The Monaco circuit includes several narrow stretches and hairpin bends

The qualifying system at next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix will remain unchanged despite safety fears, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has revealed.

"The decision is it will go ahead as it is," said Whitmarsh after a Formula One Teams Association (Fota) meeting.

Currently, all 24 cars take part in the first 20 minutes of qualifying before the slowest seven drop out.

Some drivers had suggested the session should be split to reduce the number of cars on the track at the same time.

"There are those who are concerned about the safety and the randomness of it," Fota chairman Whitmarsh added.

"The counter flip is that the sport needs a bit of a shake-up and if there are problems and issues in qualifying and that influences the grid then it means the teams will have to deal with that in the race and that's good for the show."

The three new teams who joined Formula 1 this season - Lotus, Hispania and Virgin - are all struggling for pace.

The speed differential between the fastest and slowest teams may be exacerbated in Monaco, which features several narrow stretches and hairpin bends.

"They [the slower drivers] are going to spend the lap looking in their mirrors trying not to impede and get a penalty," said Whitmarsh.

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"It is a very confined tight and claustrophobic circuit in which you've got to try and tame a Formula One car.

"I don't think you want cars of such great speed differential on the circuit at the same time."

Hispania's Brazilian rookie Bruno Senna said earlier in the week that he would welcome a move to split qualifying.

"It's not a bad idea to be honest if they take maybe six or eight cars from the group of the... slowest cars and then the other guys go in a different qualifying session, it will probably be a good idea for both."

"We don't want someone much faster than us coming to overtake us, and they don't want to be every lap getting someone slower."

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