/https%3A%2F%2Ffanf1.obox.media%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F02%2F01_2220303562_3f25097dcf96.jpg)
This weekend, F1 will test a new qualifying format at Imola, providing an opportunity to revisit the various systems used throughout the history of the sport.
This weekend at Imola, the excitement isn't just about the race, but also the latest twist in a long experiment aimed at making the Formula 1 starting grid as exciting as the Grand Prix itself. The mandatory choice of tires for each driver in Q1, Q2, and Q3 may seem like a minor rule change, but it is part of a long series of formats that have been added, removed, and rebuilt in the sport's relentless quest for spectacle. In its early days, pole position was not won on the track at all. Before the world championship even existed, the starting grid was decided by drawing lots. It wasn't until the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix that a driver's fastest lap finally decided who would start in pole position, sowing the seeds of the timed qualifying we know today. From the inaugural season in 1950 until 1996, the format was simple and brutal: two sessions, one on Friday and one on Saturday, each serving as both practice and qualifying. No tire limits, no fuel restrictions, just pure speed. The record holder of that era, Ayrton Senna, racked up 65 pole positions, proof of his ability to deliver the ultimate lap when the entire weekend depended on it.
A more rigorous approach was adopted in 1996. Friday became a day of pure testing, while Saturday's one-hour qualifying session allowed each driver to complete a maximum of 12 laps. The idea was to force teams to choose the ideal moment on a track that was still in its “running-in” phase. Michael Schumacher took advantage of the new system, winning 40 pole positions between 1996 and 2002. But this format quickly proved too tactical: teams stayed in their garages, waiting for the track to reach maximum grip before sending out their cars, turning qualifying into a game of timing rather than a pure speed contest. The FIA's response in 2003 was a single-lap qualifying system. Drivers would complete a fast lap with an empty tank on Friday, which would determine the starting order for a second lap with a full tank on Saturday. The fastest driver on Friday got the coveted spot on a “clean” track for Saturday, but the stakes were real: a sudden rain shower could wipe out any advantage. Schumacher still finished top of the pole standings that year with five pole positions, but the experience showed how much the weather could change the game in an instant. A modest change in 2004 moved both timed sessions to Saturday and replaced the championship standings with the results of the previous race. This new system led to strategic sabotage: Schumacher deliberately spun at Silverstone to start at the front of the second session, hoping to escape an imminent change in weather. The gamble backfired and Kimi Räikkönen took pole position in a McLaren, while Schumacher had to settle for fourth place, although the German still won the race.
FIA officials thought they had found the solution for 2005 by introducing a two-day qualifying session: laps with little fuel on Saturday and laps with a full tank on Sunday morning. This project was abandoned after six races due to outrage from the paddock, and a hastily implemented single-lap system took over in May, again using the previous race's standings to determine who would get the final, cleanest lap.
The most enduring structure appeared in 2006: the three qualifying phases (Q1, Q2, Q3) that still define modern qualifying today. The ten fastest drivers survived the first two phases to compete for the top ten places in a final sprint. Initially, traffic and the need to run with a full tank caused chaos, prompting the FIA to allow teams to burn extra fuel in “maximum consumption” mode to protect their race start. The result was a high-pressure showdown that still determines the weekend's headlines today. Each iteration reflects a larger narrative: Formula 1's perpetual balancing act between pure speed, strategic depth, and the television audience's appetite for spectacle. The mandatory tire rule at Imola is just the latest chapter in that story, reminding fans that even the most familiar rituals can be reshaped when the sport's leaders decide a new twist is needed.
In 2008, Formula 1 banned refueling between qualifying sessions, meaning that each driver had to start Q1 with enough fuel to last until Q3. This meant that the lightest cars, those carrying the least fuel, often found themselves on pole position.
2010: the format we know today
For safety reasons, refueling was finally banned in 2010. During qualifying, drivers now ran with the minimum amount of fuel possible, but they could no longer refuel quickly on the track. Any additional fuel had to be added in the garage, which took several minutes. The three-part qualifying system—Q1, Q2, and Q3—remained the same for the next six seasons. The first part lasts 18 minutes, the second 15 minutes, and the last, Q3, 12 minutes.
The 2016 test
In 2016, the rules were changed again. Drivers now had a guaranteed five-minute slot in each of the Q1, Q2, and Q3 phases to complete a lap, after which the slowest driver was eliminated every 90 seconds. With 22 participants that year, 15 advanced to Q2, then eight to Q3, and finally two competed for pole position. This format was heavily criticized and was abandoned after just one weekend, returning to the previous system, which is still in use today.
2023, playing with tires
The FIA took advantage of the weekend at Imola to test a new qualifying format. It still consists of three sessions, but each now requires a specific type of Pirelli tire: the hardest tires in Q1, the medium tires in Q2, and the softest tires for the battle between the top 10 in Q3. This should standardize racing conditions and generate surprising results; some drivers even tried the softest tires at the start of Q1 or Q2 to compensate for their lack of speed. The experiment also aims to make better use of the third tire compound, which is often set aside because teams generally use only two compounds during the race.
