Ecclestone: Qualifying Format Helps Schumacher

Formula One's new qualifying format is playing into Michael Schumacher's hands, according to Bernie Ecclestone.

The sport's commercial supremo made clear on Thursday that he was still far from happy with Saturday afternoon qualifying despite minor modifications for Sunday's inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix.

"I'm not happy with qualifying at all," Ecclestone said. "The problem is that we are operating under a democracy, so we have to get everybody to agree and it's not possible. The people who stopped things going through in the way that we proposed were Ferrari because at the moment it's the best possible decision for Ferrari.

"I said when they were at the regulations that this is a Michael regulation. And I don't blame them not agreeing to change it."

Ferrari's six times champion Schumacher has won the first two races of the season and is a hot favourite to continue his run of success at the Sakhir circuit. Qualifying was changed at the end of last season into one marathon session on Saturday afternoon with the two parts running back-to-back.

After broadcasters panned the format as too long and too boring, teams and the sport's rulers agreed to modify things by splitting the sessions.

With a fast time in the first session, which Schumacher starts as winner of the previous race, the German can then benefit by starting near the end of the second part when conditions are likely to be at their fastest.

Ecclestone said further change to the format would be hard to introduce this season.