Explained: Formula E’s New Qualifying Format

The FIA Formula E World Championship is always evolving and alongside a host of technical changes, the series will compete with a new qualifying format in Season 8.

Replacing the group system, qualifying has been updated to provide a new platform for competition while retaining the drama and unpredictability of the past.

Using a duel-based process, drivers will now compete head-to-head in an elimination format in which the field of 22 will be reduced until one driver secures pole position.

But how does it work?

At the start of qualifying, the grid is divided into two groups of 11 – Group A and Group B – with drivers in odd championship positions e.g. 1, 3, 5, appearing in the Group A and those in even numbered places e.g. 2, 4, 6, featuring in Group B.

In the group stage, drivers will set lap times at 220kW during a12-minute window and at the end of this period, the four fastest drivers from each group will advance to the next stage.

A series of four duels will then take place in the quarter-finals, in which the top four from each group face one other in reverse order.

The fastest driver from Group A will face the fourth-placed Group B driver and the second-fastest will face the second-slowest until the slowest Group A driver faces the fastest in Group B.

This series of duels will be run using 250kW of power and the slowest driver at the end of each duel will be eliminated from qualifying with each victor advancing to the semi-finals.

In the penultimate stage, the winner of Duel One will face the winner of Duel Two while the winner of Duel Three will compete against the winner of Duel Four.

The final will be then contested by the fastest driver from each semi-final, at the end of which the eventual winner will secure pole position and three championship points while the runner-up qualifies in second.

Drivers eliminated from the semi-finals will qualify third and fourth while quarter-finalists will occupy positions five-eight on the grid. This order will be decided by lap time.

Drivers eliminated from the group stages will qualify in the order in which they were fastest from ninth downwards, with the polesitter’s group taking the odd positions on the grid while the other group occupies the even.

Alongside this qualifying change, the racing will also be faster than ever before with cars facing a power increase from 200kW to 220kW in race modes and 235kW to 250kW in Attack Mode.

Energy will also no longer be deducted during Safety Car or Full Course Yellow periods and in the event of a disruption, races will now be extended by up to 10 minutes, guaranteeing action all the way up to the chequered flag.