F1 | Helmut Marko defines the new Qualifications proposed for 2020 as absurd

Formula 1, over the last few years, has been harshly criticized and considered boring, due to unexciting races, with few overtaking; the dominance of a single team certainly didn't help boost the adrenaline.

This is why, in order to try to change the cards on the grid as much as possible, new formats were thought of for the Qualifying sessions on Saturday. A first attempt was already made in 2016 with the so-called "elimination" qualifications: the three sessions included a time range in which everyone was free to run. After this period of time, the slowest driver was thus eliminated and a new elimination occurred every 90 seconds. The system was widely criticized and abandoned after just three Grands Prix due to too little entertainment on the track.

Since then there have been various proposals to revolutionize the most important session on Saturday.

One was the introduction of Q4: there would be four qualifying sessions and not three, with 4 drivers eliminated per session. Only the eight fastest would battle for Pole in Q4. Obviously, the system was incompatible with the number of sets of tires currently expected over a weekend, and Q4 was also scrapped.

Qualifying will continue to take place in the exact same way in 2020, but Liberty Media, owner of the Formula 1 rights, would like to test mini 100km races on two or three weekends next season.

The finishing order of this mini race will be the starting grid of Sunday's Grand Prix. And what is the one on Saturday? Simple, the driver rankings reversed.

There is no shortage of criticism for this new system and even Dr. Helmut Marko, consultant for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, wanted to have his say on the matter.

"These plans are absurd”, he declared on Austrian TV Servus TV. “A system like this on a circuit like Monaco, Singapore or Barcelona would make no sense, because overtaking is difficult or even impossible."

"It would be useless to look at the qualifying, nothing would change in any case." 

"Our sport should be like football or tennis, where the basic rules have not changed at all in the last 30, 40, 50 years".

Marko then focused on the real problems of Formula 1 today.

"Spectators should understand the rules of Formula 1 and in the end, the best wins. There should be no external intervention". 

"What we should do is introduce rules that ensure fair opportunities. For one thing, aerodynamics should matter less".

"Today some races are boring because it is too difficult to overtake".