New F1 qualifying format for 2020 revealed?

Rule Changes

New F1 qualifying format for 2020 revealed?

There's changes coming to the structure of Saturdays.

Paul Macdonald

Tuesday 2 April 2019 15:14

F1 Managing Director Ross Brawn has hinted that there will need to be changes to the structure of the race weekend in future in order to accommodate more races on the calendar, and qualifying has been earmarked for another fundamental change, from either next season or 2021.

The current qualifying set up is split into three, with five drivers being eliminated after Q1 and Q2, leaving the top 10 to battle it out for pole position in the final session.

Speaking to Sky Sports in Bahrain, Brawn hinted that another session could be added but that the entire process would be streamlined in order to increase the intensity of the action.

He said: "There are some things in the next year or two that we will do.

"We are working on a qualifying format which is similar to what we have now. You'll get elimination and still have the top cars fighting for the top places, but you get more action, so we have an hour of intense action."

Article continues under video

The late Charlie Whiting issued a proposal last year before his untimely death and it is believed that it is his plan that is being considered.

"We want to have two or three more races per season, and we think we can do that by not over-stressing the teams."Ross Brawn

He proposed four sessions, where four drivers would be eliminated in Q1, Q2 and Q3 and a new Q4 would contain only the top eight fastest drivers going for pole. All of the action would take place across a 60-minute period.

Whiting said last year: "They've been doing a lot of research among fans, and they feel this is one of the things that the fans would like."

GALLERY: Charlie Whiting's life and career in Formula 1Read more

Brawn also said that if the calendar is to be extended to 23 or 24 races, it's important to work closely with the teams to ensure that some of the strain of the race weekend is removed.

He added: "We are looking at how we streamline the weekend for teams but not in terms of track action.

"We want to have two or three more races per season, but we think we can do that by not over-stressing the teams by trying to refine their weekends.

"We are trying to crank it up a bit more. We need to improve the way we operate. At present crates come in at all times of the day full of new parts.

"We can stop that. We can say the car that turns up is the car they race."