Revealed: The new qualifying idea F1 is looking at

Ecclestone and FIA president Todt did not want to go straight back to 2015 qualifying format, and instead they have suggested a way of modifying it with the specific intention of keeping the track busier for the whole session than was the case in the past.

The idea is that every driver's time will be an aggregate of two quick laps in each of the three sessions.

There is clearly an impact on tyre usage if the team opts to do those laps with a different set of tyres each time, although the alternative route is to run a slow lap in between two fast laps on the same set.

"It was a lively but healthy discussion," Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Motorsport.com. "Obviously qualifying was discussed at length. I think the teams would be happy to go back to 2015, but the promoter and FIA were not so keen.

"A compromise has been put on the table and the teams have got until Thursday to consider it. In all honestly it's better than what we have, much closer to last year's system, but it just needs further analysis.

"It's really to go back more towards 2015 qualifying format, but instead of one times lap per session, it's the aggregate of two timed laps.

"But of course that has complexities with tyres, but it just needs to be fully considered. The tyres are the key thing that needs to be fully understood."

Horner confirmed that the option of going straight back to 2015 was not on offer: "I think the teams have been unanimous for a while that the easiest thing is to go back to 2015.

"That's not possible, so we have to try to find a compromise. Let's consider it properly rather than rushing into a decision today."