F1 to implement Saturday qualifying races

Ecclestone fishing for ways to stop the runaway Mercedes borefest

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that a Saturday qualification race is being considered as part of a potential Grand Prix weekend shake-up for the 2017 season.

Ecclestone and FIA President Jean Todt gave in to pressure from teams to revert to 2015 qualifying from China, with the elimination system drawing criticism in Australia and Bahrain.

Thursday's confirmation added that weekend format changes are to be evaluated.

"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," read a statement issued by the FIA.

Ecclestone has now stated that a race could replace Saturday's qualifying session.

"We've been looking; basically more the qualifying than anything," Ecclestone told Sky Sports.

"Maybe having a race on the Saturday which would count instead of qualifying, for example.

"We're looking at all these things, which would be [on the agenda] for next year obviously. We've made a big enough muck up to do that for this year, so must not do that again."