The 107% rule
The 107% rule sets a minimum pace for qualifying. A driver who is knocked out in Q1 has to set a best lap within 107% of the fastest time in Q1. If they don't, they aren't classified in qualifying and have no automatic right to start the race. It's then up to the stewards to decide whether they can race.
The same rule applies in sprint qualifying, measured against the fastest time in SQ1.
Working out the cut-off
Take the fastest lap in Q1 and multiply it by 1.07. Anything slower than that is outside the limit.
| Fastest Q1 lap | 107% cut-off | Gap allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 1:10.000 | 1:14.900 | 4.9 seconds |
| 1:20.000 | 1:25.600 | 5.6 seconds |
| 1:30.000 | 1:36.300 | 6.3 seconds |
That's a big margin. In a normal session, even the slowest car on the grid is usually within 2 or 3 seconds of the fastest. A driver only falls outside 107% if something has gone wrong.
When it comes into play
Today the rule almost never catches a car for simply being too slow. It's more likely to affect a driver who:
- crashed early in Q1 before setting a proper lap
- had a technical problem and limped round on a slow lap
- had every lap deleted for track limits
- didn't get out on track at all
Not setting any time in Q1, or having all your times deleted, counts the same as missing the 107% cut-off. The driver is unclassified.
The rule doesn't apply if the race director has declared the track wet. In changing conditions the gaps between cars can grow quickly, and it wouldn't be fair to exclude someone because they were caught out by a shower.
What the stewards look at
In practice, drivers who fall outside 107% are nearly always allowed to start, as long as they've shown they have the pace. The regulations let the stewards take into account things like:
- a reasonable lap time set in one of the practice sessions
- how the driver has performed at earlier races in the season
So a front-running driver who crashed in Q1 will almost always get permission. A slow car that has never been near the pace might not.
If several unclassified drivers are allowed to race, they start behind everyone who did qualify. Their order among themselves is set by their positions in the most recent practice session that all of them took part in.
Why the rule exists
The idea is to keep cars that are dangerously slow off the grid. A car several seconds off the pace becomes a moving obstacle, being lapped again and again and getting in the way of the leaders.
The rule first came in for 1996, was dropped from 2003 when the qualifying format changed, and returned in 2011. It had a real effect that year: both HRT cars failed to make the cut at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix and weren't allowed to start. Since then the field has become much closer, and it's rare for any team to be that far off the pace.