FIA clarifies Qualifying rules, 107% rule officially scrapped

[Sodemo]

Taken from Autosport.com

The sport's governing body, the FIA, has clarified the new regulations for the one-lap qualifying sessions that will be featured in Formula 1 for the first time this year, and 107 per cent qualifying rule has been scrapped.

Under the new regulations, a driver will have 30 seconds once shown the green light to start his out-lap. Any driver that fails to leave the pits in this time, or stops on his out-lap will not be permitted to take any further part in the qualifying session, and will have to start from the back of the grid.

The FIA has also stated that any driver who deliberately stops on the circuit or attempts to impede another driver will have his qualifying time cancelled by the stewards.

However, the regulations make no mention of the 107 per cent qualifying rule, which stated that any driver who failed to set a qualifying time within 107 per cent of the pole position time would not be permitted to start the race. This means that drivers who make mistakes on their one qualifying lap will not face the prospect of being prevented from starting the race.

The new qualifying regulations:

Cars may line-up in the fast lane of the pits no more than five minutes before they are due to start their qualifying run.

Each driver will be given 30 seconds to join the track, signalled by the pit exit light turning green.

The 6th, 11th and 16th cars to qualifying will be shown the green light once the previous car has returned to the pits. This is to allow for television advertising breaks.

As each driver starts his flyingg lap, the pit exit light will be turned green for 30 seconds for the next car to qualify.

Any driver who fails to leave the pits within the allotted 30 seconds will not be permitted to take any further part in the qualifying session.

If a car stops on its out lap, the driver will not be able to take any further part in the qualifying session. The green light for the next car will be shown once the stopped car is in a safe place.

If a car stops on its flying lap red flags will be displayed around the circuit and the other car on track on its out-lap must enter the pits. The driver who has stopped will not be permitted to take any further part in the qualifying session.

Any car returning to the pits without completing three laps will not be permitted to join the track again, unless the car was required to return to the pits for a red flag.

If, in the opinion of the steward, a driver deliberately stops on the circuit or impeded another driver in any way, his qualifying time from the session will be cancelled.

If one or more car fail to record a time during the first session on Friday, they will start their second qualifying session laps in the reverse order of the first session.

If one or more cars fail to record a time during the second session on Saturday, they will start the race in second session order reversed.

All cars entering the pits after completing three laps will be required to stop in the weighing area for technical checks, before being moved to the central FIA parc ferme area.


Gaps in the qualifying for advert breaks? good move!

[NiceGuyEddie]

Scrapping the 107%-rule and dropping the entryfee, is creating the way for new entrants.

Lets wait and see.

[Damon]

So I was right!

[Logrence]

If one or more cars fail to record a time during the second session on Saturday, they will start the race in second session order reversed.

I don't understand that one - can someone who has clarify it?

As far as I can see, if you don't post a time you start on pole!?

[Speedworx]

Lets hope it brings in some new teams.

[LucaBadoer]

I'm glad to hear about the stoppages for TV ad-breaks!

[Bononi]

Yes, it looks that means pole position !

[BootsOntheSide]

I think they do need to reword that, as otherwise you can imagien the Minardis purposely failing to set a time, adn claiming that it means pole. I think it means that, say, if 17 cars set laps and 3 don't, and if those 3 that didn't had been (say) 7th, 11th and 17th fastest, they would line up in 18-20, with the fastest of those starting 18th

[Kicking-back]

There's already a rule which says if you don't set a time on Saturday you're at the back of the grid.

This rule today is a clarification of the order if more than one car fails to set a time.

It's an addition to the first rule, so no need for a re-write.

[Don K]

Does this mean that nobody will have a clear track during his qualifying lap?

[Kicking-back]

Everyone will have a clear track for qualifying - the guy on his out lap will be a long way behind and the guy on his in-lap will be far enough ahead not to get in the way.

The rules also prevent someone on an in lap causing problems for the driver on a flyer.

[Don K]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Everyone will have a clear track for qualifying - the guy on his out lap will be a long way behind and the guy on his in-lap will be far enough ahead not to get in the way.

Are you sure?
Suppose you're 1st in a set of 5 drivers, on a track on which a fast lap takes 1.10-1.20 minutes.
As the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th driver will start at 30s intervals, by the time you start your qualifying lap the 2nd, 3rd and (probably) 4th driver will be in their out lap. The 4th driver might very well be driving close in front of you, at a lower speed.

The 2nd driver might have the same problem with the 5th driver.

The 4th driver will during his qualifying lap probably have the 1st driver close in front on his in lap.

The 5th driver might have the same problem with the 2nd driver.

[Kicking-back]

The cars won't be released at thirty second intervals. If they did that qualifying will be over after ten minutes.

What happens is - Car A leaves pits and completes a warm up lap. When he starts his flying lap, car B is given a thirty second window to join the track to begin his warm up lap. Car B does his warm up lap while A is on his flying lap. By the time car C leaves the pits B will be on a flyer and A will be on an in-lap.

You will never have more than three cars on track at one time, and they're unlikely to ever get close to each other. If they do there is a rule to penalise drivers who try to spoil another's lap.

[Damon]

As far as I can work out, the next driver is allowed out just after the on track driver has started their flyer.

[Bononi]

Welcome Kicking-back, have fun posting here.

You seem to know very well the new regulations, would you mind to share with us this info ?

[Don K]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
The cars won't be released at thirty second intervals. If they did that qualifying will be over after ten minutes.

What happens is - Car A leaves pits and completes a warm up lap. When he starts his flying lap, car B is given a thirty second window to join the track to begin his warm up lap. Car B does his warm up lap while A is on his flying lap. By the time car C leaves the pits B will be on a flyer and A will be on an in-lap.

You will never have more than three cars on track at one time, and they're unlikely to ever get close to each other. If they do there is a rule to penalise drivers who try to spoil another's lap.

Thanks.

In that case, it's a good sytem.

[Smokey 6 litre]

there is obviously no way that the old 107% rule could work,
there may have been a chnace the MS wouldn't be on the grid,
i always thought it was a stupid rule anyway.

[Asp]

I accept that the 107% rule was introduced because of so many cars trying to get onto the grid in the early 90s.
But, when you have a car trying to qualify who is clearly of the pace, he (or, I suppose, she) should not be allowed to start - if only for safety's sake.
I hope that despite removing the 107% rule there will still be the capicity to do this somehow - as we have discussed before that there would have been the capacity to allow people to race whilst still keeping the 107% rule. I've a feeling they've done this the wrong way round.

[Asp]

We reported in the Minardi aborted run thread (I think) that the 107% hadn't been scrapped after all.
Now, according to ITV, it has - as of last Thursday.

Reckon this is the end of this?