FIA announce F1 qualifying change for 2026

Photo: © IMAGO

FIA announce qualifying change for 2026

There will be 22 drivers on the grid in 2026

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Monday 5 January 2026 21:02

The FIA have announced a change to the structure of F1 qualifying sessions for 2026.

With the new Cadillac team joining the F1 grid in 2026, there are 22 drivers set to compete for the 2026 world championship, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez making up the two extra slots.

For several years, the format for grand prix qualifying has remained the same, with five drivers being eliminated from Q1, five drivers from Q2, before a shootout between the 10 remaining drivers for pole position.

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However, the arrival of two more drivers in 2026 means that format has had to be tweaked, with the FIA Sporting Regulations confirming that, while there will still be three sessions - Q1, Q2 and Q3 - there will be six drivers being eliminated from the first two sessions.

That means that there will still be 10 drivers left in Q3, rather than opening up that session to allow more drivers the opportunity to fight for pole.

How does F1 Qualifying work?

The qualifying session is split into three finite windows, which provide a dramatic prelude to Sunday's race.

From 2026, the drivers with the six slowest times in the 18-minute Q1 session will be eliminated, before a seven-minute break between sessions will ensue.

Then, a 15-minute Q2 session will see six more drivers eliminated from qualifying, ultimately leaving the 10 drivers who will battle it out for pole position over a 12-minute Q3.

Qualifying determines the complete starting grid for Sunday's main grand prix, and normally takes almost exactly an hour to complete barring any delays.

These new 2026 rules will not affect the length of any of the sessions, just how many drivers are being eliminated due to the addition of Cadillac as a new team for 2026.

F1 Cadillac