Following today’s Practice session at Sepang International Circuit, it has been decided to change the format of tomorrow’s Qualifying session from the usual two-part Q1 and Q2 to the same format used in Singapore two weeks ago. There will therefore be one half-hour session, starting at 08.40 local time (02.40 CET) that will decide the grid for Race 1, with the reversed top ten forming the grid for Race 2.

The decision to change the format was as a result of the two red-flag periods during Practice, in which there were delays recovering cars stranded in gravel traps.
With such a tight timetable during Formula One weekends, any such delays during Qualifying would have a serious impact on the session.