F1 fans to vote for ´Driver of the Day´

BARCELONA: Formula One is to introduce a ´Driver of the Day´ award with fans voting online during the race, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Wednesday in a statement detailing changes for 2016 and 2017.

It also confirmed that a new qualifying format had been unanimously accepted by teams and other stakeholders and was set to be introduced from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 20.

The FIA said the driver award was aimed at increasing fan engagement.

The equivalent of football´s ´Man of the Match´ will be announced straight after the race during the broadcast proceedings from the podium, with the driver presented with a prize.

The governing body also said it intended to introduce some form of cockpit protection from 2017, with a ´halo´ concept around the driver´s head the preferred choice.

Formula One teams met in Geneva on Tuesday, while their new cars were on track in testing in Barcelona, to agree changes to make the sport more exciting.

With television coverage switching from free-to-air to pay channels in some countries, including Spain, there has been some concern within the sport about dwindling audience figures.