F1 qualifying, explained

From this moment onwards, the recorded timings of each lap will hold genuine significance.

The 2024 season of Formula 1 starts officially on Friday, as drivers prepare for qualifying ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is the first race of the season. The qualifying process consists of three stages, where all 20 drivers will participate. This process will decide the starting positions for the actual race, which is scheduled for Saturday night. The qualifying begins at 7:00 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast.

If you are new to Formula One or need a quick recap, this blog will provide you with all the essential information about F1 qualifying.

Throughout the years, F1 has experimented with various ways to determine qualifying order. In its earlier years, qualifying was held across a span of two days, where drivers were given a total of two hours to complete 12 laps. The allotted time was split into two separate sessions, hence one hour on Friday followed by another session of equal duration on Saturday. Every driver had to produce their best lap time during these sessions to set the grid order.

The year 1996 saw a change in F1's structure as they switched to a new format. Qualifying now takes place on Saturdays with only one session. However, drivers are still restricted to completing only 12 laps. To speed things up, F1 introduced the "107% rule" to eliminate slower cars. If a car fails to set a lap time within 107% of the fastest lap time, they cannot participate in the race, unless a waiver is granted. You can find out more about this rule in SB Nation's "F1 Glossary."

Beginning in 2002, F1 changed the way they did qualifying. It was called "one-shot qualifying" and meant that qualifying took place over two days. On the first day, which was a Friday, the driver who was leading the Drivers' Championship went first. Each driver only had one lap, and this decided the order for the next day. On Saturday, they did one more lap and set the grid. The slowest driver from Friday started first, and they worked up to the fastest driver from Friday's session.

In 2006, the way Formula One racing worked changed. Now, there are three rounds of "knockout" racing that happens, and this is still how things work today. At first, all 20 racers compete in what's called "Q1," which lasts for 18 minutes. During this part of the race, drivers try to set a fast time by completing as many laps as they can in the time they're given. Drivers can't start a new lap once the time runs out, but if they're already in the middle of a lap, they can finish it before the race is over.

Once the 18-minute period reaches its end, the top 15 drivers with the fastest laps move forward into Q2, while the slowest five get eliminated. These eliminated drivers land up occupying the bottom five positions on the starting grid for the grand prix. Hence, the slowest driver lands up at P20, and the fastest within the eliminated drivers gets placed at P16.

After a short pause, the second quarter commences with a comparable design to the first. However, the 15 competitors who remain have just a 15-minute window in Q2. The bottom five racers are once again removed and are assigned to places P15 to P11 for the primary race.

In order to reach the final stage named Q3, the ten swiftest drivers make progress. There is a pause that takes place between Q2 and Q3. During this interval, the 10 drivers that remain get only 12 minutes. Whatever rank they reach in Q3 will mark their starting position, based on the top ten. The driver who proves to be the fastest will qualify for pole position. This is regarded as being the most beneficial starting spot as it confers the driver the first spot on the grid.

The format of the qualifying process for sprint races follows three stages similar to that of other races, but the duration of each stage is shorter. The first round, known as “SQ1”, lasts for 12 minutes instead of the regular 18 minutes. SQ2 has a duration of 10 minutes while SQ3 lasts for eight minutes.

Managing Tires: What Happens Next?

Usually, during the qualifying, teams have the freedom to choose the tires they prefer. Usually, teams tend to pick the softest tires offered by the exclusive tire supplier of the sport, which is Pirelli, for each race weekend.

Nevertheless, there are some conditions to consider. During most race weekends, teams are provided with only 13 sets of tires, which comprise eight sets of soft tires, three sets of mediums, and two sets of hards. Furthermore, teams are permitted to possess four sets of "intermediate" tires for damp environments and three sets of "full wet" tires for intense rainy surroundings.

Following every one of the three rehearsals, racers are required to give back two packs of tires to Pirelli. This implies that once the qualifying event initiates, each driver will only have seven sets of tires that they can use to run from Q1 up until the final lap of the race.

Drivers who fail to qualify in the top ten will receive a small benefit. They can keep all seven sets of tires for the race, unlike those who make it to Q3 who must give one extra set of tires to Pirelli after qualifying has finished.

Another point to consider is the "Alternative Tire Allocation" system that was implemented during the 2023 season in F1. This approach was tested last season to see if the number of tires needed for each race could be reduced. At the Hungarian and Italian Grand Prix in the previous season, teams were provided with only 11 sets of tires to start the weekend. These were divided into three sets of hard tires, four of medium tires, and only four of soft tires, which was less than the previous eight sets.

Furthermore, during the qualifying stage, the drivers were obligated to utilize particular tire types for each level. In Q1, drivers were required to use hard compound tires, and those who progressed to Q2 were permitted to transition to medium tires. The soft tires could only be fitted by the top ten drivers who went through to Q3.

During sprint qualifying races, drivers must use medium tires in both the first and second stages. If they make it to the final stage, they are allowed to switch to soft tires. In the earlier part of 2023, it was required for drivers to use unused soft tire sets for SQ3, the last stage. However, this regulation was modified partway through the season. Under the new rule, drivers could use either new or used sets of soft tires for SQ3. This alteration came about after Lando Norris failed to participate in SQ3 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2023 due to his lack of unused soft tire sets.

"What Else Should You Know?"

Are there any other regulations you should keep in mind during the qualifying round?

In basic terms, the term "track limits" pertains to the white marks located on the borders of an F1 racing track. These marks serve as the perimeter of the track, defining its boundaries and regulations for the "field of play." It is also a crucial safety measure that restricts the way drivers can maneuver and navigate the circuit.

If drivers want to follow the rules, they should always keep their wheels close to the white lines on the road. However, if all four tires go over the white lines and touch the outside of the road, they are breaking Article 33.3 of the Sporting Regulations. This part of the rules states that this behavior is not allowed.

Motorists are required to exert their best effort in sticking to the designated course all throughout and must not exit the pathway without a valid reason.

If the car is no longer in contact with the track, drivers will be deemed to have left the track. It should be noted that any white lines that outline the limits of the track are considered to be a part of the track but the kerbs are not.

If a car goes off the track, the driver can come back on, but they can only do it when it's safe and not with the intention of getting an unfair advantage. The Race Director has the authority to request the driver to give up any advantage gained by going off the track.

When drivers take part in qualifying, going beyond the track limits and crossing the white lines will result in their lap time being removed, which could potentially affect their performance. A good example of this is the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, where Sergio Pérez was competing in the Red Bull team's home race. Pérez was unable to progress to Q3 because he had gone beyond the track limits during Q2 and had three of his lap times deleted. Due to this, he was unable to post a competitive lap time, which cost him his place in Q3.