Vettel and Hamilton baffled by qualifying decision

The original qualifying system was set to be reintroduced following huge criticism of a new elimination-style format, which was adopted for the first time at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have spoken of their bemusement at the decision to stick with the new Formula One qualifying format at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

The original qualifying system was set to be reintroduced following huge criticism of a new elimination-style format, which was adopted for the first time at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

WATCH: Bird's-eye tour of the Bahrain International Circuit >> >https://t.co/NAkEtRX0vO>#F1>#BahrainGP>pic.twitter.com/OEyXf914iB

— Formula 1 (@F1) >March 31, 2016

But the much-maligned new system will remain in place in the desert, a decision which has not impressed a baffled Vettel.

"I am as disappointed as anyone that I know that we didn't go back," said the Ferrari driver.

"Put it this way - if you sell vanilla ice cream, but everybody who comes to your shop is asking for chocolate ice cream and the next day you open - you expect to sell chocolate ice cream but instead you just sell vanilla ice cream again.

"Usually you do what your clients would like you to do but you are not really doing the job if you do the exact opposite. It's something that we can't be proud of.

"If everybody is against something and you still decide for it, and qualifying is just one example that something is not right."

World champion Hamilton echoed the sentiments of the German on Thursday, taking the opportunity to have another pop at F1 powerbrokers.

He said: "I wasn't really surprised at all just because of the way Formula One is. There is never like a clear-cut decision. It is back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

"One minute it is one way, one minute it is another way, the next minute it is another way. So when it went back to normal - you know sometimes when you get lost and you go back to where you started with.

"But it is interesting considering the fans were so upset about it and unhappy with how it went that we have stuck with it. I heard there were a couple of teams that didn't want to change it, so then it couldn't be changed.

"That is a fundamental flaw because all the teams have to agree - one team decides not to agree which is beneficial for the team - so there is something not right in that."