The Formula 1 edit

F1 2026 brings on many changes. DRS has been replaced, Sauber has rebranded as Audi, and Arvid Lindblad became the only rookie for the season. But the biggest change of all for this new racing year is that of Cadillac officially becoming a team, making 22 drivers and 11 teams. Sergio (Checo) Perez and Valtteri Bottas are set to drive for the American team. With two new drivers entering the sport, changes need to be made to the qualifying process.

Qualifying for the Grand Prix is a historic ritual the Saturday before a race where the drivers race around the circuit to compete for the fastest lap, and if they’re the fastest, they get rewarded with Pole Position, or P1, for the start of the race the following day. Qualifying has always been separated into three sectors, Q3, Q2, and Q1. The bottom 5 or five slowest drivers in Q3 (which lasts 18 minutes) will exit and not participate in qualifying anymore, having secured their race start as one of the bottom five. The same procedure goes for Q2 (a 15-minute session). With 15 drivers now racing, the now slowest five will exit, leaving the top ten for Q3. Q3 is an intense 12-minute session where the top 10 fastest drivers will race in hopes of being the one to secure the place at the front of the grid.

With two more drivers being added to the driver numbers, the qualifying rules which have previously applied to twenty drivers (5 gone in Q3, 5 gone in Q2, top ten in Q1) no longer apply. So now, 6 drivers will exit in the first sector, another six in the second sector, and then ten will be left for Q1.

Having a new team enter the sport is sure to shake up the dynamic of the teams and drivers! If Valtteri and his glorious blonde mullet or Sergio and his iconic mirror selfies are able to secure a race win or even podium with Cadillac, I will consider the team successful!