2016 G'day Mate F1 on the Barbie Grand Prix, ya Bogan

[Freude am Fahren]

Well, the season is officially underway as P1 is live. Mixed conditions in Melbourne. Hoping for good things for Haas here.

[Tom Servo]

I had no idea the season was starting this weekend. Not been paying attention, clearly.

[Freude am Fahren]

This new qualifying format is so stupid.

[overpowered]

New format blows. Gutierrez was on a good hot lap but he didn't finish it in time and got eliminated. If the lap had counted, he would have jumped high. It's complete bullshit.

[Freude am Fahren]

This is hilarious. The NBC guys were talking about how this could be exciting yesterday, basically sounding like they were drinking the Bernie cool-aid, and they are watching it unfold and doing a 180. Whether or not they believed what they said on Friday or not, it's still hilarious. It's having the opposite effect of desired too, as no cars are on track for the last minute and a half and the top runners all go out and do just one lap. Last year they all usually did a couple. This is soo bad.

[IMOA]

Somewhere in the world the guy who signed off new Coke is doing fist pumps at finally making it out of #1 on the list of 'dumbest decisions in the history of the world'

[Reynard]

#sexylaps

I don't know man, I really think the NBC crew is completely over reacting to the new qualifying format. I read about it weeks ago and rolled my eyes at the thought but once it started tonight, about 3 minutes into the first session, I got it. I promise, I ain't no genius. All you need to be able to do is read a clock & do really basic math. Hulk stated it best, it doesn't really change that much other then the fact that your first lap... otherwise meaning every one of your qualifying laps (unless you're in a Merc in Q1/2 ) you need to be truly pushing it. I can get behind that idea myself as I was actually very fond of the single lap qualifying in the late 90's.

Now whether this new format is ultimately better then what we had previously it's too soon to say. It depends on how the teams decide to utilise it and perhaps if the tire allotment needs to be changed. No matter, I'm not going to start crying about it after it's first go around.

[Rare White Ape]

I can't wait to see Sniff Petrol's take on the new qualifying.

It's good for one thing, though: the sponsors of the slow cars get a lot of screen time.

[Dicknose]

I don't mind the clock counting them, it is a bit odd when the tv is covering a car saying "will they make it" and they are 20s short of finishing the lap. I think that's the fault of the coverage not the format, the tv people need to learn to get it right.

[G'day Mate]

New format was ok until Q3 IMO.