F1 driver Sergio Perez said that the F1 drivers "are against the new elimination-style qualifying format that is set to debut in the sport this season," according to Jack Leslie of GRAND PRIX TIMES. F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone recently said that the new format "would be delayed to the Spanish Grand Prix due to problems implementing the software required to run it, but recent reports say part of the system could appear in Australia." Following a meeting between the FIA and team bosses on Tuesday, motorsport's governing body then "met with drivers on Wednesday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after day two of the second winter test." Perez said, "We [the drivers] are obviously not very happy with the new plans they want to implement. Let's see if they can change it. We felt that it could be very complicated for the fans to understand -- it's complicated for us already. We also felt that qualifying is really good at the moment and there is no reason to change that" (GRAND PRIX TIMES, 3/3).
ENOUGH CRITICISM: SPORTS MOLE reported FIA President Jean Todt has "urged" Ecclestone to stop criticizing Formula 1. Ecclestone has "rung in another new season with a familiar round of criticism," after last year describing the sport he runs as "crap." Todt told Auto Bild Motosport, "Can you imagine someone going to see a new movie if the director said, 'My film is shit'? If you want to sell a product, criticism must be internal, not external. We have to represent a positive image of Formula 1 again" (SPORTS MOLE, 3/3).
HALO: AUTOSPORT's Parkes & Adam reported F1's proposed halo driver head protection system "appeared on a car for the first time" on Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari during pre-season testing. Having developed the system in conjunction with Mercedes, the FIA confirmed last week it is working to "make this a reality" for the '17 season. Further testing has been undertaken on an airfield in the south of England, "firing projectiles at the framework at high speed" (AUTOSPORT, 3/3).
