IndyCar confirms a change in qualifying format for all street circuits

In its twenty years of existence, the format of the "Firestone Fast Six" (the final qualifying round on road and street circuits) had seen few changes. At Arlington, for the first visit of theIndyCar In the streets of Texas, a change has been introduced, with Q3 contested car by car, on a single lap, alone on the track. This presents an opportunity to raise the stakes considerably and put pressure on the drivers who must achieve the perfect lap to secure pole position.

Unsurprisingly, the championship's governing bodies have decided to maintain this format for all remaining street races on the calendar (Long Beach this weekend, followed by Detroit, Markham in Canada, and Washington, D.C.). The format will therefore remain unchanged for road course races, and ovals will obviously retain their usual qualifying schedule, where each car has a two-lap run, and the average of these two laps determines the starting grid. The Indianapolis 500 will also keep its unique qualifying format with four laps per run.

Compared to the format tested at Arlington, one change will be made. The fastest driver in Q2 will no longer automatically be the last to start; instead, they will be the first to choose their starting order in Q3. Therefore, if deteriorating conditions are expected, being able to start first or second in Q3 could prove advantageous. The six qualified drivers will then choose their positions based on the order at the end of Q2 before heading out for the third part of qualifying.

"The new qualification system at Arlington has been a great success and has been very well received," said Doug Boles, the president of IndyCar. “Following the event, we consulted with stakeholders to evaluate the format and explore ways to improve an already exciting session. This slight modification will allow the fastest drivers to gain a deserved advantage by choosing when they want to complete their lap in the Fast Six, while selecting tires before lining up at the pit exit will save time and make the session more balanced.”He added that the drivers would indeed have to line up at the end of the pit lane with their qualifying tires before the first car started the Fast Six.

So, tune in from 0:30 on Saturday night/Sunday morning to discover in Long Beach what this new system can do.

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