Teams to reconsider qualifying change for 2017

F1 personnel, teams and media mill around on the starting grid before the start of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit on November 29, 2015.
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F1 teams promise to revisit the possibility of spicing up the qualifying hour ahead of the 2017 season.

Formula 1 teams have promised to revisit the possibility of spicing up the qualifying hour ahead of the 2017 season.

The pledge has been made in return for the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone finally agreeing to scrap the hated 'musical chairs' format that took place in Australia and Bahrain.

Although tasked with considering an all-new 'aggregate' format for China and beyond, the teams actually showed rare unanimity on Thursday by writing a letter pleading for the popular and tested 2015 system to return next week.

In a statement, the FIA said that president Jean Todt and Ecclestone accepted "in the interests of the championship".

Reverting to the 2015 system must now be approved by the World Motor Sport Council before Shanghai.

The statement added: "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."

Speaking to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda confirmed: "We have offered to go back and look calmly at a new system that allows Bernie's objectives to be achieved."

Ecclestone has said repeatedly that amid Mercedes's current dominance, he wants a qualifying format that shakes up the grid.

Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne holds his trophy as he celebrates after winning the GP2 series race at the Monaco street circuit in Monte-Carlo on May 22, 2015
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