Coulthard 'deflated' by qualifying format

Scot David Coulthard says he feels "deflated" by the new qualifying format, saying the final part should be a real shoot-out to see who is quickest

Although the new knock-out qualifying format was praised by several F1 members when it made its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, calls have been made to modify the third part, which decides who starts from pole position as well as the next nine spots on the grid.

The 20-minute session, however, sees drivers setting their hot laps only in the dying moments, while during the rest of the time they lap only in order to burn off fuel.

With the top 10 drivers not allowed to refuel at will before the start of the race, the grid sometimes doesn't reflect who is quickest, but who is carrying less fuel.

Coulthard, whose teammate Christian Klien qualified for the final session but did not run in order to save tyres for the race, says qualifying should be a high-speed shoot-out, with drivers not having to worry about fuel.

"It's a bit strange watching that last session there, because it looks like some people, you know obviously Christian, didn't bother trying in qualifying because some teams are going to take a hit with the engine change," Coulthard told ITV.

"But it's not really a shoot-out for pole, is it? Because obviously tactically some people run more fuel. So I feel a bit deflated you know. If I'm not in the last ten I want to watch a real shoot-out for pole position."