Qualifying is when drivers try to set the quickest lap they can. The results decide where they start the race, which can make a big difference to how the race plays out.
Topic
Race to Poll
This sounds like the race that decides who starts at the front. Starting at the front (pole) usually gives you a better chance to control the race.
Free practice is time to test the car and get comfortable with the track. The hosts think the first qualifying session doesn’t feel different enough from practice.
A “puncher” means a tire puncture. It usually makes the car unsafe or undriveable, so the driver may have to pit and lose track position.
Term
technical issue
A “technical issue” means something mechanical went wrong with the car. It could be a problem that slows the car down or forces it to stop for repairs.
Here, “boost” means extra engine power. If the boost is lower, the cars have less punch, so it can be harder to pass and the race can play out differently.
LIVE
Join us under the biggest tree we could find as we discuss this next in Saturday action.
Hello and welcome back to the British Turing Car podcast. We are back at Snederton this time
and we've just watched Qualifying and the Race to Poll. Yeah that's in the podcast guys thanks for
tuning in. I think it's fair to say that at the track it's possibly even makes it a little bit worse
than watching it online. Yeah I would agree. So we are currently sat in front of the Paddock Turing Car
Paddock so they will be moving in the background as various other support races get ready to do
their action for the day so bear with that. But yeah I think you're absolutely right there are no
screens here on the Saturday which is a bit of a shame. I'm really hoping there are tomorrow.
Yeah that would be a real shame if not. The Qualifying first session is so boring as a fan
jack side. I know people say stop moaning about it but there is that first half hour or so. It feels
like a free practice run again. Yeah there's nothing there. There's a little bit more riding on it
because it will sort of set the grid but you could do that with the second free practice session.
You could almost draw names at a hat. Nobody is pushing for fast laps because why would you risk
ditching the car when you could just make up a place in the sprint race in a moment. So yeah
the first part isn't particularly good. I do accept to a degree that I don't really see an answer to
how you can get it better. I don't know what the answer is. If you're going to keep this format
which is another debate all together but if you're going to keep this format I don't know how
as you can set the sprint grid race or the grid for the sprint race it's got to be set somehow.
I think maybe this is just the most necessary evil to get there because I don't think you can
split the grid into doing different like F1 style we had last year because I don't have enough time
on a Saturday. So I don't really know what else to do.
Arguably you give them that extra practice session for that half an hour that we get of track time
for qualifying as it were and then you possibly take the fastest lap time for each driver from
both practice sessions to set that grid. We've still got to watch practice which is not particularly
exciting. I can't think of a format to make it more exciting. We had an exciting format last year
that's gone. If you're going to have the sprint race you've got to have a sprint to pole event race
you're going to have to have a grid for it. If I get into gimmicky like putting names out of the hat
or championship order or race three from the last weekend maybe maybe that's a way of doing it
race three from the past weekend. I don't know or race two from the last weekend make race two
interesting. I don't know. It's tricky as a mini comes past us. Hillman as a mini.
Just let that go right. What I will say is that okay do you accept the necessary evil for the sprint
race and I think it's fair to say the sprint race itself took a very similar format that we've seen
for the rest of the season which is the first few laps are interesting and then it fades away into
Being here is necessary as well. It's only an eight lap race or eight laps for the sprint race
or race to pole should I say. And it does feel like everyone gets all the action out in those first
23 laps and then settle down to practically nothing. Okay there are a few mechanical issues
for a couple of drivers. We have Moffitt stop on the final lap. We had Sutton go off with a puncher
which was probably the most entertaining or anticipated action that we've had in the race to pole.
And we had a bit of interest in the first few laps. Cammish, not Cammish, Rainford and Chilton
were bashing doors of each other down the infield section but after that it just didn't really
Arentones had a technical issue and needed to come into the pits. It really punishes you
when you have an issue on this race or on this day really because it could happen in the qualifying
as well and the same thing could happen. I suppose that's the contra argument to it.
But it means that we're hopefully going to see another Sutton race from the back tomorrow morning
and we'll see how far he can go with obviously the lowest allocation of boost
which is probably going to keep it the most interesting and the most entertaining for race one tomorrow.
Yeah and it's obviously worth saying that we've not seen him in the race back so we can't comment on
the galates of some of the moves. It certainly looked like both Rainford and Chilton were hitting each other.
It was like cheering cars. 6-1-2 doesn't it?
Going into Hamilton, sort of like Rainford was on the outside, pushed wide by Chilton.
He then stayed on the outside, had the inside for the next corner and then gave Chilton everything back
that he'd just given him so I think it was okay in the grand scheme of things.
Chilton did have a five second penalty for being out of position on the grid
which I'm amazed that he was that far out of position.
It wasn't the case if he was too far forward in his box, he was off to one side of his box
which I don't think we've seen before obviously Camish had it at Brands but he was allowed to start outside the box.
I don't think I've seen a driver get it that wrong for a while.
No and so it's not somebody of that much experience you would expect to see that from either.
I suppose the only thing I would say if we look at the positives is that's now three sprint to pole race things
and we've had three different winners so okay if you're looking at trying to
and you know to change things up we've had a different winner to who qualified on pole as well.
Yeah so it keeps those things fresh, obviously we'll see what happens tomorrow.
Sutton has had a run of six podiums, I don't think that's carrying on tomorrow.
Stranger things have happened.
The question is that does it create enough interest for the Sunday?
I'm not sure. Does it create enough experience for the Saturday fans?
I'm not sure because based on our experience this weekend and also we can only talk about this weekend as anyone we've been to
there is no screens. Yes the commentary is pretty good on the channel system.
You've got to give that his credit but it's not the same as being able to see unfold in front of you.
I had YouTube open in front of me watching what action was going on around the circuit obviously.
We do it for more attention for you lot for being able to give the race report
but it also helped me keep up with what was going on around the circuit
and yes there's TSL and stuff like that and we've been lucky enough that we've had the signal to do that.
Yeah I think that's the live reaction side done of it.
In terms of actually what this means for tomorrow I think it's been a good day for player racing.
It has a solid session. It has been hot here as well.
Rainford looks very good in the BMWs as you'd expect and Cook is a surprise.
I was going to come to them as losers.
They qualified as I said really low down and then didn't really make any progress throughout the race
whereas Collard who had a poor session had times deleted through the qualifying element of it
then was able to make some progress through the race. They really didn't.
No I think that pretty much sums it up really. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Obviously looking for a better day of racing tomorrow which I think we'll definitely get.
It's hot here today. It's going to be even hotter tomorrow which is a little bit of a concern for the racing I think
but I think it will mean that Rainford goes very well.
I feel sorry for the drivers because knowing how warm it can get in those caverns is going to be even worse tomorrow
and they've got to do it three times over.
I feel more sorry for the marshals. What I would say is if you are here tomorrow and you buy a marshall post
and you've got any water to spare do offer them out because they have limited times
they can leave the post throughout the day and if you're hot you're not wearing racing over
or fireproof overalls as well so look out for one another tomorrow.
If you're here be patient, be nice, it's going to be hot. Just enjoy the day's racing. We'll see you tomorrow.
If you see us out and about as well come and say hello. We don't bite and we love to chat with you as well.
Cheerio.
About this episode
Snedterton Saturday gets a full format check: the hosts question whether the first qualifying session is “so boring as a fan” and argue the grid could be set from practice, since “it’s got to be set somehow.” They then zoom in on the short eight-lap sprint/race-to-pole chaos, where punctures and boost swings matter. Penalties like “five second penalty for being out of position on the grid” shape outcomes, while “there is no screens” and extreme heat influence the fan and track experience.
