Formula 1 Racing

FIA rewrites rules on how F1 grids are decided following Monza confusion · RaceFans

Race start, Monza, 2022

New rules defining how Formula 1 grids are drawn up will come into force from this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

The FIA has issued new regulations defining how the classification of F1 qualifying sessions are decided and how penalties are applied to determine the final starting grid.

It follows confusion among teams over the starting grid at last month’s Italian Grand Prix. Nine of the 20 drivers had penalties for the race, and after Saturday’s qualifying session some teams and drivers were initially unsure what their starting positions would be.

Extensive revisions have been made to the 2022 Sporting Regulations in order to clarify the situation in future. The rules now define the starting order of drivers who are not classified in qualifying sessions but are given permission to participate in the grand prix.

The rules also define how grid penalties are applied and what happens if they lead to two or more penalised drivers sharing the same grid position. In that instance, the driver with the fastest time in qualifying starts ahead.

Drivers who accrue a total penalty of more than 15 grid places – for infringements of any kind – will start at the back of the grid behind any drivers who were classified in the qualifying session. Unclassified drivers will line up behind them in an order based on the lap times they set in third practice (or, when deciding the grid for a sprint race, first practice).

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Updated F1 Sporting Regulations on setting the grid

Revised rule defining how the qualifying classification is determined:

39.3 The Qualifying Classification will be determined in the following way:
a) Classified drivers will be ordered according to the sequence below:
i) The top ten positions will be allocated to the drivers who took part in Q3, in accordance with the best time set by each driver in Q3, the fastest in the first position.
ii) The next five positions will be allocated to the drivers who got eliminated in Q2, in accordance with the best time set by each driver in Q2, the fastest in the 11th position.
iii) The next five positions will be allocated to the drivers who got eliminated in Q1, in accordance with the best time set by each driver, the fastest in the 16th position.
iv) If two (2) or more drivers set identical times during Q1, Q2 or Q3 priority will be given to the one who set it first.
v) If more than one driver fails to set a time during Q2 or Q3 they will be arranged in the following…

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