Premiere for new qualifying system

Today the BMW Sauber F1 Team completed its first kilometres at the 'Bahrain International Circuit'. Prior to tomorrow's qualifying session, we explain the new 'knock-out' format that will determine the grid positions.

This year, the qualifying sessions are held in a 'knock-out' format, which means the single-lap qualifying system of recent years, which was never extremely spectacular, is now a thing of the past. At 14:00hrs local time (12:00hrs CET) all the cars will head on to the track for 15 minutes. In this first qualifying session the six slowest drivers are eliminated after 15 minutes have elapsed. These drivers take up the last six places on the starting grid, in order of their recorded lap times.

Another 15-minutes qualifying session follows, in which the next six slowest drivers drop out. These drivers will start the race from grid positions 11 to 16. The final 'top qualifying' session for the remaining 10 fastest drivers is 20 minutes long and determines the first ten places on the Formula One starting grid including pole position.

Cars are permitted to be refueled at all times during the first two qualifying sessions. However, the 10 fastest drivers entering the final qualifying session must carry the same amount of fuel before this session as before the race. In other words, drivers can refuel the appropriate amount after qualifying. However, this only applies to laps that are not more than 10% slower than the driver's personal best time.

http://www.f1technical.net/news/1914