Lewis Hamilton celebrated his 50th Formula One pole position of his career as he started the 2016 Formula One season on a high note as the new look qualifying made its controversial debut at Albert Park.
Hardly anything changed from last season as Rosberg and Vettel completed the top 3.
The format of qualifying has changed, with the introduction of a system that will eliminate the slowest driver every 90 seconds in the second half of each of the three sessions.
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And there are major restrictions on the use of team radio, with limitations on the information the teams can give to drivers.
The new qualifying format was universally condemned by fans, pundits, drivers as well as by Bernie Ecclestone himself. While the opening parts of Q1 and Q2 were frantic, Q3 was a disappointment with only Mercedes choosing to do two runs and Lewis Hamilton confirmed on pole with several minutes of the session remaining. There was no action at all in the final few minutes. The only piece of entertainment came in the first part of qualifying when Jolyon Palmer, under pressure of elimination, improved on his time and dumped his team-mate Kevin Magnussen out instead. After that it was all downhill.
This, however, didn’t go down well with the fans who mocked the new format on twitter, whereas drivers such as Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso strongly criticised it. Personalities such as Bernie Ecclestone, Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda condemned the new format and realised that changes were required to make it interesting and pleasing for the fans to watch.
Watch the best reactions from the twitterati world as the season opener qualifying came to an end.
FINAL PROVISIONAL QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION*
*Rio Haryanto will start from P22 following a grid penalty#AusGP pic.twitter.com/JVseLkhaAr
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2016
Ridiculous rules by the FIA have killed viewership since the last few years-this might be the last nail! #F1 #AusGP https://t.co/wkVZoYnfn5
— Suvodeep Das (@Suvodeep) March 19, 2016
If cars are only going to do 1 or 2 laps, let's have eight 5-minute qualifying sessions, losing 2 or 3 cars after each one. #SkyF1 #AusGP
— Christopher P. Hood (@HoodCP) March 19, 2016
A half century! Congratulations @MercedesAMGF1’s @LewisHamilton on claiming his 50th career pole at the #AusGP pic.twitter.com/pKKpnn8F4D
— UBS Formula 1 (@UBSf1) March 19, 2016
Well done @LewisHamilton and @MercedesAMGF1 though.
Storming lap for pole. 2.5 seconds up on last season. Wow #AusGP— Daithí (@Racerx34) March 19, 2016
#Seb5: 'We are getting better, tomorrow we should be a bit closer' #AusGP #redseason pic.twitter.com/vwoFDxrM7a
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 19, 2016
Congratulations @f1 You've ruined Qualification #AusGP Did no one else part from me see this coming?
— jviddy (@jviddy) March 19, 2016
@TeamMcLaren #AusGP hope Jenson and Fernando take Honda back to winning ways like in the old days with senna and prost
— Ian Taylor (@IanTaylor1958) March 19, 2016
#AusGP Qualifying.. What a joke.. No cars on the track at the end of Q2 and Q3. Well done for @MBrundleF1 for saying how bad it was. #F1
— Andrew Phillips (@andrew_andrew38) March 19, 2016
#F1 first 2 qualifying were great but 3rd was boring as bat shit @ausgrandprix #AusGP
— Ted the Toyman (@TEDtheTOYman) March 19, 2016
Bernie Ecclestone gives Autosport his blunt verdict on "pretty crap" new #F1 qualifying: https://t.co/63PmywS0Qd pic.twitter.com/2hLysmmdst
— Autosport (@autosport) March 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/dennisvanrhee/status/711103337475792896
New #F1 drinking game: down in one every time someone says "I told you this would happen" about the new quail system.
— F1 Racing (@F1Racing_mag) March 19, 2016
Is it too late now to say sorry? @F1
— Benjamin (@Tiametmarduk) March 19, 2016
.@LewisHamilton has just joined a VERY exclusive club of drivers with 50+ career pole positions #AusGP #Quali pic.twitter.com/5V0ikfZq5A
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/_markgallagher/status/711086621911818241
New quali system had me like: #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/RYngmHRlEW
— John Houston (@mr_john_houston) March 19, 2016
Not good quali for me 👎 Struggled with grip in Q2 for some reason. Tomorrow from P11 the fight is on! #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/14WymCBMyD
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) March 19, 2016
VETTEL: "We have stepped forward. We expected them to be strong in qualifying but tomorrow will be closer" #AusGP pic.twitter.com/tX5z1GbSm6
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2016
ROSBERG: "The last lap was good – just Lewis did a better job…still opportunities tomorrow" #AusGP #Quali pic.twitter.com/QTRpO81EXb
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2016
HAMILTON: "I really enjoyed driving the car today. There were some sexy laps in there and everything flowed" #AusGP pic.twitter.com/y2QfcvPtCF
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/SirThundertwat/status/711105439690334208
Agreed, lots of positives, Mclaren and TR the stars for me, excluding Lewis who was mighty #F1 #AusGP https://t.co/81h3I9NJoD
— Matt White 🏁🏍 🏎 🏁 (@MattWhiteRacing) March 19, 2016
The big dogs, however, are visibly enthralled by the new #Quali format… 😉 #F1 #AusGP #F1isBACK pic.twitter.com/uJPdeFhaGU 👍❤❤❤
— ALHANADE BINT FAISAL (@hanade_al) March 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/AAckerman13/status/711084475518562304
Brilliant effort from all the @HaasF1Team ! Shame we couldn't finish our laps as they would have put us much higher on the grid 🙁 #AusGP
— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) March 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/MooEvilBoffin/status/711085500443054081
Q3 was already over when there was still 4 minutes to go… WHAT?! 😐😮 #F1 #AusGP
— Nita (@nniittaaa) March 19, 2016
#F1 qualifying 'definitely' needs to change – @LewisHamiltonhttps://t.co/9IwzswDg86 pic.twitter.com/DDPW124XGK
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) March 19, 2016
2:36 left in this session and all the fans have eliminated themselves from the grandstands. #F1 #AusGP
— Pitlane Whiteboard (@PitlaneWB) March 19, 2016
Toto Wolff calls the new format "rubbish" to @SkySportsF1. This isn't going to last long…
— Motorsport Broadcasting (@f1broadcasting) March 19, 2016
No punches pulled from the likes of Niki Lauda and Christian Horner as they both say we should go back to old system for next race
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) March 19, 2016
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"People can make mistakes. This [qualifying] is a big mistake." – Niki Lauda. #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/0bAwZ8h9VR
— Mobil 1 The Grid (@Mobil1TheGrid) March 19, 2016
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Bernie Ecclestone: "It was pretty crap. But this is what we've got, until we can change it." #F1
— Daniel Biały (@f1talks) March 19, 2016
