Formula 1 for 2026 has received several modifications to the qualifying format due to the arrival of Cadillac. The grid will increase from 20 to 22 cars on track, requiring a slight adjustment. According to information gathered by the Argentine News Agency, the three-round structure of the 'qualy' will remain, and the Q3 phase, where the top 10 times on the circuit determine the final starting positions, will not change, although the two previous instances will be modified. Until the last season, in both Q1 and Q2, the last five classified drivers were eliminated. However, with the incorporation of Cadillac for the next campaign, it will be six drivers who are eliminated in each round. In this way, Franco Colapinto, the Argentine driver for the Alpine team and Pierre Gasly's teammate, will have to get used to a slight modification in this aspect of the 'Maxima'. What is the new Formula 1 qualifying format? The qualifying will begin with Q1, where the last six drivers (17th to 22nd) will be out of competition after 18 minutes of racing, seeking to set the fastest lap on the circuit. Then, 16 competitors will repeat the previous session with the goal of making it into the top 10. Here, too, six drivers will be eliminated (16th to 11th) after 15 minutes, leaving the top ten to fight for pole position in the Q3, which will feature a 12-minute battle. There, the times achieved by the drivers once the round is over will determine the final grid positions for the main race. Regarding the Sprint format qualifying, the structure is similar, although there are modifications in two aspects: the Q1, Q2, and Q3 will be shorter, and the tires will be specified for each section (mediums in SQ1 and SQ2, softs in SQ3).
