Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (Los Angeles - Central Park) 03.20.2016.

vividlynx68 said:The new format is garbage... Zero tension...

The format isn't the issue here. The real problems are:

- tire management (it’s ridiculous that they have to baby their tires during qualifying; for qualifying, tire supply should be unlimited)

- the gap between the top teams (though that's a minor point, since it's obvious some drivers weren't even pushing for faster laps just to save rubber)

So, in typical FIA fashion, they come up with a decent concept and then completely ruin it with a stupid technicality...

steelmaker83 said:The issue isn't actually about the format itself... the real headache lies here:

- the tires (honestly, it’s just silly that drivers have to baby their rubber during qualifying—if we're talking qualifying, they should basically have unlimited tire access)

- the performance gap between teams (though even that is a secondary concern, since it's pretty obvious some drivers aren't even pushing for faster laps just to save their tires)

So, in typical FIA fashion, they come up with a decent enough concept only to completely derail it with one ridiculous little detail...

👍

The highlight of the entire qualifying session was our two "commentators," who I feel repeated how stupid qualifying is and how much they dislike it way too many times. We got the point the first time; there's no need to act like you're being profound by boring us with the same thing every single minute.

And there’s one more thing you all need to wrap your heads around: this was essentially a soft boycott by the teams who couldn't stand this format in the first place. Everything felt a little exaggerated because of that...

What an absolute disaster 🤦
It seems all too likely that we are witnessing a coordinated boycott

If I were out there on an internship right now, I’d be demanding a full refund—it’s honestly pathetic. Nobody is going to tune in to watch Formula 1 looking like this; they need to just bury this mess once and for all. It's a disaster.
Let the big-shot bosses sweat it out now. No one is going to bother watching them, let alone waking up early just to witness this complete train wreck.

By the way, bravo Lewis Hamilton 👍 truly impressive work 🙏

What kind of disaster? It doesn't really matter if they waited five minutes before or gave up five minutes after; practically nothing changed anyway.

Hands down the most gripping Q1 and the absolute snoozefest of a Q3 we've ever seen 😁

northerncobra31 said:What a disaster. It doesn't matter if they waited five minutes before or gave up five minutes after; the end result is identical.

Sure, but not for someone looking for perfection... because perfection demands a climax, not a fizzle.

Now it’s up to Bernie Ecclestone. If I were in his shoes, I’d give those teams hell—repeatedly.

Still, you have to hand it to them; they pulled off a masterclass in chaos.

Luxury in the medical car = 🤦

jadeseal7 said:The most engaging Q1 and the most boring Q3 we've ever seen 😁

Q1 was a disaster. Nobody could get their rhythm. That 90-second window is garbage. They should just bring back the old format.

I’m sitting here watching Sky, just listening. Even Toto Wolff himself just went on record calling those qualifying sessions nothing but "Rubbish!"

It honestly feels like every single team decided to boycott the whole thing, especially Ferrari. If you ask me, this is proof that Formula 1 is circling the drain. The commentators over at Sky keep hammering home the same point: this is a total disaster.

Give me a break. At this rate, the whole spectacle is turning into nothing more than a private party for Mercedes-Benz and Lewis Hamilton.

steelmaker83 said:Sure, but that doesn't apply here... because this situation thrives on reaching a peak and letting it all out.

Now it's up to Bernie Ecclestone. If I were in his shoes, I’d give those teams a serious piece of my mind, and more than once.

Still, you have to hand it to them—they pulled this off brilliantly.

This wasn't a boycott; they just didn't want to burn through their tires anymore.

Please, I am begging you—bring back that Red Bull dominance 🤦

northerncobra31 said:this wasn't a boycott, they just didn't want to burn through their tires.

Sure, they weren't interested in wasting rubber. But let's call it what it was: a boycott. They made a massive scene by jumping out of their cars before the timing screen even flashed their names. Plus, they were clever enough to hammer out fastest laps simultaneously so the broadcast director couldn't even keep up with them...

It was calculated and skillful work. This wasn't some amateur hour operation...

northerncobra31 said:What kind of disaster was that? Does it really matter if they waited five minutes before giving up or if they threw in the towel five minutes after? In the grand scheme of things, the outcome remains fundamentally unchanged, does it not?

Are we truly discussing the same player we saw during the qualifiers? I find myself wondering, did you actually watch the footage, or are you simply engaging in some sort of lighthearted trolling?☕

Decent Q1
Rough Q2
Absolute disaster in Q3...

Honestly, this whole thing is a total joke. It’s even worse than I thought it would be...

Season's basically over. Bear is just as dominant as they were last year, exactly like I predicted. And I was right about Ferrari—they're going to struggle to hold onto second place against STR and Red Bull Racing. Meanwhile, Williams is completely screwed, just fighting Haas for 5th in the standings...

To be honest, I’m pretty disappointed with Ferrari's results. I wasn't expecting them to be within 0.2 seconds like some people claimed, but they haven't moved the needle at all. They'll likely just hover between 0.5 and 0.8 seconds throughout the season.

Jerry Moore61 said:I'm watching Sky right now. Toto Wolff just called qualifying "Rubbish!"

It looks to me like every single team decided to boycott this, especially Ferrari. This proves Formula 1 is heading straight for a cliff. The commentators on Sky keep repeating that this is a total disaster!

Unbelievable. This is basically just a private party for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

Now Niki Lauda is talking trash about qualifying too—which only confirms this is a targeted boycott.

Because nobody is addressing the REAL issue: those damn tires!!!!

And they aren't addressing it because those exact same teams REFUSED to use the tires for qualifying.

They can all go to hell. They are the ones responsible for this mess!

northerncobra31 said:it wasn't some grand boycott, they just didn't feel like burning through their tires.

Even the only Seb said in German that it was honestly ridiculous not being out on track and missing those last-minute attacks during practice.
And then you've got those two clowns just whining about how great Mercedes is... 😢