Chinese Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg insists drivers have affection for sports, slams Ecclestone

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg believes that the Formula One drivers played a major role in the scrapping of much-criticised 'musical chairs' qualifying system and reverting it back to the old 2015 format.

The new 90-second qualifying format, used in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and then in the Bahrain Grand Prix, saw the drivers get eliminated one by one rather than being dismissed at the end of each session, thereby making the track empty of action at the closing stages.

The 30-year-old German driver pointed out that the drivers hold a small share for axing the new format as they expressed their stance in a unified and strong manner,Sport24 reported.

Lashing out at F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone's description of the drivers as 'windbags', Rosberg insisted the drivers have affection for the sport and that even they wanted to see it at the highest level.

The 2015 qualifying format will take effect from this week's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 7 and will be followed throughout the season.