British GP: Formula 1 bosses abandon refuelling plans

Bernie Ecclestone is said not to be in favour of introducing a second race for all the field during a grand prix weekend

Formula 1 bosses have decided to abandon plans to reintroduce refuelling from 2017.

The idea was proposed in May but investigations revealed it would lead to a drop in on-track overtaking and too little variation in strategies.

It was dropped at a meeting of the strategy group of leading teams and officials on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is pushing to impose an engine freeze in a bid to make racing more competitive.

The 84-year-old's proposal is to impose an upper limit on the performance of engines and allow manufacturers who are not yet at that level to develop until they meet it.

The idea is to give Renault and Honda, who are lagging behind at the moment, the chance to catch up with Mercedes and Ferrari.

Mercedes are pushing against the idea.

These were just two of the issues to emerge from the strategy group meeting on Wednesday at which bosses have agreed to reduce driver aids so the role of the driver is enhanced in F1.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff wants a "less scientific approach to racing"

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "The racing drivers are the main cast of the show, so let's put more responsibility back to the racing driver.

"We want more variability and less predictability. In order to achieve that, maybe there should be less scientific approach to racing, and more the race driver responsible for his racing."

Some changes on this front are planned for as soon as the Belgian Grand Prix on 21-23 August.

"What is feasible for Spa we will do to reduce to the minimum," Wolff said. "Whatever is not feasible we will do properly for 2016."

By next year, information such as tyre pressures and temperatures and brake condition will be available to the driver on his dashboard but not fed to him by the team.

Bosses also discussed ways of changing the format of race weekends, among them the possibility of a shorter race on a Saturday in addition to the main grand prix on a Sunday.

Ecclestone is said not to be in favour of introducing a second race for all the field, but one idea that could be pursued is a race for third cars and junior drivers, with the best allowed to then take part in the grand prix on Sunday.