Formula 1 Qualifying Explained

The F1 qualifying system can be hard to understand and has been subject to many changes over time. If you are feeling a bit lost on this particular topic, don’t worry, keep calm and keep reading.

The qualifying system has been subject to many changes. As of today, there are 3 qualifying sessions named Q1, Q2 and Q3.

Q1: All the drivers participate in Q1. The 5 slowest pilots are eliminated during this first session and fill positions 20 to 16 based on their lap time. Q2: The best 15 in Q1 participate in Q2. Again, the 5 slowest pilots are eliminated leaving only 10 pilots for Q3. The lap times realized during Q1 are not taken into account. The eliminated pilots fill positions 15 to 11 on the grid. Q3: The best 10 in Q2 participate in Q3. Q3 determines the starting position for the remaining drivers and the pole position.

This is a basic answer. If you want an in-depth knowledge of the F1 qualifying system (if you are a huge fan like me), you should keep reading this wonderful post.

How the Qualifying System Works in Detail

Following the Free Practice Sessions on Friday, the qualifying sessions take place on Saturday. Q1 lasts 18 minutes, Q2 lasts 15 minutes and Q3 lasts 12 minutes. The full qualifying session lasts 1 hour containing the previous 3 sessions separated by short intermissions.

The drivers try to set the fastest lap in order to start the race on Sunday with the best possible conditions. Obviously, the higher the position on the grid, the higher the chances to win the race. As said above, 20 drivers start in Q1, the 5 slowest drivers filling positions 20 to 16. Then 15 drivers start in Q2, the 5 slowest drivers filling positions 15 to 11 and finally, the top 10 participates in Q3 which set the starting position for the race.

Qualifying is the most impressive part of an F1 weekend: it is where drivers push their cars to the limit. F1 cars are never faster than during qualifying. Usually, drivers try to set the best lap after leaving the pits, going to the finish line in order to do a rolling start and be quicker. This is called a flying lap. Strategy is also a big part of qualifying. This is especially true when there are some changes to the weather. Teams tend to launch their drivers when it is dry or less rainy in order to be quicker.

Now what are the most important rules for F1 qualifying ?

Most Important Qualifying Rules Today

The 107% Rule

This is probably the most important rule in F1 qualifying. This rule states that if the track is dry, any driver who fails to set a lap time within 107% of the fastest lap during Q1 will not be allowed to start the race without permission from the race stewards.

In the old times, a lot of cars were trying to enter F1 races. Sometimes up to 40 cars. A prequalifying session gave 4 spots to small teams that tried to enter races. After the reduction of the number of participants in the mid-90s, for som seasons there were not enough cars to organize a prequalifying session. Meaning the teams with the slowest cars could participate. To avoid this, a really slow car participating in a race, this rule has been created in 1996. It serves as a safety rule because slow cars are dangerous and as a way for the FIA to close F1 to mediocre teams.

Finishin a Started Lap

This one simply says that if a driver starts a lap before the end of the duration allowed for a qualifying session, he can finish his lap and it will be taken into account even if he finished it after the end of the allowed duration.

Fuel and Tyre Management

There are non-obvious rules to qualifying for instance: the top ten drivers must keep the tyres they used to set the fastest lap in Q3 for the start of the race. They can only change them if there is a weather change or if they have been involved in an accident. The last 10 however can manage their tyres as they please.

Regarding fuel management, all cars do qualifying with an empty tank. They then start the race with the allowed fuel quantity per race of 240 litres (60 gals). It has been that way since the FIA forbade refuelling during races.

Now let’s dive in into the history of qualifying sessions.

Evolution of the Qualifying System throughout history

Up until 1996, F1 qualifying had known little changes. Basically, qualifying until 1996 was composed of 2 sessions: one on Friday and one on Saturday. There were no fuel restrictions and teams made special one-lap tyres for qualifying. However, F1 changed the qualifying system due to a major drawback: weather changes between both sessions. When it was dry on Friday and wet on Saturday, there was no point on having the second qualifying session.

So they changed for a new format in 1996. In this infamous year, the FIA decided to limit qualifying to 12 laps on Saturday between 2 and 3 pm. Every pilot whose time was above 107% from the pole cannot participate in the race except if allowed by the race stewards. The drawback of this way of doing things was that teams were waiting for perfect track conditions before starting their qualifying sessions thus trying to go last every time.

In 2003, the FIA changed the format again this time to a one flying lap session. There was 1 session in Friday were drivers made their lap by last year’s championship order. Then the next day, there was a second session where the drivers would go according to the time they made on the first session: the fastest driver on Friday would go last on Saturday on the cleanest track whereas the slowest driver on Friday would go first on Saturday. There was also a small tweak: drivers were using their race fuels to set their laps.

Then in 2004, the FIA made small changes. Both session were held on Saturday and were close together. The running order in the first session was set by the positions of the previous race. After Michael Schumacher deliberately spun during the Silverstone Grand Prix in the first qualifying session, in order to have slower lap time and start the second session first, the FIA changed the format again to avoid similar cases.

In 2005, the FIA decided to keep 2 qualifying sessions but this time to use the average of both lap times to decide the starting grid. The first session would be on Saturday on low fuel and the second session would be on Sunday, before the race, on race fuel. After a huge backlash from fans, the FIA abandoned this format after 6 races. For the remainder of the season, each driver would set a single flying lap on race fuel on Saturday. The order was determined by the finishing order of the last race.

Then in 2006, it changed again. Yes, that is a hell lot of changes. In 2006 was introduced the 3 qualifying sessions format: Q1, Q2 and Q3. It was slightly different than what we see today. Q1 and Q2 lasted 15 minutes whereas Q3 lasted 20 minutes. As there were 22 drivers at the time, the 6 slowest drivers were eliminated during Q1 and Q2 leaving the top 10 to battle for the pole during Q3. The last 12 drivers could change their oil quantity before the start of the race whereas the top 10 couldn’t. They were to start the race with what they had by the end of Q3.

In 2007, the duration of the sessions were modified. Q1 lasted 20 minutes, Q2 15 minutes and Q3 only 10 minutes.

And then came the final format, the one we see today, which was introduced in 2010. Following the refuelling ban, drivers and teams were allowed to manage their fuel level as they pleased during qualification. Every car starts with a fuel quantity set to 240 litres (60 gal). Q1 length went to 18 minutes, Q2 to 15 minuts and Q1 to 12 minutes. This is the format we see today.

Most Notable Qualifying Sessions

Now that you know everything about qualifying, we have compiled a list of great qualifying sessions that are worth watching.

The 1997 European Grand Prix

This was probably the most notorious qualifying session ever. As said earlier, the qualifying sessions consisted of 12 laps made by each driver. Villeneuve set the best time in these laps. But surprisingly, Schumacher matched the exact same time made by Villeneuve. If that wasn’t incredible enough, Villeneuve’s teammate, Frentzen, also realized the exact same time as Villeneuve and Schumacher! According to the rules, when this happens it is the first driver to set the time that has the advantage. So Villeneuve got the pole.

The 2014 Australian Grand Prix

The Q3 was heated, to say the least. Rosberg set the best time during Q3, Hamilton quickly replied, followed by Ricciardo who set the third-best time. After going out of the track, Rosberg took a short lead on his final lap. He was then passed by Ricciardo in his final lap for what was going to be his first career pole. Finally, Hamilton beat them both just before the end of the session. Heated as I said.

The 2007 Monaco Grand Prix

It was a contest between Alonso and Hamilton. Hamilton held the lead until Q3 when Alonso slightly outpaced him. Hamilton was held back by Webber during Q3, allowing Alsonso to be quicker. This led to some controversy between the teammates at the time. It was not all, Raikkonen crashed and started the race 16th. Coulthard was penalized for impeding Kovalainen, allowing Button to participate in Q3. In short: it was full of twists.

The 1999 French Grand Prix

It was a weather prediction contest. The qualifying sessions were under heavy rain and only 3 drivers predicted that the situation would evolve to be worse. They were the only one to go out and make their laps. Others waited for the weather to improve which never happened. Barichello, Alesi and Panis took the top 3 spots on the grid while being part of mediocre teams: Stewart, Sauber and Prost. Hakkinen and Irvine were respectively 14th and 17th.

Now that we covered the best qualifying sessions, let’s dive into the most notable qualifying laps. So, what are the most notable qualifying laps ever?

Most Notable Qualifying Laps

Lewis Hamilton – 2020 Styrian Grand Prix

This is the most recent entry. Hamilton made a lap that was “from another world” according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Under heavy rain, he managed to get 1.2s ahead of Verstappen with an average speed of 196 kph (122 mph). Just crazy. His lap was impressive because you could see that he was always at the limit, on the brink of losing control, but never actually going over the edge.

Nigel Mansell – 1992 British Grand Prix

Besides Hamilton’s lap, this one is often regarded as the best lap ever made during a qualifying session. Nigel Mansell outpaced his teammate who set the second-best time during qualifying by 1.919s. He outpaced Senna who was third by 2.741s. He had a dominant car, yes, but the show of skill, the level he raced at and the margin he secured amazed. This lap was also, in a way, out of this world.

Ayrton Senna – 1988 Monaco Grand Prix

It was according to Senna, the best lap he ever made in F1. He was 1.427s ahead of Alain Prost, his teammate and closest competitor. Clearing 1.427s ahead of a 4-time World Champ is something. The lap was impressive because the speed and the precision he drove with combined with the tightness of the Monaco Grand Prix was just like watching a ballet.

As Senna himself said:

“I was kind of driving it by instinct, only I was in a different dimension. It was like I was in a tunnel. I was just going, going – more, and more, and more, and more. I was way over the limit, but still able to find even more. Then, suddenly, something just kicked me. I kind of woke up and I realised that I was in a different atmosphere than you normally are. It frightened me because I realised I was well beyond my conscious understanding.”

Truly somehting from another dimension.

Jarno Trulli – 2004 Monaco Grand Prix

Set to be beaten by Schumacher during the qualifying, Trulli took the pole (his only one) and won the race the following day. He drove with great precision and style to beat the greatest driver who has ever lived by a comfortable 0.411s.

Percentage of victory with the pole

Qualifying is the single most important factor determining the winner of a race. It is particularly important during races where overtaking is difficult such as the Monaco or Azerbaidjan Grand Prix. According to the statsf1.com, 42% of all race wins since the beginning of formula 1 in 1950 have come from the pole position. More than 80% of the wins are obtained by the top 4 drivers on the starting grid.

Let’s close the subject by looking into the best pole position holders of all time.

TOP 10 Drivers With The Most Poles

You will find below a list of the top 10 drivers with the most pole position along with their pole conversion rate. Here are the numbers:

Drivers	Number of Poles	Race entered	Conversion rate
Lewis Hamilton	90	250	35 %
Michael Schumacher	68	397	22 %
Ayrton Senna	65	161	40 %
Sebatian Vettel	57	240	24 %
Alain Prost	33	199	17 %
Jim Clark	33	73	45 %
Nigel Mansell	32	191	17 %
Nico Rosberg	30	206	15 %
Juan Manuel Fangio	29	53	55 %
Mika Hakinnen	26	165	16 %