Manor can benefit from qualifying format - Wehrlein

Pascal Wehrlein is looking past the qualifying controversy and instead sees an opportunity for the Manor team. Many pundits and insiders are critical of the eleventh-hour 'musical chairs' tweak to the existing, popular elimination format. "Why play with something that worked," veteran engineer Joan Villadelprat told El Confidencial, "when there are so many things that can be played with that do not work?"

Wehrlein's bosses at Mercedes, who have placed the 21-year-old at Manor for his 2016 debut, have even called the change "stupid". As for the rookie German, he told Germany's Sport1: "We know the format could mean mistakes are made and of course we could benefit from that."

Wehrlein also told German reporters in Melbourne on Thursday: "First of all I would like to finish the race on Sunday. I would be really happy if we can be close to the other teams and fight with them -- it is important that we are no longer a second behind them."

Meanwhile, Wehrlein admitted that he is in effect Mercedes' reserve driver in 2016. Asked what would happen if Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg are unable to race, he answered: "We have not discussed it, but I guess I would probably jump in." (GMM)