FIA says no qualifying change

F1's team bosses last week rejected switching to a new format of two 25-minute open sessions with grid positions decided by an aggregate time at the recent F1 Commission meeting, even though they had unanimously approved it the week before. Ecclestone hasn't given up though and continued to lobby hard at Magny-Cours for a change.

"The discussion has just begun and it will not be possible for the voting procedures to be completed in time for Silverstone," said an International Automobile Federation (FIA) spokesman.

"I'm very frustrated. What we've got is no good," Ecclestone told the BBC. "I don't care if people don't agree, but when they agree and then change their minds. That's what little girls do, not grown men."

Ecclestone was clearly disappointed at the team's u-turn. "All teams signed for the new deal but then a couple defected," he said. "I've told them that they are grown men and shouldn't have signed something if they didn't mean it.

"They've made us all look stupid so we shall have to see if they reconsider. We are looking to have it for this weekend and all the software is fired up and ready to go."