Race fans, courtesy of Bernie Ecclestone's website, are being offered the opportunity of giving their opinion on a new qualifying format that could be in place for the 2006 season.

We say, "giving their opinion", whereas the reality is that fans can choose one of two new suggestions, stick with the current format or admit to having no preference.

The first format put forward consists of two 25-minute sessions - separated by a ten-minute break - during which drivers can run as many laps as they wish, but must post a time in each session. The times are then aggregated to decide the grid. There would be no fuel restrictions and cars could be refuelled during and after the session.

The second option is a little more complicated.

Cars would take part in a 60-minute session, which, after 15 and then 30-minutes would see the slowest five cars drops out. In the final 30 minutes the remaining ten cars would battle it out for the top ten positions on the grid, but times set in the first two 15-minute sessions would not count. Drivers may run as many laps as they wish in each period and there would be no fuel restrictions, with cars allowed to refuel during and after the session.

Still with us?

Pitpass, in its infinite wisdom, declared that both formats appeared overly complicated. However, a well-placed F1 insider - who wishes to remain anonymous - who regularly reads the best independent F1 website, wrote in to say that we are not giving these formats a chance.

His e-mail was thought provoking, and we repeat it here: