Mahindra Racing’s Jerome D’Ambroiso has suggested that a one-shot qualifying system could be a more appropriate way of forming the grid than the current group system.
The Belgian driver believes Formula E should try and implement a new qualifying system that would eliminate the unfairness of the qualifying group stages, in which the grip level of the track can vary drastically between each group.
As a result, Formula E’s qualifying system has been criticised over its perceived lack of fairness since it’s introduction in season five, and D’Ambrosio feels the system could be tweaked to allow drivers just to have one-shot at their 250KW lap.
Instead of drivers going out in groups of five or six, D’Ambrosio’s proposed qualifying system would involve drivers going on track one-by-one in championship order, similar to the Superpole session that currently decides the top six places on the grid.
“What I think would be best is if the qualifying starts in championship order,” said D’Ambrosio. “So first in the championship starts first and does one lap, and we create one big Superpole in the order of the championship. I think that would be fair for everyone. There would be no complaining, nothing about traffic – you get one lap, and that’s it.”
D’Ambrosio, like many other drivers, is not the biggest fan of the current group qualifying system and hopes that it can be improved.
“I don’t think it’s a good system; I think that things can always be improved; let’s put it this way.”
“It can be quite a challenge, even with five guys on the track. Sometimes drivers get held up, and it’s not really their fault, and they don’t even get to do the lap because people are a bit too slow on their out-laps.”
Formula E is not currently looking at revamping the qualifying system. Whilst it may deliver mixed-up grids and action-packed races, drivers like D’Ambrosio are continually questioning its validity as a qualifying system.