By Toyota Media
March 11 2006

It's all change for 2006, as its out with one-lap qualifying and in with a new knockout system. A big effort has been made to produce an action-packed qualifying format that guarantees cars are on the track all the time and should improve the show for the spectators at home and in the grandstands. Saturday now begins with a single practice session that runs from 11am-12pm (local time). Previously, teams had to nominate their chosen race tyre before the action started on Saturday, but that decision has now been deferred until the start of qualifying, so there is an extra hour available to make comparisons. Qualifying is now split into three blocks of 15 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes respectively. After each of the first two sessions the slowest cars are knocked out, leaving 10 for the final segment. In the first two, drivers are free to run minimum fuel levels. Those who don't make the final 10 and will thus start from 11th place back then add as much fuel as they want for Sunday's race. However, the top 10 runners have to start the final session with their race fuel loads.

They can then run as many laps as they wish to during the 20 minutes, and naturally they will be quickest by the end of the session, when the car has used up some of that fuel load. They are free to fit new tyres for a final big effort when the car is at its lightest.

The break between the second and third sessions will see frantic activity as teams use their race fuel rigs to fill the cars up to the chosen level.

"You can use those first two sessions to get a handle on the performance of the other cars, and then go from there," says Richard Cregan. "But we are going to have to ensure all of our homework is done beforehand so we can react very quickly. It's a challenge for the engineers to get it right, and for the spectators it's going to mean that there are cars on the track, which can only be a good thing."

After qualifying, the top 10 cars will be topped up under FIA supervision to ensure that they start the race with the same weight they had on board at the start of the final 20 minutes.

Logistic problems mean that the cars won't actually be weighed by the FIA before that final session. Instead that race start weight will be determined by multiplying the number of laps run in that session by a predetermined consumption figure. That weight of fuel will then be added to the car before the race, under the FIA's supervision.

Cregan explains: "We have to start the race on the same weight as we go out in qualifying. When we collect the car from parc fermé on Sunday morning we will use the figure that the FIA has given, put the car on the FIA rig with the FIA present, and add that amount of weight of fuel to the car."

The new system should provide some fascinating action in the course of the season, and every team and driver will be under pressure not to make mistakes.

"I think it will be pretty exciting," says Mike Gascoyne. "We've got the first two sessions where we have to go out and do a time, and in the third we're going to want to be out lapping because we want to bring the fuel level down. And then with two minutes to go, everyone's going to be diving into the pits for quick tyre changes.

I think it will be pretty hectic! It's always difficult to know how these things are going to pan out. There will be cars on the track all the time, so that's something for the fans to watch. One lap qualifying wasn't particularly bad if you watched it on TV, but it was pretty quiet at the track. Now it will certainly build to something."

Inevitably the new format puts a premium on being organised, especially when the final decision on race fuel loads is taken between the second and third sessions.

"When we complete the second session we've got to get the cars in and refuel them. As we go out for the last session we have to have what is effectively the race fuel load. There's going to be quite a bit of action, because it will be important to be the first car out to complete the maximum number of laps and get the fuel level down."