Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has revealed the team did not want to vote in favour of a return to last season’s qualifying format after the elimination style qualifying format failed in its goal at the Australian Grand Prix.
Early in March, the FIA published the new rules and regulations relating to an elimination-style qualifying that would be implemented for the Australian Grand Prix as a way to mix up the order of the grid and make both qualifying and the race on Sunday’s more exciting. Unfortunately, the complete opposite was achieved with many cars only attempting one timed lap. This was most notable in Q3 when pole position had been decided with more than four minutes to go after both Ferrari drivers and Nico Rosberg returned to the pits and exited their cars.
Following this disaster, the teams agreed to vote in favour of returning to the system that had been in place for the previous nine seasons before Sunday’s race had even taken place, which Bob Fernley believes was unnecessary.
“Part of the reason the qualifying [change] was done was the race,” told Autosport.
“How can you make that decision if you have not even done the race?
“We didn’t vote for it [to be changed back].
“I asked for it to be noted that we were strictly against it on principle and time should be given for it.
“I hope that more people will take our position with a bit of time to think about it.
“The tyres, the qualifying, everything had an impact on this race. Maybe we should wait a little bit more.
“It was too knee-jerk a reaction and I think some very interesting things came out of it.”
When questioned why Force India voted in favour of reverting back to the old system Fenley said.
“Force India is not going to do something that is detrimental to Formula 1,”
“It will fight like hell for fatigues in the system but it won’t do something detrimental if it is in the best interest and everybody feels that way.
“We were not necessarily against [making a change] but making a decision without time to reflect on what had gone on.”
