The Formula 1 Governing body the FIA have approved changes to the F1 qualifying format on Friday 4 March. These changes will be introduced at the first round of the 2016 F1 season at Melbourne in two weeks time.
A statement by the FIA said that the changes were unanimously accepted by the F1 commission.
Qualifying will now be in a form of a knock out style with the slowest drivers being eliminated every 90 seconds instead of at the end of the session. The sessions remain unchanged from the previous format with three sessions.
Q1
- 16 minutes
- After 7 minutes, the slowest driver is eliminated
- Slowest driver will be eliminated every 1 minute 30 seconds (90 seconds) thereafter until the chequered flag.
- 7 drivers eliminated, 15 progress to Q2.
Q2
- 15 minutes
- After 6 minutes, the slowest driver is eliminated
- Slowest driver will be eliminated every 1 minute 30 seconds (90 seconds) thereafter until the chequered flag.
- 7 drivers eliminated, 8 progress to Q3
Q3
- 14 minutes
- After 5 mins, the slowest drivers is eliminated
- Slowest driver will be eliminated every 1 minute 30 seconds (90 seconds) thereafter until the chequered flag.
- 2 drivers left in the final 1 minute 30 seconds to fight for pole position.
The final wording for the new regulations will be submitted to the F1 Strategy Group and F1 Commission.
The deadline for the 2017 Sporting and Technical regulations has been extended to 20 April 2016 to allow all the stakeholders to finalize all the relevant work. “Especially with regard to Power Unit regulations focusing on the four key areas of supply cost, obligation to supply, performance convergence, and further improvement of noise,” read the statement from the FIA.
The bodywork regulations for 2017 have also been approved by the World Motorsport Council which was proposed by the F1 Commission and early indications point to cars being 4-5 seconds faster per lap on some circuits.
