F1 qualifying changes weren't understood before season - Horner

The format made its debut in the F1 season-opener but it drew criticism from fans and those in the paddock, leading to calls for a change.

A return to the old format for the Bahrain Grand Prix is most likely, with teams agreeing to the switch on Sunday morning in Australia.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said the tweak needs to be ratified by the F1 Commission but "it should be done in the next few days".

Ecclestone declares qualifying 'pretty crap'

Horner said: "I don't think we handled the whole qualifying thing that well.

"I don't think we covered ourselves in glory with it.

"The important thing is to learn from it.

"Any change of course has to be fully considered and I don't think with qualifying we'd fully understood what the consequences are.

"The intention was there, for all the right reasons, it just didn't achieve what was intended."

Williams technical director Pat Symonds said while his team voted to go back to the old system, more time should have been taken before that decision was made.

"There was absolutely no need to make a decision on Sunday at all," Symonds said.

"When you're being accused of jerking your knees, surely that is the last thing you do.

"As a team, we suggested - as we had to make a suggestion - keeping the new format for the first two parts of qualifying and then reverting for the third one.

"We also tried hard to make the point that we should be open to a further change if necessary but not in haste.

"But the majority vote was to go back."

Symonds added he felt the knockout format had the desired effect in the first and second parts of qualifying.

"[Daniil] Kvyat made a mistake and Valtteri [Bottas] didn't get his correct position so yes, it had exactly the effect they were looking for," he said.

"You don't want everyone higgledy piggledy all over the place.

"With a couple of guys out of position, I don't see much wrong with that."