Formula 1 drivers have been told that it is only their teams who can approve a change to the qualifying format for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Fears about traffic problems at next week's street race prompted drivers to speak again with FIA race director Charlie Whiting in Spain about whether anything could be done to help the situation. One idea that has been pushed for by a number of drivers is for a split session, in which the quickest cars are running separately from the slow drivers.
Although the matter was talked about in Friday night's drivers' briefing in Barcelona, sources suggest that the situation has now been left to the teams to sort out. Whiting is believed to have told the drivers that he would not be totally opposed to making a one-off change for Monaco, but he made it clear to them that it was only the teams – and not the drivers – who could make such a change to the regulations.
If the teams can agree unanimously on a rule change, then the regulations could be altered for Monaco, but getting such agreement will not be easy. If the teams do not agree, then the current format will remain in place, with all 24 cars running in Q1 and the slowest seven getting knocked out.