How qualifying works

Qualifying decides the starting order for the Grand Prix. It's a knockout session split into three parts, called Q1, Q2 and Q3. After each of the first two parts, the slowest cars are knocked out and their grid positions are fixed. The ten fastest go through to Q3, and whoever sets the quickest lap in Q3 starts the race from pole position, the first place on the grid.

On a normal weekend qualifying is held on Saturday afternoon, after the last practice session. On a sprint weekend it moves to later on Saturday, after the sprint race.

#The three parts

With 22 cars on the grid in 2026, six drivers drop out at each stage.

There's a 7-minute break between each part. Times are wiped at the start of each new part, so a driver who was fastest in Q1 has to do it all again in Q2. Only their best lap from the part they were knocked out in counts.

Until 2025 there were 20 cars and five were knocked out in Q1 and Q2. The rules now say six go out when 22 cars are entered, and seven if the grid ever grows to 24.

#What a qualifying lap looks like

A driver can do as many laps as they like in each part, but in practice they do a few short runs. Each run is usually three laps:

1. An out-lap to get the tyres and brakes up to temperature.
2. A flying lap (or "push lap") at full speed. This is the one that counts.
3. An in-lap back to the pits, or sometimes a cool-down lap followed by a second flying lap.

Only laps that start and finish by crossing the line on the track count, so a driver must cross the line before the chequered flag falls to start their last attempt. That's why you often see a queue of cars rushing to get across the line in the final seconds of each part.

#Why the end of each part matters most

The track usually gets faster as the session goes on. More rubber goes down on the racing line, and cars clean the dust off the surface. This is called track evolution, and it means the best times tend to come right at the end. Most drivers save their final, fastest attempt for the last couple of minutes.

The risk is that something goes wrong late on. A crash or a car stopping on track can bring out yellow flags or a red flag, and anyone whose lap is spoiled may not get another go. Teams have to balance going out late, when the track is fastest, against the chance of being caught out.

#Lap times that get deleted

A lap time can be taken away after it's set. The most common reasons are:

• Track limits. If all four wheels go beyond the white line at the edge of the track, the lap is deleted. See track limits.
• Yellow flags. Drivers have to slow down for yellow flags. If they set a time while ignoring one, the stewards can delete it or hand out a penalty.
• Causing a red flag on purpose. If the stewards believe a driver stopped or crashed deliberately to stop others improving, they can remove that driver's times.

#Tyres in qualifying

In dry qualifying, drivers can use any of the three dry tyre compounds, but almost everyone uses the softest one for their fast laps because it gives the most grip. The limit is how many sets they have. Each driver gets a fixed allocation for the whole weekend, so teams that need extra runs to get through Q1 or Q2 may have fewer fresh sets left for Q3.

There used to be a rule that drivers in the top ten had to start the race on the tyres they used to set their best Q2 time. That rule was scrapped in 2022, so everyone now has a free choice of starting tyre.

#Traffic, tows and impeding

A clear lap matters. Drivers try to leave a gap to the car ahead so they aren't slowed by its turbulent air, but on long straights some like to follow closely to get a slipstream, or "tow". This can lead to a slow crawl on out-laps as drivers jostle for space.

Getting in the way of a driver on a fast lap is called impeding. If the stewards decide a driver blocked someone unnecessarily, they usually give a grid penalty, often three places, for the race.

#Ties and drivers who don't set a time

If two drivers set exactly the same time to the thousandth of a second, the one who set it first is ahead. It does happen: at the 1997 European Grand Prix, three drivers set an identical 1:21.072.

A driver who doesn't set a time in Q1, or whose times are all deleted, isn't classified. The same goes for anyone outside the 107% rule. The stewards decide whether they can still race, and if they can, they start from the back.

#Qualifying isn't always the final grid

The qualifying result and the starting grid aren't always the same. Grid penalties for things like extra engine parts or earlier offences can push drivers back, and a driver whose team breaks parc fermé rules has to start from the pit lane. The official grid is published before the race once all of this has been applied.

If qualifying can't happen at all, usually because of heavy rain, the stewards can set the grid using the order of the Drivers' Championship.