APRIL 4, 2016

Ferrari will not use veto over qualifying

Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari will not wield its famous veto to prevent F1 from solving the current impasse over qualifying.

Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari will not wield its famous veto to prevent F1 from solving the current impasse over qualifying.

With the sport needing to find an agreeable format by Thursday, some have wondered whether F1 could be stuck with the hated 'musical chairs' if Ferrari uses an unique veto it has over decisions in formula one.

"The veto is a very powerful tool and we are not going to use it in this situation," Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said. "The teams need to demonstrate unity."

However, as F1 is in the predicament of needing to make a fundamental rule change within the season, in truth every single team in pitlane has the power of veto because complete unanimity is required.

That is why a meeting on Sunday failed to produce an outcome except to set the date of the next meeting -- Thursday.

Until then, bosses are chewing over the FIA's proposal, where a drivers' best two laps in each of the Q1, Q2 and Q3 segments are aggregated for China and beyond.

"I don't know whether we will see it in China," said Arrivabene, "but we will do a detailed analysis, if possible make some adjustments and I am sure we will be able to make a decision that suits everyone."

What many team bosses really want, however, is to revert to the 2015 format. But FIA president Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone have ruled that out, and Red Bull's Christian Horner has reportedly said he will consistently veto simply tweaking the existing system.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV when asked if he thinks an outcome will be known by China.

"We do need to change. We cannot stay where we are now. That cannot be accepted," he insisted.

(GMM)