How new-look qualifying works

The key differences are the elimination of qualifying on Fridays, and the introduction of a one-engine-per-weekend rule. If a team determines that an engine needs to be changed prior to qualifying, the relevant driver will be moved back 10 places on the starting grid.

If an engine is changed between qualifying and the race, the driver will forfeit his qualified place and be moved to the back of the grid. However, if a car is damaged, the engine may be switched to an alternate chassis without penalty.

In qualifying, each driver will get two flying laps, one in each part of the session, preceded by an out-lap and followed by an in-lap. In both parts of the qualifying session, the drivers will run one at a time in a pre-determined order. For part one, the drivers will run in the finishing order of the previous race, and in the second part they run in reverse order of the times set in the first portion.

In each part, the qualifying runs are split into four groups of five drivers, with a short break between each group. There will be a two-minute break between the first and second parts of the session - bad news for anyone who goes last in the first group and is slowest.

Each driver can be assigned to only two cars for use in the qualifying session, both of which must be set up with identical fuel loads. Once qualifying is completed, the cars cannot be refuelled, so the drivers must make their qualifying runs with enough fuel onboard to get the car to their first pit stops on Sunday.

If a driver stops on the track during the first part of the session, he may not use that car in the second part.

The grid for the race will be determined by the times set in the second part of the session. In the event of identical times, the driver setting the faster time in the first part of the session will be given priority. Any driver who fails to set a time in part two will start from the back of the grid.

So now you know.