Chinese Grand Prix 2016: FIA confirm controversial qualifying system has been scrapped as 2015 format returns

Both the Australian and Bahrain Grand Prixs have seen drab qualifying sessions under the new 2016 regulations

The 2015 qualifying format will return for the Chinese Grand Prix (Getty)

Formula One qualifying will revert to last year's format from this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix after the World Motor Sport Council ratified the proposal on Monday.

The move follows a letter sent by F1's 11 teams to FIA president Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's chief executive, expressing their opposition to this season's new elimination format and a proposed system based on aggregate times.

A statement from the FIA read: "The World Motor Sport Council today approved, via e-vote, the decision to revert to last season's qualification format for the remainder of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship.

"The format, where the slowest six cars are eliminated at the end of the first two qualifying sessions before a final 10-car shootout for Pole in Q3, will return for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix."

FIA presiedent Jean Todt met with team bosses in Bahrain (Getty)

The agreement signals an embarrassing end after just two races for a system which appeared doomed from the outset.

The knockout-style format, whereby a driver is eliminated every 90 seconds, was introduced in a bid to shake up the grid. But not only has it failed to create the unpredictability that both Ecclestone and Todt craved, it has been complicated to follow and led to a decrease in on-track action.

Red-faced team bosses immediately agreed to ditch the format after it flopped on its debut in Melbourne, but the failure to agree on how it should be improved in a subsequent meeting meant it remained in place for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Another unsuccessful showing led to a 90-minute meeting between team bosses, as well as Todt and Ecclestone, in the paddock ahead of last Sunday's race, where a new proposal based on the aggregate timings of two laps in each of the three phases of qualifying was put forward for a vote.

It was ultimately rejected by the teams, who will see this as a huge victory against the pair at the head of the sport.

When the proposal to revert to the old format was put forward on Thursday, Red Bull tweeted: "When you hear about #F1 quali..." accompanied with a clip of their driver Daniil Kvyat pumping his fists.

PA