F1 Bosses Unanimously Agree To Scrap Failed Qualifying Format

F1’s new elimination-style qualifying format bombed pretty damn hard on Saturday, with a boring, uneventful and weird session deciding the grid. There was a lack of on-track action, especially in Q3, and it unsurprisingly sparked intense criticism from fans, drivers and teams.

Some F1 bosses immediately said it should be scrapped, even though they were the ones who voted the new rule through. Now, after a meeting ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, we now have confirmation it has been binned.

The series will go back to the old, three-part system from the Bahrain Grand Prix – the next race on the calendar – onwards, where six drivers will drop out at the end of the first and second sessions before the top 10 shoot-out.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Autosport:

“There was a meeting, with a unanimous decision taken to go back to the old format from Bahrain onwards. It needs to be ratified by the F1 Commission, but I would like to see who puts his hand up for yesterday’s qualifying. It should be done in the next few days.

“There were positive discussions. There were some teams who thought Q1 and Q2 would shake up things and would be interesting, but fundamentally common sense prevailed. We are now back to something we understand, where we have regulations and not reinvent something new.

“We would look really silly if there was a new compromise for next week, and then again we didn’t like it.”

He said the qualifying format will “maybe” be looked at again for next season. But for now, the elimination-style system is gone and good riddance.