F1 qualifying live: Q1, Q2, Q3 and the cut-off line

Step by step

1. Three rounds

   Q1 lasts 18 minutes, Q2 15 and Q3 12. Those eliminated in Q1 take grid positions 17 to 22 and those in Q2 take 11 to 16. The best ten fight for pole in Q3.

2. The cut-off

   On the live table, the cut-off line marks the time to beat to go through. It moves every time someone improves, so seeing a driver outside the zone does not mean they are safe until the clock runs out.

3. Our own estimate

   When F1 has not sent the official cut-off yet, Formuradar estimates it from the times it sees and draws it with a dashed border. As soon as the official figure arrives, it replaces it.

4. Sectors and the flying lap

   In qualifying the sectors matter: a driver with two purple sectors and the third still open is on course for pole. Drivers do a warm-up lap, a push lap and a cool-down lap, and the tyre (new or used) shows whether it is an all-out attempt.

5. In the end, the starting order

   Qualifying sets the race grid. When it ends, the session moves to the analysis with each driver's attempts and the lap-by-lap telemetry comparison.

Did you get it?

Glossary

Q1, Q2 and Q3

The three rounds of qualifying. In 2026, with 22 cars, Q1 eliminates the 6 slowest, Q2 another 6 and the remaining 10 fight for pole in Q3.

Pole

First place on the grid: the fastest driver in qualifying starts first.

Starting grid

The race starting order, which comes from qualifying: the fastest starts first.

Parc fermé

A regime in which, from the moment the car goes out to qualify, teams can only make minimal, supervised changes. It aims to make sure the car that qualifies is the one that races.

Sources

• In 2026 qualifying keeps Q1 at 18 minutes, Q2 at 15 and Q3 at 12; with 22 cars, six are eliminated in Q1 and six in Q2, leaving ten for Q3. Q1 sets positions 17-22 and Q2 positions 11-16. The Race · How will F1 qualifying work in 2026?
• A purple sector is the fastest time any driver has set in that part of the track during the session. Motorsport Explained · What is a purple sector in F1?
• Formuradar's live table marks the elimination zone, dims eliminated drivers and estimates the round cut-off with a dashed border until F1 confirms it. Formuradar · Tiempos de F1 en directo
• This is an unofficial panel: it uses F1's public feed, with no credentials or guarantee of continuity, and it includes no video, car map or team radio. For the official signal, watch the broadcast. Formuradar · Tiempos de F1 en directo

Sources checked on 20 October 2026. Valid for: 2026 format. The explanations are popular-level: for the exact rules, check the FIA sporting regulations.