lap. So it doesn’t defeat that purpose but it definitely makes cars go up in one of the road in the beginning like we saw now.
“It’s still a race to get out the pit lane. The other system I think would have allowed more racing, I think that just causes more chaos and more cars stopping literally in the final sector.
“[The system] needs refining and adjusting. Whether it’s just one adjustment or just every track that needs optimising something new.”
Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri added: “I think the system we tried yesterday had its strengths and weaknesses.
“I think the biggest thing for us or for me certainly is when things go wrong with these systems, it’s not crystal clear how penalties are going to be given out.
“With every system we have, if you go too slow, we’ve seen with this system, we’ve seen in the past that if you are genuinely getting out of the way of someone, it’s fine. Where do you draw the line on whether you are, whether you’re not, whether you’ve caused that situation yourself. It’s quite subjective.
“For me that’s why having no system is a positive because everyone sorts themselves out and either you get screwed or you don’t and that’s it. I do obviously commend the FIA for trying new things. They were very receptive to our feedback yesterday, which was really good.”
George Russell was noted for exceeding the delta time in qualifying yesterday but wasn’t punished for the infringement and the two men who beat him to the front row of the grid for Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, commented on the delta system.
“I think this is the safest way to go about it,” said Verstappen.
“It’s probably not ideal, but I prefer that the cars are stopping in the pit lane than on the straight or in the last corner. So at the moment, this is, I think, the best solution. But we keep on trying to look at things to make it better.
Leclerc voiced his agreement saying that the system change proposed by the FIA “wasn’t exactly what we wanted”, prompting the revert.
“It’s an ongoing process where we try to find the best solution,” the Ferrari driver continued.
“But as Max [Verstappen] said, I think you have to slow down at one point and it’s much better to do it in the pit lane than on track. So I think it’s the best solution we have at the moment.”
I cannot understand this. Q session is opened. And no one goes out. The everyone at once, and shockingly it’s too crowded. What am I missing?