Aim of F1 qualifying change was forgotten - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone says people forgot the main reason why F1 changed its qualifying format this season, following a u-turn ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

In February it was announced the qualifying format would change, with an elimination-style qualifying system introduced which would see drivers knocked out at regular intervals. The system proved unpopular with fans and teams alike, resulting in a political standoff as the teams wanted to revert to last year's system but the FIA and Ecclestone wanted a new proposal considered.

Eventually, Ecclestone and the FIA have conceded a return to the 2015 format is best, following a letter from the teams. However, Ecclestone says there was good reason for trying to tweak qualifying in the first place.

"People seem to forget what we are trying to do, which is muddle the grid up a little bit because what we have seen doesn't make for much excitement," Ecclestone told Autosport.

"Lewis [Hamilton] has helped us a bit this season by not making good starts and having to come through the field, and Ferrari finally seems to have got his act together, so maybe things will change.

"Unless we can get everybody on board with regard to a new format then we are not going to find an answer. It's as simple as that."

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS - Bahrain Grand Prix

Scene at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain Grand Prix - Quotes of the weekend

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Bearman gives harsh verdict on his stand-in outing

Oliver Bearman got quite the early morning wake-up call on Friday in Sao Paulo when…

4 mins ago

Red Bull still 'looking at the facts' regarding Perez's performance

While his team mate Max Verstappen thrilled the fans with a run from 17th on…

51 mins ago

Sad Colapinto laments two crashes in one day in Sao Paulo

Williams suffered a bruising time on Sunday in Sao Paulo, with Alex Albon unable to…

2 hours ago

McLaren: No regrets over timing of Norris pit stop in Sao Paulo GP

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the squad has no regrets about their…

4 hours ago

Williams' Boutsen hoists the mainsail in Adelaide

On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…

5 hours ago

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

6 hours ago