The 2016 Formula One season is alive and already there's contention. Mercedes ace Nico Rosberg has the early jump on team mate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton by claiming victory at Albert Park and sustaining the momentum harnessed at 2015's season end. Red Bull driver and local hero Daniel Ricciardo absconded with fastest lap whilst passing the chequered flag in fourth place. But what was the post race chat about? Qualifying! That's right. The  new for 2016 elimination style qualifying system.
    The three qualifying sessions remain, but with a twist. After a preordained time in each session, the slowest driver is eliminated every 90 seconds. This system was universally disliked by drivers and the teams, and being trackside, proved confusing for the fans. The commentary revolved around who was the slowest, not who was the quickest. Isn't qualifying all about the fastest cars? Q3 saw no track action with over 3 minutes still to run. Where was that last minute dash for pole that persuades punters to squirm nervously on the ends of their seats? Knowing they could not beat the two Mercedes drivers, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was in civvies and team shirt by the chequered in Q3, electing to save a set of tyres for the race. Last year's system would have seen them have a last minute dash for pole. McLaren driver Fernando Alonso suggested the new system favoured the strongest teams. 1996 world champ Damon Hill made the most poignant comment suggesting that pole winner Lewis Hamilton could of waved his own chequered flag.
    An emergency meeting of all team principals was called on Sunday morning. They unanimously voted to go back to last year's qualifying system with immediate effect in time for the next GP at Bahrain. Have they jumped the gun? Is this a knee jerk reaction without thorough evaluation? Should drivers be able to complete their flying laps if started before the clock expires? Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez would certainly have progressed if this was the case. Should we keep the new system for Q1 and Q2, then revert to a shootout for pole in Q3? When the meeting's outcome was announced over the PA trackside, this decision was met with spirited applause by the fans.
    The key word here is ratification. Team principals alone cannot make such decisions. Therefore the powers that be have decreed that the new system will stay for at least the next GP in Bahrain this weekend. Then and only then after proper consultation and evaluation will a definitive qualifying system be adopted for the remainder of the season. 
    As usual, F1 never disappoints.... 
       
    
    

    The 2016 Formula One season is here. Came around fast didn't it? A shortened F1 winter testing season is completed. So who's looking strong ahead of racing hostilities commencing? Ferrari's looking strong, but can they challenge recent benchmarks Mercedes? You know what? Let's not go there. Testing is just that. Testing! Any true indication of speed won't come until 6pm on the Saturday of the Australian GP after the first qualifying session of the season.
    Excitement and anticipation levels for spectators build over the final countdown to any GP. They reach unbearable heights as the cars strain to be unleashed during the warm up lap followed by lights out and the run into Turn 1. The other contingent of a GP weekend which is compulsive viewing for punters is qualifying. 2016 sees a reworking of the popular elimination style qualifying session. 3 qualifying periods remain, but now Q1 runs for 16 min with the slowest car eliminated after 7 min, then another car eliminated every subsequent 90 sec until 15 cars are left. Q2 runs for 15 min with the slowest out after 6 min, then a car every 90 sec until 8 cars remain. The 14 min Q3 sees the slowest out after 5 min, then another car eliminated every 90 seconds until we have a pole winner. An expansion of the existing qualifying, but will the fans embrace it? Will this force the teams to run as many qualifying laps as time allows? Fans will certainly enjoy seeing as many cars as possible all punching out qualifying laps. However, if weather conditions remain stable, as the track evolves with more rubber going down, have we lost the strategic element when track conditions are at their optimum of a late qualifying charge to steal pole?
    The other intriguing change for 2016 is tyre supplier Pirelli making three dry weather compounds available to the teams over a GP weekend. Out of the 13 sets available, two are mandated for the race with one mandatory to use. One set of the softest of the three compounds is mandated for Q3 only. The teams are free to choose whichever compounds they want to make up their 13 sets. This allows much more flexibility amongst the teams, with some teams including Mercedes splitting their tyre choices between their drivers. Does this help combat processional racing?
    We'll see at the Australian Grand Prix. See you at Albert Park. Ciao....