The rejected vote means teams can take advantage of the rule, allowing them to use extra sets of softs in ‘standard’ qualifying, at a cost of having to stay in the garage in SQ3 if they make it that far. This can provide an advantage to teams who need to use multiple sets of tyres to advance from Q1.
The Q1/Q2/Q3 format used in qualifying carries over into the Sprint Shootout, with sessions shortened as follows: SQ1 – 12 minutes (medium tyres mandatory), SQ2 – 10 minutes (medium tyres mandatory), and SQ3 – 8 minutes (soft tyres mandatory). As with ‘regular’ qualifying, five drivers will be eliminated at the end of SQ1 and SQ2, leaving the final 10 drivers to set the front slots on the grid for the sprint on Saturday afternoon.
