Drivers seeking qualifying change

A high level source has revealed that the Grand Prix Drivers' Association have been invited to attend a team manager's meeting prior to the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona to discuss ways to change the final session of the new knockout qualifying format.

Team bosses and drivers are unhappy about the early part of that session, where the cars are forced to run around slowly in a bid to burn off fuel. There are concerns that the burn-off of fuel does not present an environmentally sound image for the sport and is not what F1 should be about.

It is believed that the drivers favour a complete overhaul of the final session, turning it into another low-fuel session in the shoot-out for pole position.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, told Gazzetta dello Sport: "We want to run on empty tanks also in the last part, where the top ten go for pole."

The low-fuel concept is also understood to be favoured by a number of teams, who have suggested that they lodge their intended fuel loads for the race prior to the final qualifying shoot-out session in a bid to ensure that strategy continues to play a major part.

It is not known, however, whether all the teams are in support - and unanimous agreement would be needed for a change to take place during the course of the season.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Gazzetta dello Sport: "We can have these ten drivers get on track one at a time for a single flying lap like last year. If all the teams agree, it can be done from the next GP already."