Formula One qualifying will be modified to prevent the danger of drivers suddenly slowing to save fuel after their final quick laps while others are still at full speed, the governing FIA said on Friday.

A FIA spokesman confirmed the change is likely to come to effect before next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix. As expected the FIA will set a maximum time for drivers to return to pits after completing their qualifying run.

“Our clarification to the teams and drivers will be that cars returning to the pits having completed their flying lap or laps will be required to do so within a time that we will set. This could be approximately 120 percent of the normal time as we do to prevent drivers going very slowly to the grid (on the pre-race formation lap) to save fuel.”

The calls for modification came after Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso had to navigate between several slow moving cars (including both McLarens) on their flying lap during Malaysian GP qualifying session.

The qualifying has not been modified yet … FIA only stated the intention to do it and presented the media with some hints of what to expect. We still need to wait for official decision.

F1Wolf

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Last night and today 2 sorts of news popped up. Felipe Massa and David Coulthard joined Martin Whitmarsh and others in calls for changes to Q3 format or rules. Then Bridgestone announced they will evaluate 3 different types of slick tyre compounds in April test in Barcelona. It is all about the same issue - having at the same time on track cars with big difference in speed.

We all still remember last weekend and the super slow return of some cars to pits at the end of Q3 while Heidfeld, Alonso were still on their flying lap. Place few snails into the racing line (let’s call them for example Hamilton and Kovalainen) and we have recipe for disaster.

Coulthard’s big mouth made news recently, here is nice summary if you like to read it, but he also has a valid point on this issue (last sentence, in bold):

“In my view a rule change is the easiest way to make sure this problem doesn’t keep occurring. I like the suggestion that drivers will be penalised unless their in-lap is within a certain percentage of their best time. It’s clear-cut, and there would be no grounds for a stewards’ enquiry. If you’re one-tenth slower than the time you’re supposed to do then you’ll get a penalty. People won’t do it then - simple as that. But give them the opportunity to try and save fuel and they will.“

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F1Wolf

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