107% Rule

Cars and drivers must be in the same league to race both effectively and safely on the same track. In 1996, the FIAFédération Internationale de l'Automobile is the association responsible for the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users across the... There's more... introduced the 107% ruleCars and drivers must be in the same league to race both effectively and safely on the same track. In... There's more..., and while it has been in and out of the regulations, it is still in play today.

During the first qualifyingQualifying (Quali) is a one-hour session used to determine pole position and the order the cars will line up behind... There's more... session (Q1), any driverOK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... who does not post a time within 107% of the fastest time will not be able to start the race. Under certain circumstances or track conditions, the race Stewards may allow the car to start the race.

We do not often mention this rule in the current series as the cars and drivers are so closely matched that the fieldThe field is a reference to the full grid of cars, from pole to the backmarkers. Consider it in the... There's more... is often separated by only a second or two. 

The 107% rule is worked out as follows: Lap time (in seconds) x 107, divided by 100. So it might look something like this: lap time: 1m30s or 90 seconds. 90 x 107 ÷ 100 = 96.3 or 1m36.6 seconds is then the cut off.