Saturday afternoon at a Grand Prix is decided by an hour of racing against the clock rather than against other cars, and for many fans it is the purest part of the weekend. Formula 1 qualifying sets the grid for Sunday’s race through a three-stage knockout, and once you understand its rhythm — the tactics, the tyre choices, the traffic — it becomes as compelling as the race itself. Here is how it works.

The knockout format: Q1, Q2 and Q3

Qualifying is divided into three sessions, and each one eliminates a group of drivers until only the fastest remain.

  • Q1 (18 minutes): all 22 cars take part. At the end of the session the six slowest drivers are eliminated and fill grid positions 17 to 22.
  • Q2 (15 minutes): the remaining 16 drivers go again. Another six are eliminated and take positions 11 to 16.
  • Q3 (12 minutes): the final ten drivers fight for pole position and the top ten grid slots.

Times do not carry over between sessions. A driver who topped Q1 starts Q2 with a blank sheet, which is why you will sometimes see a front-runner do a single cautious lap early in Q1 purely to bank a safe time, then save tyres and effort for later.

Why the last two minutes matter most

Track conditions almost always improve as a session goes on: rubber is laid down, fuel loads are minimal and the ambient temperature often drops slightly. As a result, the fastest laps are set in the final moments, and every team wants its drivers to cross the line for their last flying lap as late as possible. A lap that has started before the chequered flag falls is allowed to be completed, which is why the dash to begin a final run before the clock hits zero can become a scramble — and why traffic in the final sector so often decides who progresses.

Tyre rules in qualifying

Drivers may use any of the three dry compounds nominated for the weekend in each session. In practice the softest compound is used almost exclusively because it produces the fastest single lap, though at some circuits a medium tyre can be quicker over a lap if the soft overheats. The car that qualifies is then locked into parc fermé conditions, meaning only limited changes can be made before the race — a rule we cover in detail in our parc fermé explainer.

What is the 107% rule?

To be allowed to start the race, every driver must set a lap in Q1 within 107% of the fastest time in that session. On a circuit with a 90-second pole lap, that means a lap no slower than roughly 96.3 seconds. The rule exists to keep dangerously slow cars off the grid. Stewards can waive it if a driver proved competitive in practice but was hampered by, say, a mechanical problem or a red flag.

Track limits, impeding and other ways to lose a lap

Qualifying laps are policed strictly. A lap is deleted if the driver runs all four wheels beyond the white line at a monitored corner. Drivers on a slow out-lap or cool-down lap who block a rival on a flying lap can be penalised for impeding, usually with a three-place grid drop — a rule that decided the Monza grid this season when Oscar Piastri was penalised for holding up Liam Lawson. Yellow flags require a driver to lift, which means an unlucky flag in the final minutes can ruin a session through no fault of the driver.

What happens if qualifying is rained off?

If qualifying cannot be held, the grid is normally set by the fastest times from the final practice session, subject to the stewards’ discretion. Wet qualifying that does go ahead becomes a lottery of timing: teams try to get their drivers out when the track is at its driest, and drivers who commit to a lap while others wait can gain an enormous advantage.

Sprint weekends: a second qualifying

On sprint weekends the traditional qualifying still sets the Sunday grid, but there is also a shorter sprint qualifying — SQ1, SQ2 and SQ3 — that sets the grid for the Saturday sprint race. It uses the same knockout logic with shorter sessions and mandatory tyre compounds. Our sprint weekend guide walks through the whole format.

How qualifying shapes the race

Pole position matters more at some circuits than others. On tight street tracks such as Monaco, qualifying is effectively the race; on power circuits like Monza, a slipstream tow in qualifying and a good race start can matter more than raw pace. Grid penalties for engine changes or driving offences are applied after the session, so the published starting grid can look quite different from the qualifying classification — Sunday morning’s penalty adjustments are always worth checking.

Frequently asked questions

How long does F1 qualifying last?

One hour in total: Q1 lasts 18 minutes, Q2 lasts 15 minutes and Q3 lasts 12 minutes, with short breaks between them.

How many drivers are eliminated in Q1 and Q2?

With 22 cars on the 2026 grid, the slowest six are eliminated after Q1 and another six after Q2, leaving ten to fight for pole in Q3.

Does the pole-sitter get any championship points?

No. Pole position earns grid position only. Points are awarded for the race and, on sprint weekends, for the sprint.

What is the 107% rule?

A driver must set a Q1 lap within 107% of the fastest Q1 time to be allowed to start. Stewards can grant exceptions, for example if a driver was quick in practice.