Since 2006, three free practice sessions, often abbreviated to FP1, FP2, and FP3, are held before the race. The first two are typically on Friday, and the third on Saturday. From 2021, all sessions last for one hour. When it is a sprint weekend, drivers only get one practice session, as sprint qualifying and the sprint race take up the FP2 and FP3 slots. Cars are put under parc fermé conditions after the third practice session, starting in 2021.
Formula 1 qualifying takes place before each race to determine the starting grid order. The driver with the fastest lap starts from pole position. Drivers unable to set a qualifying time are placed at the back of the grid.
Before 1996, qualifying was split into two one-hour sessions, held on Friday and Saturday afternoons. The fastest time from either session counted towards the final grid position, and each driver was limited to twelve laps per session. In 1996, the Friday session was abolished in favor of a single qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, with a 107% rule introduced to exclude slow drivers. Between 2003 and 2005, qualifying was a one-lap session held on Friday and Saturday afternoons, with cars running one at a time. In 2004, the Friday session moved to Saturday, and the running order for the first session was based on the previous race result. At the start of 2005, sessions were held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, with lap times from both sessions aggregated. From the 2005 European Grand Prix onwards, the Sunday morning session was dropped for a single run on Saturday afternoon.
Since 2006, qualifying takes place on Saturday afternoon in a three-stage "knockout" system. This one-hour session is divided into three periods: Q1, Q2, and Q3. In Q1, the slowest drivers are eliminated. After a short break, Q2 begins with the remaining cars, and more slowest drivers are eliminated. Finally, Q3 features the ten fastest drivers from Q2, and their fastest time in this session determines the top ten grid positions. The driver with the fastest time in Q3 is on pole position. As of 2022, all drivers can start the race on the tire of their choice.
Following the decision to make sprints standalone from 2023, these events were given a dedicated qualifying session, called "sprint shootout" in 2023 and "sprint qualifying" from 2024. The format is similar to traditional qualifying but with shorter segments: SQ1 (12 minutes), SQ2 (10 minutes), and SQ3 (8 minutes). Initially, new tires were mandatory for each phase, but this was changed for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix to allow teams to use any set of soft tires for SQ3.
As of 2026, eleven teams are entered for the Formula One World Championship, with twenty-two cars in total. Historically, the number of cars entered could exceed the number permitted, leading to cars not qualifying for the race, listed as 'Did not qualify' (DNQ).
Pre-qualifying sessions were reintroduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to the high number of cars attempting to enter each race. Usually, only the four fastest cars from these sessions were allowed into the main qualifying session. Pre-qualifying was discontinued after the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 107% rule was introduced in 1996 to prevent uncompetitive cars from entering the championship. If a car's qualifying time was not within 107% of the pole sitter's time, it would not qualify for the race, unless at the discretion of the race stewards. The rule was removed in 2003 but reintroduced in the 2011 Formula One season. Currently, cars eliminated in Q1 must be within 107% of the fastest Q1 time to qualify. Wet sessions are not subject to the 107% rule as of 2018.
Drivers or cars may receive penalties against their starting positions, often for exceeding component limits or sporting offenses. This can significantly alter the starting grid from the qualifying order.
During the 2021 Formula One World Championship, Formula One trialed a "sprint qualifying" system at three Grands Prix. In this format, the grid for the Sunday race was determined by a 100 km sprint on Saturday. The winner of the sprint qualifying was considered to have taken pole position for the main Grand Prix. For the 2022 season, "sprint qualifying" was renamed to "sprint", and points were awarded to the top eight finishers. From 2023, standalone sprint events were implemented, meaning the outcome of the sprint race no longer set the grid for the main race. The structure of sprint weekends was changed again for 2024, with sprint qualifying moved to Friday afternoon and the sprint being the first session on Saturday.
The race itself is usually held on a Sunday afternoon. Exceptions include night or evening races at Singapore, Bahrain, Qatar, Las Vegas, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Las Vegas Grand Prix being held on a Saturday since 2023. The race distance is determined as the smallest number of complete laps exceeding 305 kilometers, except for the Monaco Grand Prix, which exceeds 260 kilometers. The maximum length of a race is two hours, with a red flag stoppage not exceeding three hours.
Thirty minutes before race time, cars take to the track for warm-up laps, then assemble on the starting grid. At the hour of the race, a green light signals the start of the formation lap, during which cars parade around the course. After returning to their assigned grid spots, the starting light system, consisting of five pairs of lights, illuminates at one-second intervals. Once all five pairs are lit, they are turned off by the race director, signaling the start of the race.
Each driver is required to use two different types of dry compound during a dry race, necessitating a mandatory pit stop. Refueling has been forbidden during a race since 2010. If a driver starts the race on intermediate or wet tires, they are not mandated to make a pit stop.
At the end of the race, the first, second, and third-placed drivers take their places on a podium. The national anthem of the race winner's home country and team is played. Dignitaries present trophies, and the winning drivers spray champagne and are interviewed. A press conference follows in a media room.
Historically, races were scored on a five-place tally, such as an 8–6–4–3–2 system, with a bonus point for the fastest lap. In 1961, the winner received nine points. In 1991, the victor received 10 points. In 2003, the FIA revised the scoring to apportion points to the first eight classified finishers on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis. Between 1950 and 1990, drivers' points for the season were tallied based on their best results across the World Championship.
Points are awarded to drivers and teams based on their finishing position in a race. The winner receives 25 points, second place 18 points, and positions 3 through 10 receive 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1 points, respectively. In a dead heat, prizes and points are added and shared equally. The annual championship winner is the driver or team with the most points. If points are equal, priority is given to the driver with more wins, then more second places, and so on.
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