‘F1 risks qualifying becoming another practice session’

Max Verstappen of Red Bull believes Formula 1 risks turning qualifying into “just another practice session” if it adds an extra phase to the knockout format.

F1 has considered a revised format that would involve four cars being eliminated in Q1, Q2 and Q3, leaving just eight for a final shootout in a new Q4 session. At present, a driver that makes it through to the top-10 shootout will likely run twice in all three parts of qualifying, giving them five runs before the lap that finally determines their grid position. “I would keep it like it is, otherwise you’re running so much,” said Verstappen of the mooted change.

“It’s more and more practice, and qualifying should be more a shorter session where you don’t have that many opportunities to do a lap. “Otherwise, what’s qualifying for? “It’s just another practice session, where everybody can get into a rhythm. “What I always understood in qualifying is that you have to go out, have a few shots at it, and that’s it. “If you start to do more and more and more, everybody at one point starts to do a good lap.”

Renault driver Carlos Sainz Jr shared his former Toro Rosso team-mate’s view that drivers should not get as many chances in qualifying. Asked by Autosport about the possibility of an extra session, Renault driver Sainz said: “I would like to see that, but only with one set of tyres per session. “Don’t give the drivers a second chance, [make them] have to do it one time per session. “I think the pressure would be higher.