Villeneuve backs qualifying tweak

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve believes the new knockout qualifying format is exciting Formula One fans

But the BMW driver believes the system could be better with some tweaks.

Qualifying is divided into three parts with the final 20-minutes session involving 10 cars fighting for pole position.

However, because those 10 cars are allowed to refuel afterwards only to the level they started the session with, drivers spend much of the time burning off fuel before putting in their quickest times at the end.

Calls have been made, most notably by Renault chief Flavio Briatore, to change the final part of the format.

"I guess it can be exciting for the fans," said Villeneuve ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

"It doesn't feel like qualifying because you don't get it in your head that you are concentrating for that special lap, you just get in and do that lap and end up driving for two or three minutes and get out again.

"You never get ready for that special lap and you can't tweak the set-up of the car either, so you don't get the most out of your qualifying.

"But it is exciting. The drop-out system is good, but I am not sure about the last 20 minutes, where you have cars running around slowly to burn fuel, that the fans will have to decide if it is good or not.

"It is mentally really strange. You have to push hard enough to do a good lap but that lap will not count ultimately for final qualifying, so how much risk do you take?

"You don't know how fast to go, sometimes you will take a huge risk but it won't matter, but it is only used to get you into the next qualifying, so if you could keep your lap time it would be a bit better."