Thumbs up from most in the F1 pitlaneBernie Ecclestone has led a general consensus in the Bahrain paddock that F1`s new `knockout` qualifying format was a hit on debut.
Although some questioned the spectacle of the final `fuel-burn` shootout for the top ten, the F1 supremo said other parts - like Kimi Raikkonen`s dramatic early exit - was `precisely` what he had hoped for after the one-lap system was axed.
“It`s very good,” said Ecclestone. “It makes it much more exciting. It`s producing what we thought about. It looks good and has worked well. I`m very, very happy with this format.”
Certainly, in the garages and on the pitwall, the new format kept the teams busy. “It tested teams` nerves at every stage,” said Honda`s Nick Fry.
Williams` Mark Webber, however, called the system - which he had earlier forecast to be a `wild goose chase` - `a bit of a mess` for the drivers and the strategists. He added: “Hopefully it looked okay on TV.”
Toro Rosso technical director Gabriele Tredozi commented that he had not seen a `show` like it `for many years`, while BMW`s Mario Theissen went further to applaud the `best qualifying format` F1 has ever seen.
“That was really great,” said the German, “and exactly what was missing recently.”
However, Pat Symonds of Renault tempered his paddock colleagues` enthusiasm by admitting that viewers at home would have the final vote.
“I need to watch it back (on TV) on Monday to answer the question,” he said in Bahrain.
Michael Schumacher, too, is a staunch critic of F1`s tendency to change the rules too often, so offered a middle-of-the-road opinion about the new system.
“It doesn`t matter what I think,” said the first `knockout` pole sitter, “it matters what the fans think and you (journalists) write about it. I hope everybody likes it. In a way I think it`s pretty good.”
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