Malaysian F1 qualifying unchanged
LONDON, England -- Qualifying for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix will follow the same format as the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the FIA said in a statement.
The new system involves back-to-back sessions with each driver doing one lap in the order they finished the previous race, followed by a second lap with the slowest driver going first.
The format was criticized after qualifying in Australia lasted one hour 52 minutes.
However, the FIA -- Formula One's governing body -- has proposed that the second session should be scheduled to start at 1400 local time to "facilitate television scheduling."
If the teams agree, the new start time could be in place in time for next month's third race of the season in Bahrain.
Bahrain's International Circuit, which will host the first Grand Prix in the Middle East, was official opened on Wednesday.
Former F1 star Jean Alesi drove the first lap on the 5.4 kilometre circuit in a vintage Mercedes W 196, the car in which Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio won the world championship in 1955.
