F1 races may be held on Sundays, but the real action happens on Friday in qualifying. The knockout format is grueling and demanding of the drivers and they battle to set a time during the session that decides half of the starting grid. It’s a time of extreme stress and high-octane thrills, but it’s also an incredible test of skill, speed and bravery.
What time is the F1 qualifying?
The f1 qualifier is divided into three sessions – Q1, Q2 and Q3 – with the top 10 drivers’ lap times setting the grid order for Sunday’s race. Drivers can drive as many or as few laps as they want during the qualifying sessions, but they typically try to save up their sets of tires so that they can go as fast as possible during the final session.
In addition, drivers must adhere to track limits in qualifying. The FIA regularly deletes lap times and excludes drivers from the session for failing to respect the rules, so staying within the white lines is vitally important.
In the first qualifying session, which is called Q1, drivers have 18 minutes to set their fastest lap times. The five slowest drivers are eliminated and start between 16th and 20th on the grid, while the rest of the field progresses to Q2. In Q2, which is 15 minutes long, drivers compete for positions in the top 10 of the grid. Those who are not in the top 10 are given a grid penalty that moves them back down the order.