Correct. Coloured for new sets, hollowed out for used. It's something that's been on the live timing app for a couple of years now, good to see it finally appear on screen, although I doubt many will understand what it means.

Interestingly, Damon seems to have been accredited for permanent Starting Grid access this year, so clearly Sky are planning to use him differently to normal (different lanyard to Simon and Johnny).

When Damon and Johnny have been on the grid previously it has been via a single-race upgrade to their access.

Have C4 detailed whether there will be any extra feeds during live races either online or on TV?

That is very slick - Would love this over the timing screen

So far a carbon copy of BBC's old coverage, just substitute Tom Clarkson and Allan Mcnish for Karim Chandok. They have even retained Tony Dodgens for FP1.

It's too light a voice for Martin - too young! At first I thought it was an actor doing a Martin, but then Alex seemed to fit!

Interesting to see Tom Clarkson presenting a video posted on F1's Twitter feed.
https://twitter.com/F1/status/710977365145313280

Surely this is the year that FOM should've added a graphic to the timing tower to say which tyre the driver set their lap on?

Also, the tower does not seem to be a fan Pascal Wehrlein, does it?

Definitely sounds like Martin to me


Indeed, glitchy!

Needs a little red/yellow/white dot.

I Put together this comparison of the old OnBoards & new one's.
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/165970

If you look at things like the outline of things like the suspension, front wing & the antenna's & sponsor text across the top of the chassis (Where you can see some artifact's with the old cameras) as well as things like the buttons/dials on the steering wheel you can see how much clearer/sharper the new HD OnBoards are compared to the previous upscaled SD one's.

100% it is Martin, heard the adverts elsewhere on Sky over past week or two.

I see they put a key up on the graphics just before the start of quali for this.

What's happened to the second countdown for each individual quali elimination we were supposed to get?

Edit - ah, it's just appeared

If this Quali isn't popular what is the bet Crofty forces down your throat that "you are wrong".

I felt like FOM Fan, my eyes to much watching the clock and not the track!

Exciting end to q2 here...

It's turning into a weird hybrid of old Q1/Q2/Q3 quali for the first third of each individual session except more frantic, almost single lap quali the second third of the session and dead air for the last third.

The teams seem a bit slow to realise they need to be looking 2 or 3 eliminations down the road, not the current one, but in a way it's moot as the turnaround time is too great and they've used the tyres anyway.

It reminds me of when the Q1/Q2/Q3 format was originally introduced it ran to the clock at the end of the session. So teams kept sending the cars out too late to get their lap in. They ended up changing it to make it the end of the lap you were on. This is like that for each individual elimination.

Needs more refinement

Have to say that having watched Q1 & Q2 I am really not liking this new qualifying format.

Haha the drivers are already done and in the weighbridge, this is hilariously shambolic, still 3 minutes to go in the session.

Please go back to the old qualyfying, did not enjoy that one bit.
Not enough on track action, even watching the countdown clock was boring with a driver sitting in the pits or out of the car.
All done and dealt and the countdown clock is still ticking down, a joke!

Only plus point the FOM graphics did seem to work throughout it.

So can we go back to the qualifying system we had last year now please?

Honestly if they stick with this i'm not sure i'll be watching another qualifying session this year because that was simply awful from start to finish.

The TV companies are going to put pressure on it if nothing else, like when two part aggregate time Sunday morning single lap quali only lasted 3 or 4 races because they hated that.

It was physically too bad for any of the powers-that-be not to make some sort of reaction to that. It got increasingly worse as the hour went on - Q1 just about worked if you squint, Q2 didn't, Q3 was embarrassing.

Haha Toto just called the qualyfying 'Rubbish' and it needs to change.
Christian Horner just said much the same and apologised to the fans.

I was like with Brundle. End of Q1 it was mildly enjoyable when a clock kicked in then became kinda fed up with what was going. Mix of penalising drivers with a semi-single lap quali format with early 2006 quali with the counter going 0 was like the flag going out in 2006 and you couldn't finish the lap.

I would agree with Brundle that the new quali would be a bit more random on bad weather Saturday's however thats about it.

Old format please.

I can understand it not being exciting (it now makes beginning/middle more exciting rather than the end of each session), but as for Damon & Johnny not being able to*understand* how the elimination works? Come on, it's not that different a change. One thing I'd alter is to allow drivers to finish the lap they're on when their 90secs is up. And find some way to ensure as much cars are on the track as possible, cos when teams like Ferrari & Williams in Q1 (And rosberg too, why didn't he go for another 2 laps with 4mins remaining)?) give up & return to the pits, it just ruins it. Of course the tyres' tiny operating window doesn't help. I'd maybe suggest that a min fuel amount was enforced throughout quali, and cars must start on the most durable tyre. That might ensure that more cars are on track.

It's only exciting when all the cars are on track, and if they ain't, it doesn't work. Hypocritical that the team bosses who unanimously (I believe) voted in the change are now saying it's rubbish.