Q3 qualifying session is under scrutiny

The FIA should review the qualifying rules for the Bahrain Grand Prix to ensure that the Sepang situation does not happen again. The incidents on the circuit had sparked quite a heated controversy.

What happened in Malaysia could have easily turned into a tragedy as some high-speed single-seaters encountered other single-seaters that were returning to the pit at reduced speed. The aim for the latter being to save fuel.

This led to a dangerous situation when Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso had to deviate from their path to overtake much slower cars. In the end, Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton were penalized for blocking their competitors.

Several people have called for a change in the qualification rules. The FIA is about to announce a solution that will come into effect starting from the Bahrain Grand Prix. Teams will require their drivers to complete as many timed laps as possible during the qualifying session.

This will prevent drivers from going too slowly after they have finished their qualifying lap.

This rule is somewhat similar to the one applied during the reconnaissance lap. At the time, it was the fear of accidents between cars going slowly to save fuel and those going fast to assess their setup.

A spokesperson for the FIA confirmed that the teams will be informed of the decision to impose a maximum deadline as soon as possible.