F1 bosses scrap qualifying format change
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-06-29 10:53

There would be no change in the qualifying format for next month's British Grand Prix, Formula One(F1) commercial rights supremo Bernie Ecclestone said Monday after F1's governing body and team bosses scrapped the plans.

Ecclestone, who has criticized the current one-lap format as not exciting enough, said after a meeting of the Formula One Commission in London that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) had vetoed an idea to replace it with two free-for-all sessions.

After suggestions from Ecclestone, teams had come up with a revised system which would see two 25-minute sessions in which drivers would have to complete a total of 12 laps.

But the FIA, concerned that a new format would cut the television exposure for smaller teams, rejected the proposals during a meeting at Heathrow Monday.

Next month's British Grand Prix at Silverstone was to have been the first track to feature the new system which was designed to give viewers and spectators a more interesting Saturday qualifying.

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