Totally agree about why the UK has and continues to produce so many top drivers and why countries such as France, who only use Qualfying, have virtually no talent coming through.
We started (and finished) our racing in France and for two years only used the timed qualfying system. My lad was among what was considered to be one of the best young drivers in France. Yet on our first visit to a UK club race, he reckoned he learn't more in a weekend than a whole season of national racing in France. I also worked out that during one Cadet heat there were more overtakes than in an entire meeting, every class included, in France.
As for the safety aspect, the menatality of a qualifying driver is such that they do not expect to be passed and will do almost anything to defend their position, up to and including causing an accident, accidentally or even on purpose. But a random grid driver is used to letting faster drivers come through and or making progress through traffic themselves and so in many ways the risk of accidents is less. There are many qualfying only drivers that we have raced who are almost impossible to pass without making contact simply because of this mentality.
Finally, in my opinion, qualifying, encourages cheating, it takes RELATIVELY little in terms of race craft and driver skill to get to the point where a driver can put in fast laps on their own. Give them a little a bit of an EXTRA advantage and they can clear off the front all weekend. To win a random grid meeting takes much more race craft and driver skill and yes a little luck, but because of this cheating (in whatever form) does not have anywhere near the same potential reward.
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