F1 rule question - please help.

[The Milfman]

Hi all, was just wondering whether there was still a % that the slowest drivers had to be within of the fastest qualifying time to be allowed to start the race?

I realise it's not been relevant in recent years but with so many new teams I'm curious to see that even if they make the event, will they be quick enough to race?!

I have looked at the FIA site but I have no idea where to start and being at work don't have time to burn searching for myself.

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[zac510]

No that was abandoned quite a while ago.

[ajprice]

Any announcement on how qualifying will handle 26 cars instead of 20? I'd think they would alter the format to something like 8 out in the first 2 sessions and top 10 in the last, ie. 26 to 18 to 10.

[The Milfman]

zac510 said:

No that was abandoned quite a while ago.

Thanks.

[The Milfman]

ajprice said:

Any announcement on how qualifying will handle 26 cars instead of 20? I'd think they would alter the format to something like 8 out in the first 2 sessions and top 10 in the last, ie. 26 to 18 to 10.

33.1 (Page 18 of the sporting regs for 2010)

The qualifying practice session will take place on the day before the race from 14.00 to 15.00.

The session will be run as follows :

a) From 14.00 to 14.20 (Q1) all cars will be permitted on the track and at the end of this period the slowest eight cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.
Lap times achieved by the eighteen remaining cars will then be deleted.

b) From 14.27 to 14.42 (Q2) the eighteen remaining cars will be permitted on the track and at the end of this period the slowest eight cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.
Lap times achieved by the ten remaining cars will then be deleted.

c) From 14.50 to 15.00 (Q3) the ten remaining cars will be permitted on the track.

The above procedure is based upon a Championship entry of 26 cars. If 24 cars are entered seven will be excluded after Q1 and Q2 and if 22 cars are entered only six cars will be excluded after Q1 and Q2.


Source

Edited by The Milfman on Wednesday 20th January 13:42

[zac510]

The Milfman said:

zac510 said:

No that was abandoned quite a while ago.

Thanks.

If I recall correctly, during the last few years of the rule in place all of the cars were safely within it. Only sometimes if somebody binned it or there was a dry/wet session someone would fall foul, but then there'd be an appeal and exception made for that driver! The standard of the field was pretty high for those years (and still is).

[The Milfman]

zac510 said:

The standard of the field was pretty high for those years (and still is).

Agreed, the reason for asking is that I think the new teams will be very slow so wondered if we were going to see the old days of cars getting lapped by lap 15 or something daft and a several lap spread by the end of the race?! See my new thread.

Edited by The Milfman on Wednesday 20th January 13:55

[NewMetalSystem]

Alex Yoong was the last driver who failed to qualify for a race, back in the 2002 season.