Alonso wants one-lap shoot-out for top 10

Although the first two parts of the new knockout format have proved a big hit with fans and F1 personnel, there has been mounting criticism about the final part - where drivers spend much of it just burning off fuel.

In all likelihood, the only change the FIA would make to the third session is shortening its length. However, Alonso believes that it should actually change to a single-lap shoot-out for the top 10 drivers.

His views come despite F1 bosses deciding to ditch single-lap qualifying after last season because they thought it was too boring.

"Last year we saw people in the grandstands screaming as the fast sectors went in," Alonso told this week's Autosport magazine. "It was really nice, I think, for the people.

"Not maybe for all the cars, but for the last 10 cars, you could see all the sectors and for the people it was fantastic. Maybe we are missing this.

"For the last 10 cars really it was a better procedure with one car only, with splits."

Speaking about the fuel burn-off procedure, Alonso said: "I don't like it too much. The laps we do without fuel are not nice and they make the qualifying boring. The people in the grandstand cannot enjoy it because they are for nothing."

Team bosses are set to meet soon to discuss whether the qualifying format needs tweaking for the remainder of the season.