F1 Qualifying Explained: How Q1, Q2 and Q3 Work in 2026
Formula 1 qualifying decides the starting grid, and on most circuits the grid decides the race. It runs as a three-part knockout on Saturday afternoon: everyone starts together, the slowest are eliminated in stages, and the ten quickest survivors get one last shot at pole position. The format changed for 2026 to accommodate a bigger grid.
How F1 Qualifying Works
Qualifying is split into three sessions, known as Q1, Q2 and Q3, with a short break between each. Only a driver’s single fastest lap counts. Track position matters far less than a clean lap, so teams spend the sessions managing traffic, tyre temperature and fuel load rather than racing each other.
| Session | Length | Cars | Eliminated | Decides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 18 minutes | 22 | 6 | Grid positions 17-22 |
| Q2 | 15 minutes | 16 | 6 | Grid positions 11-16 |
| Q3 | 13 minutes | 10 | – | Pole position and the top ten |
The break between Q1 and Q2 is seven minutes; between Q2 and Q3 it is eight. Drivers eliminated in Q1 and Q2 are classified in the order of their best times, so a lap set in Q1 still determines where a driver starts even after they are knocked out.
What Changed for 2026
From 2017 to the end of 2025, five cars were eliminated in each of Q1 and Q2. With Cadillac joining the championship as an eleventh team, the grid grew to 22 cars, and the cut-off went up to six drivers per session so that Q3 still contains exactly ten cars.
The FIA also extended Q3 from twelve minutes to thirteen shortly before the season began. It is a small change with a real effect: at circuits where a car needs an out-lap, a prepare-lap and a cool-down between attempts, twelve minutes left little room for two proper runs. Thirteen makes a second flying lap comfortably possible, which usually means a closer fight for pole.
The 107 Percent Rule
To start the race, a driver must set a time in Q1 within 107 percent of the fastest Q1 lap. The rule exists to keep a car that is far off the pace from becoming a hazard once the race starts. Stewards can grant an exception if a driver has shown adequate pace at another point in the weekend, and the rule is not applied when the track is declared wet, because conditions can swing lap times far beyond seven percent.
Tyres and Parc Ferme
Cars enter parc ferme conditions the moment qualifying begins, which means the setup a team qualifies with is the setup it races with. Anything beyond a narrow list of permitted adjustments costs a pit lane start. That is why qualifying is a compromise: a car set up purely for one fast lap will often struggle over a race distance as tyre degradation takes hold.
Teams get a fixed allocation of tyre sets for the weekend, and how many they save for Saturday is a strategic call in itself. A driver who burns a set escaping Q1 has one fewer for Q3.
Sprint Qualifying
On sprint weekends there is a second, shorter qualifying session that sets the grid for the sprint race. It follows the same knockout shape with tighter timings and a mandated tyre for each stage.
| Session | Length | Eliminated | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQ1 | 12 minutes | 6 | Medium |
| SQ2 | 10 minutes | 6 | Medium |
| SQ3 | 8 minutes | – | Soft |
Sprint qualifying sets the sprint grid only. The main qualifying session later in the weekend still sets the grid for the grand prix.
Why Qualifying Decides So Much
Modern F1 cars lose downforce in the wake of the car ahead, so overtaking on merit is hard at circuits like Monaco, Zandvoort, Hungary and Singapore. Starting position therefore carries a weight it did not have in earlier eras, and a tenth of a second on Saturday can be worth several places on Sunday. It is also why grid penalties for engine and gearbox changes hurt so much: a team can build a quick car and still lose a race before it starts.
Follow how the season unfolds on our 2026 F1 calendar and 2026 F1 standings pages, or start with our Formula 1 overview.