Thesis: The qualification format at Monza is dangerous and should be changed.

There was a lot of fuss about the traffic on the Monza circuit today. During VT1 it was already crowded on the track, but during qualifying it almost went wrong several times. Some teams even received a penalty for this.

Aston Martin and Alpine were both fined 5000 euro by the FIA because of dangerous actions in the pit lane during qualifying. Also on the track things went wrong at several moments. Many drivers got in the way of the fast laps of others. Max Verstappen was furious on the boardradio when his fast lap was blocked by several drivers.

It's not the first time traffic has caused problems at Monza. During qualifying in 2019, Charles Leclerc managed to take pole position because almost all drivers crossed the finish line too late to set a fast lap. At the Italian circuit, the slipstream is of great importance as it can make the difference due to the long straights. Because many drivers drove to slow to get a slipstream from the driver in front, it went wrong for many.

New format in Monza?

We can wonder if the qualifying format as we know it will work at Monza. With the many incidents that took place today, it seems only a matter of time before things really go wrong. On Twitter it was suggested that Formula 1 might introduce one-shot qualifying at Monza, so that drivers can no longer get in each other's way and only have one chance to set a fast lap. The format used by Formula E could also be considered, with only five drivers going onto the track at a time to set a fast lap.

What do you think? Let us know what you think by filling in the poll below and commenting in the comment section!