F1 reverts to old quali format from China GPposted in F107 | 04 | 2016

COMMON SENSE APPEARS to have finally prevailed in the world of Formula 1: qualifying will revert back to last year's format from the Chinese Grand Prix.

The decision follows a unified campaign by all 11 F1 teams who sent a letter to FIA president Jean Todt, supremo Bernie Ecclestone, and commercial rights holders CVC Capital Partners.

The letter, sent this morning, simply demanded the current elimination system should be ditched, and F1 returned to the set-up used from 2006-15.

Thankfully, not only does the decision get rid of the farcical and underinspiring elimination system, but it also rules out the complicated aggregate time system which had been proposed for China.

That system had previously ran for six races only at the start of 2005 before being ditched.

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It appears Todt and Ecclestone have taken the view that it is in the best interessts of all the involved parties to drop the controversial elimination format and plans for aggregate qualifying..

It's clear the row over the qualifying format has become part of a heavily political battle between the teams in one corner, and the FIA and Ecclestone in the other.

While the teams — backed by the drivers and fans —  instantly accepted the first experience of the elimination format in Australia was nothing short of disastrous, Todt and Ecclestone were initially of the opinion there should be no going back to the format used from 2006-15.

But thankfully, it now appears the powerful but diminutive duo have decided for change: well, at least to revert back to the previous qualifying format, which ran successfully for nine years.

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Jim McGill