Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater IndyCar

IndyCar considering revisions to qualifying format

by Kevin Dejewski
4 years ago
A A
IndyCar considering revisions to qualifying format

Shorter tracks have been getting congested during qualifying in the past couple years. Photo: Kevin Dejewski

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

IndyCar is considering small changes to its current knockout qualifying format for next season in order to better handle the expected increase in participants.

The current format, which is used for most road and street events, is a three-tier arrangement. In it, the 12 fastest drivers advance to the second qualifying round, and from there a final ‘Fast 6’ session determines the front three rows.

The initial round has traditionally been broken into two groups of cars, but as the field is set to grow to near 30 entrants on any given weekend, that could make for a very busy track at the start of qualifying.

IndyCar president Jay Frye talked with RACER recently, and explained how the increasing car count is forcing the series to consider modifying the format.

RelatedPosts

Schumacher used the test to evaluate if he would enjoy a full season effort in IndyCar. Photo: IndyCar - Joe Skibinski

Mick Schumacher revived love of open wheel driving with IndyCar test

3 hours ago
Hughes finished third in the 2025 Indy NXT championship. Photo: IndyCar - Travis Hinkle

Lochie Hughes secures IndyCar reserve role with Andretti

6 days ago

“An increased car count is a great problem to have,” Frye told RACER. “So how do we manage that? What does that look like?

“In knockout qualifying, where sometimes it’s too busy with cars on track, maybe there’s a way to have the same amount of cars on the track all the time. So say there’s 27 cars, you would have nine cars go out, three cars advance. You have nine more cars go, three cars advance, and then the last session where three cars advance.

“Then instead of having a Fast Six, you’d have a Fast Nine. So that also matches up with the Indy 500’s Fast Nine qualifying, and then we’ve got the 500 and the road and street courses are the same.

“There were times last year as we got up to 27 or 28 cars where the track was very busy in qualifying. I mean, very busy. So we want to get ahead of this and make it easier for our drivers to set their laps without being on top of each other.”

The as-yet unconfirmed changes would leave the same number of total sessions, but the fastest qualifiers from each initial group would be directly promoted to the final Fast Nine and would battle each other for pole.

At some events this past year, lap times from the second session that included 12 cars directly set the front of the grid, with the final round removed for time considerations. This adjustment worked well, and closely mirrors the proposal for next season.

“We’ve done this a couple different ways last couple years, based off of the things that we’ve been dealt, like we shortened the overall length of the knockout qualifying process,” continued Frye.

“We’ve had that the last couple years and like the faster approach, so we’re just looking ahead and figuring out how we should do it as the car count is expanding.”

Finer details of the proposal are still being worked through, and any changes would have to be approved by team managers and drivers before being finalized.

Tags: IndyCarqualifying
Share199Tweet124Share

Related Posts

Schumacher used the test to evaluate if he would enjoy a full season effort in IndyCar. Photo: IndyCar - Joe Skibinski
IndyCar

Mick Schumacher revived love of open wheel driving with IndyCar test

3 hours ago
Charles Leclerc has so far failed to win in 2025
Formula 1

Mario Andretti brands Charles Leclerc a target for Cadillac F1 team

11 hours ago
Alex Albon's faith in Williams has never wavered
Formula 1

Why Alex Albon never lost faith in Williams during 2024 setback

12 hours ago
Load More

Discussion about this post

Schumacher used the test to evaluate if he would enjoy a full season effort in IndyCar. Photo: IndyCar - Joe Skibinski
IndyCar

Mick Schumacher revived love of open wheel driving with IndyCar test

October 14, 2025
McLaren is suing Alex Palou for $20 million in damages for pulling out of a contract last season
Formula 1

Why McLaren is suing reigning IndyCar champion for $20 million

October 12, 2025

Drivers’ Standings

#DriverPoints
1Álex Palou142
2Kyle Kirkwood108
3Christian Lundgaard96
4Felix Rosenqvist88
5Scott Dixon86
6Patricio O'Ward80
7Colton Herta73
8Scott McLaughlin69
9Will Power63
10Josef Newgarden58

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

 

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd