FIA and FOM capitulate as F1 reverts to 2015 qualifying format

Formula 1 is set to revert back to last year's qualifying format after team bosses knocked back the sport's latest proposal on Thursday.

The teams, in a united letter to FIA president Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's chief executive, expressed their desire to return to the 2015 system as well as turning down Formula One's latest proposal based on aggregate times.

The following statement was released by the FIA and FOM:

"At the unanimous request of the teams in a letter received today, Jean Todt, President of the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone, commercial rights holder representative, accepted, in the interests of the Championship, to submit a proposal to the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council to revert to the qualifying format in force in 2015."

"This proposal, if approved by the F1 governing bodies, will take effect as from the Chinese Grand Prix and will apply for the rest of the season."

"Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone welcomed the idea put forward by the teams to have a global assessment of the format of the weekend for 2017."

Both Todt and Ecclestone had opposed such a change, but the unanimity among the sport's 11 teams has forced them into a re-think ahead of next week's Chinese Grand Prix.

A cryptic message on Ferrari's Twitter account read: "Unity is the only way to overcome difficulties."

The sport requires unanimity between the teams, Todt and Ecclestone for any rule change, so a return to the 2015 format would suggest Todt and Ecclestone have relented in the face of strong opposition.

Following a 90-minute meeting between team bosses, as well as Todt and Ecclestone, in the paddock ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a new format, based on the aggregate timings of two laps in each of the three phases of qualifying, was put forward for a vote on Thursday, where it was rejected by teams.

Reflecting on the aggregate proposal, Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion said in Bahrain: "It's time to go to the circus. It's a good idea if you want random things to happen but Formula One should be about racing. It's a sh*t idea."

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo added: "Qualifying is one lap, that one perfect lap. To have an aggregate it starts to sound more like endurance racing, or something. I wouldn't be too keen on that, no."

And speaking after the race on Sunday, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "All the teams had the same opinion, to go back to the 2015 format, but there are various agendas and this morning's meeting proved that it is not an easy one.''

Asked why the sport cannot reach a unanimous verdict on the correct path forward for qualifying, Wolff replied: ''Simple explanation? Madness."