Formula 1 grand prix format revamp ideas 'embryonic' at present
Formula 1 strategy group members have warned fans not to expect details or decisions on potential major changes discussed this week any time soon, calling them 'embryonic'
The FIA announced on Thursday evening at Silverstone that this week's Strategy Group meeting on Wednesday discussed potential changes to the F1 weekend format.
Teams have also been asked to submit their ideas on how to achieve the previously-stated aim of making the cars six-to-seven seconds per lap faster for 2017.
While some information has emerged on the suggested changes, including a Saturday race and the chance for third drivers to compete in a GP weekend, Strategy Group members Williams and McLaren warned on Friday it will be a while before any firm plans emerge.
Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams said: "The meeting was really constructive, and the consensus was there is an appetite to make changes to improve the show.
"We have more work to do. The ideas we are considering are embryonic and we have to do a full analysis.
"It's very easy to come up with ideas in a meeting and talk about them in public, but if you don't do the full analysis can lead to disappointment - you get them wrong and have to retract them.
"We want to tell everybody we have new ideas and we want to improve the show for our fans, but we don't want to go into detail until we've gone into a detailed analysis."
Williams added that the results of two F1 fan surveys - which were released on the day of the Strategy Group meeting - came out too late to be discussed, but McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said the weekend format changes were "based on fans' requests".
"We have not thought about the financial consequences of any changes yet but there will be some, definitely," Boullier said.
"It's part of what Claire was saying, this is embryonic and there are many consequences so we have not been through details yet.
"The fans want a major reshuffle which would cost a lot of money so we need to think about it.
"And we can't base everything on the fans' wishes - there are a lot of things which are good but some which are not good.
"But it's part of this process we are in, and we believe, collectively, a change in format may be good for F1."
McLaren driver Jenson Button said on Friday he is in favour of changes being made to F1 and the ideas that have been discussed.
"I welcome changes," he said. "I've seen most of the ideas and we need it, to be fair, sooner rather than later. I look forward to them."
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