 The Formula One grid could be set for a shake-up |
Formula One bosses have approved plans to change the format of qualifying for next season's world championship. The sport's governing body, the FIA, tabled plans for a two-day qualifying system - with aggregate times taken from two separate sessions.
The ideas were accepted by a majority vote by F1 stakeholders on Friday.
The new system will see one qualifying run on the Saturday of a race weekend and another on Sunday with the times added together to decide grid places.
Among those on the Formula One Commission who approved the changes are the FIA, commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone, leading team principals, sponsors and representatives of the car manufacturers and tyre companies. The current qualifying format - a two-hour system of two one-lap sessions Saturdays - had been criticised for causing dwindling television viewing figures.
A typhoon at the Japanese Grand Prix this month caused qualifying to be postponed and gave the FIA the opportunity to try out a Sunday session for the first time.
That has led to the latest proposal, in which cars would run in a one-lap session on Saturday in reverse order from their finishing positions at the previous race. Saturday's qualifying run would decide the running order for Sunday's session, which would take place from 10am on race day.
In the first session, the teams would run with a low fuel level for the fastest possible lap.
The teams would then not be allowed to refuel after the end of the second session, maintaining the system introduced in 2003.
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