Welcome to Race Day, race fans. And also to Quali which didn’t happen yesterday because of the torrential rain. There’s more rain forecast today, so in a highly unusual move, F1 have moved the start time of the GP forward so beware of your usual reminder widgets in case they haven’t updated. Again, unless rain moves things the new times are:
Quali 7.30am local, 10.30am GMT,
Race 12 30pm local, 3.30pm GMT
What happens if they can’t run Qualifying?
Hilariously, no-one quite knows! It’s worth reading Jon Noble’s whole piece for all the details but probably the key bit is that the existing regs are subject to interpretation:
There are two regulations here that potentially deal with the scenario of forming a grid when no qualifying times have been set – although neither are explicit in whether or not they deal with the circumstances of there being no qualifying session.
There is Article 39.4b that details a scenario of dealing with drivers who are “unclassified.” This is for any driver that “failed to set a time in Q1 or SQ1, or if all their laps were deleted.”
The rules then go on to explain that the classification of such a driver will be allocated “in accordance with the order they were classified in P3 (or, in the case a Sprint Session is scheduled, P1).”
This rule is intriguing though because it can be subject to a great deal of interpretation.
One viewpoint is that if qualifying is cancelled, because all drivers did not set a time in Q1, then everyone is ‘unclassified’ so on a sprint weekend that order would be decided by P1.
That would mean the fastest driver in opening practice, Lando Norris, taking pole position – with Max Verstappen being handed 15th on the grid before being moved back another five places because of his engine grid penalty.
However, such an interpretation of the rules is not shared by everyone because there is a viewpoint that if qualifying is cancelled, but SQ1 has taken place, then the wording of 39.4b) actually means that any driver who did a lap in sprint qualifying is ‘classified’.
In that case, article 42.3 is triggered which deals with how the grid order is handed out.
This states: “Classified drivers who have received 15 or less cumulative grid penalties will be allocated a temporary grid position equal to their qualifying session or sprint qualifying session classification plus the sum of their grid penalties."
In this case, it can be interpreted that the grid order for classified drivers is taken from their sprint qualifying classification.
That would mean Oscar Piastri takes pole position for the grand prix ahead of Norris, with Verstappen down in fourth place before his grid penalty.
All of this debate about the interpretation of the regulations is superseded, however, by the International Sporting Code.
He notes we have nearly been here before, ahead of the 2019 Japanese GP. In that instance…
Amid fears that qualifying may not even take place then, the stewards issued a note detailing what would happen if they had to form a grid without it.
They noted that “the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations are silent on the subject.”
Instead, they exercised the authority that was handed down to them under Article 11.9.3b of the International Sporting Code to decide how the grid would be formed.
This ISC rule gives the stewards total authority to “amend the Supplementary Regulations” – which effectively means they can decide how a grid is formed.
https://www.autospor...appen/10669919/
