Last week saw the first race of this season for F1 and had many Formula one enthusiasts up at 3 a.m. to catch the Australian Grand Prix. As they do every year, changes have been made to the way the race is conducted and this year a massive change has been made in the way the racers qualify.
The qualifying is split into 3 sections Q1, Q2 and Q3, designed to last about an hour in total. Q1 lasts about 16 minutes and after 7 minutes the slowest drive is eliminated from the qualifying and will take the last slot on the lineup grid for the race the following day. After the initial 7 minutes, the slowest driver will be eliminated every 90 seconds meaning only 15 go through to Q2.
When through to Q2 the times are reset and the qualifying starts again for another 15 mins. This time after 6 minutes the slowest driver is eliminated and then one more every 90 secs taking 9 through to Q1. Q1 follows the same pattern with one drive eliminated after 5 minutes and then another 90 seconds after that, which is then continued until the chequered flag is waved. The two final drivers have 90 secs to fight for pole.