The fun of qualifying

Hmmm. You may have noticed that I wrote a full blown article about qualifying for pitpass. Chris, the editor, wanted a rant, but I couldnt quite run to that. Chris is renowned for his fake graphics, whether it's Eddie Jordan with a begging bowl or Antonio Pizzonia in the jungle, so I assumed he'd knock something up for my Qualifying for Dummies piece.

The graphic is more or less what I thought he'd do, except for giving the impression that I think the new qualifying system is "crap". Actually, I think it'll be miles better than last year's system, and most fans will probably tune in for the full hour of TV coverage.

The point I was trying to make though, is that the system is too complex. It's like an income tax system that has so many rules and regulations designed to be "fair" to everyone, but only tax lawyers can understand it. I don't think we need that in F1, especially when a simple solution is clearly available. I consider the changes to be progress, but a missed opportunity. At least I've learned how easy it is to give the wrong impression!