Teams Agree on New Qualifying Format

Radical changes to the current Formula One qualifying format will be confirmed to the sport's 10 teams on Saturday following a meeting of team principals at the Nurburgring on Friday evening.

The new proposal, which will see two 20 minute sessions run in a one-hour slot with cars having to run six laps in each session, will be introduced for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July.

Team boss Eddie Jordan insisted the changes are not yet confirmed but said: "We all want to see what the actual rules are and then we can think about it, but I would say there will be something new for Silverstone.

"We discussed it yesterday and everyone agreed that something had to be done. It looks like it will be a qualifying with two 20 minute sessions and a 20 minute break in between."

Jordan said the new format will be defined in a letter, which will be handed out around the Nurburgring paddock on Saturday and they will still have to be approved by the World Motorsport Council before they can be brought in.

The current single-lap format was brought in two years ago and modified this year with the first session, which decides the running for the second, run immediately before the grid-deciding session.

It has been widely unpopular with fans, drivers and teams but the sport's governing body the FIA is reluctant to accept change unless they can be confident they will work.

Speculation has suggested each driver's time from the two 20-minute sessions will be aggregated to produce the grid while other reports claim it will be just one fastest time that decided the start order.

It is also understood that cars will be free to refuel after the final part of the qualifying session, unlike this year where they have to qualify with the fuel with which they will start the race.

The changes can be introduced with a majority agreement and while there were still arguments between the team chiefs over the details Jordan insisted they were all agreed on the fact change had to be made as soon as possible.

"It didn't need to be a unanimous acceptance," said Jordan. "But it was unanimous once we said look, we are all agreed, something needs to be more entertaining, more excitement, and that is what has happened."