{"id":238500,"date":"2023-03-16T15:01:36","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T14:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/how-do-qualifications-work-formula-1\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T10:13:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:13:56","slug":"how-do-qualifications-work-formula-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/how-do-the-qualifications-work-1\/","title":{"rendered":"How Formula 1 qualifying works"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rules<\/b> behind F1 qualifying<\/strong> are not clear to everyone, and the various changes made to the regulations are not known to everyone. Today we will try to explain to you as simply as possible what are the mechanisms by which the starting grid of Formula 1 <\/a> races<\/strong>is established and how the Saturday Sprint Race<\/strong> and the new Sprint Shootout<\/strong> works.<\/p>\n

How Formula 1 qualifying works, quickly explained<\/h2>\n

Formula 1 qualifying is used to determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix. Qualification consists of 3 parts: Q1, Q2, Q3. All drivers participate in Q1: the 15 fastest enter Q2. The 10 fastest drivers from Q2 enter Q3. The result of Q3 determines the starting grid for the GP, with whoever set the fastest time in first position and so on. <\/strong><\/p>\n

A similar-though shorter-format has the Sprint Shootout, which is used to determine the starting grid for the sprint race.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h2>\n

Let’s start with the basics<\/h2>\n

Each team has 20 sets of tires <\/b>(one set corresponds to four tires, ed.) available for each race: 7 wet (including 3 full wets and 4 intermediates) and 13 dry. Each set features a particular type of compound that differentiates one from another in hardness<\/b>, performance<\/b>, and durability<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The challenge for teams is to be able to find the best balance between these characteristics to make the most of them and be fast in both qualifying and the race. Proper tire exploitation is the basis of any winning strategy<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Tires are further divided, as mentioned earlier, by category: wet<\/b> and dry<\/b>. In the first case, the racing teams can count on two types of compounds: full wet<\/b> (recognizable by the blue color on the tire shoulder) to be used in particularly adverse environmental conditions, or intermediates<\/b> (in green) when the asphalt is somewhere between dry and wet. For dry weather tires<\/strong> (slicks) the compounds become 5, recognized as C1<\/b> (compound) for the hardest compound up to C5<\/b> with the softest compound. To be precise, hard<\/b> (white) are used for long-distance runs; medium<\/b> (yellow) for a compromise between run length and performance; and finally soft<\/b> (red) for the maximum possible grip. Each weekend Pirelli demarcates the tires that can be used with these 3 items, but in some races the mediums are considered soft depending on track conditions.<\/p>\n

Tire behaviors on the track also vary with asphalt temperature<\/b>, a temperature that greatly impacts tire wear<\/b>.
\nIn jargon, a track is referred to as “rubberized” when the trajectories are covered by the rubbery residue from the passage of cars that have run several laps and the grip is optimal.
\nF1 cars first cleaned the trajectory, for example, by raising the inevitable dust, and then rubberized the track resulting in improved lap times.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to interpret and predict what the right strategy might be. Sometimes on TV, team strategists equate the performance of a “used” hard tire (i.e., with optimal temperature reached and grip with stable terrain) with that of medium tires. Conversely, a yellow at full speed achieves similar performance to soft. Ultimately, circumstances change depending on temperature, setting, driver feeling, and car settings…. Only engineers engaged in the specifics can decipher the immense amount of data at hand and sometimes make the right choice. <\/span><\/p>\n

After this brief but necessary digression, let us return to explaining how qualifying works in Formula 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n