bigbadbrother
10-31-2014, 06:29 PM
Luke Smith
The FIA has confirmed that it will be slightly changing the qualifying format for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix to account for the absence of Caterham and Marussia.
Neither of the backmarker teams will be racing in Austin after encountering serious financial difficulties over the past few months. Both are now looking for new buyers and investment.
As a result, just 18 cars will be racing in Texas this weekend, making it the smallest grid since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix when BAR was banned for two races after running below the minimum weight allowed.
With the normal 22 car grid, six cars are eliminated in both Q1 and Q2 before leaving ten cars to fight it out for pole position in Q3. In a very logical move, this has been reduced to four cars for Austin, which will still leave the top-ten shootout at the end of qualifying.
The statement from the FIA reads as follows:
“In view of the non-participation of two teams in the 2014 United States Grand Prix, the stewards have been requested to clarify the format for Qualifying Practice.
“Accordingly, under the authority granted to the stewards in article 11.9 of the International Sporting Code, and having regard to the principles established in the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations article 33.1, the stewards decide that the slowest four cars in Q1 will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session, and the slowest four cars in Q2 will likewise be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.”
The FIA has confirmed that it will be slightly changing the qualifying format for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix to account for the absence of Caterham and Marussia.
Neither of the backmarker teams will be racing in Austin after encountering serious financial difficulties over the past few months. Both are now looking for new buyers and investment.
As a result, just 18 cars will be racing in Texas this weekend, making it the smallest grid since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix when BAR was banned for two races after running below the minimum weight allowed.
With the normal 22 car grid, six cars are eliminated in both Q1 and Q2 before leaving ten cars to fight it out for pole position in Q3. In a very logical move, this has been reduced to four cars for Austin, which will still leave the top-ten shootout at the end of qualifying.
The statement from the FIA reads as follows:
“In view of the non-participation of two teams in the 2014 United States Grand Prix, the stewards have been requested to clarify the format for Qualifying Practice.
“Accordingly, under the authority granted to the stewards in article 11.9 of the International Sporting Code, and having regard to the principles established in the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations article 33.1, the stewards decide that the slowest four cars in Q1 will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session, and the slowest four cars in Q2 will likewise be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.”