Pre-qualifying

Pre-qualifying is a preliminary racing session held before the main qualifying session to reduce the number of cars competing in a motorsport event.

This system was most famously used in Formula 1 during the late 1980s and early 1990s when too many teams wanted to participate in races. Sometimes up to 39 cars would enter a single Grand Prix, but only 30 were allowed to practice and qualify under FIA rules.

Pre-qualifying sessions typically took place on Friday mornings and lasted one hour. Only certain teams had to participate - usually the worst-performing teams from the previous season, brand new teams with no racing history, or teams adding a second car to their lineup.

The competition was incredibly intense because only the fastest four cars from pre-qualifying could advance to the main qualifying session. The rest were sent home without racing. This created desperate situations where drivers took extreme risks to secure one of the precious advancement spots.

The first pre-qualifying session occurred at the 1977 British Grand Prix when 40 Formula 1 cars showed up to compete. The system continued through various seasons, with the final pre-qualifying session taking place at the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Teams like Jordan Grand Prix and Onyx had to prove themselves through pre-qualifying when they first entered Formula 1, as they had no previous results to guarantee their entry into races.

Pre-qualifying eventually disappeared from Formula 1 as the sport became more regulated and expensive, naturally limiting the number of teams attempting to enter. Today, similar preliminary sessions exist in other racing series, though they serve different purposes than the original Formula 1 system.