FIA moves to close qualifying loophole

While the teams continue to ponder the implications of the new knock-out qualifying format, and try and pre-empt problems that may arise, the FIA has made it clear that it is only too willing to try and make the new system a success by agreeing to act on possible loopholes.

Sources have revealed that the most recent concern voiced by teams at a Technical Working Group meeting was of drivers deliberately going on an economy run to save fuel in the early stages of the final 20-minute session that decides the top 10 grid positions.

Teams are allowed to refuel their cars at the end of qualifying by an FIA-determined number of litres per lap they complete. Therefore, drivers can theoretically get a strategic advantage in the race if they burn off less fuel in qualifying than the FIA figure.

The go-slow tactics also opened up the possibility of dawdling drivers causing a danger on the track, as their speed could have caused problems for other drivers putting in quick laps in the early part of the session.

F1 teams are understood to have requested that some regulation be put in place to prevent these economy runs, and autosport.com understands that the FIA has now written to the teams explaining the solution.

The clarification means that, for the final 20-minute session, any driver who sets a lap that is more than 110 percent of his fastest qualifying lap will not have that lap count towards the tally of laps that they are allowed to refuel for after the session. It means that any drivers going slow will lose out on fuel, which could prove costly in the race.

A FIA spokesman told autosport.com: "The so-called 110% rule will ensure that drivers do not do very slow in or out laps in the third period of qualifying in an attempt to save fuel.

"If they are outside 110% of their own fastest lap that lap will not count towards their fuel credit."

The FIA originally introduced the fuel credit system in a bid to prevent teams from making expensive modifications to their engines to burn off maximum fuel in the early stages of the final session.

FIA president Max Mosley said earlier this week: "We will tell them, you have done eight laps, so you are allowed to put in 20 litres or whatever. Otherwise it would have been like having them going around with flamethrowers coming out of the back."