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explainers racing explainer season 12

How does Formula E's Qualifying format work?

Explainer 18 Mar 2026 3 Mins

Formula E's unique qualifying format creates incredible drama and excitement even before the racing starts... Ahead of Round 6 in Madrid, here's a quick refresher!

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explainers racing explainer season 12

Qualifying is the first competitive session of a Formula E race weekend, following two Free Practice outings. Quali lasts for around an hour and follows a unique format which makes for some unbelievable action and a whole lot of high stakes drama!

First comes the Groups stage, which sees the grid split into two groups of 10 based on their Drivers' World Championship position. Here they have to battle at 300kW to set lap times in a 10-minute session, with the four fastest from each group progressing into the Duels stage.

Those eight will then face off in the quarter-finals, competing against one another head to head over one lap in a knockout at 350kW - now with all-wheel drive for the GEN3 Evo era. This quarter-final lasts for 15 minutes, and sees the fastest four promoted into the semi-finals. The same process is undertaken for the semi-final, with the two quickest drivers on track making their way into the nail-biting final.

The winning driver of the final duel takes the Julius Baer Pole Position, while the runner-up starts the E-Prix from second on the grid. The semi-finalists will line up third and fourth, the quarter-finalists between fifth and eighth - according to their respective lap times.

The fifth to 10th-placed drivers who competed in the polesitter's group will fill the odd positions on the grid. The corresponding drivers from the other group will be classified in the even grid slots. So, if the polesitter comes from Group 1, the fifth placed driver in Group 1 will line up ninth on the starting grid and the fifth placed driver in Group 2 takes 10th and so on.

Since being introduced in Season 8, it’s provided us with so much entertainment and unforgettable Formula E moments!

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 CUPRA Raval Madrid E-Prix, Round 6

For Round 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Madrid hosts an E-Prix for the very first time! We’ll be heading to the Circuito del Jarama for a race weekend that promises plenty of action and entertainment, as Spanish driver, Pepe Marti, hopes to put on a show in front of his home crowd on Saturday March 21.

Session	Date	Time
Free Practice 1	Friday 20 March	16:30 local (15:30 UTC)
Free Practice 2	Saturday 21 March	08:30 local (07:30 UTC)
Qualifying	Saturday 21 March	10:40 local (09:40 UTC)
Race	Saturday 21 March	15:05 local (14:05 UTC)

View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.

Follow the race LIVE on web and in the Formula E app!

Keep across Live Timing – which includes a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow your favourite driver during every session of every E-Prix – plus highlights, detailed session reports, exclusive interviews, all the standings and results as well as data, insight and reaction from trackside.

LIVE: Follow every lap live, with reaction and coverage at fiaformulae.com/live

Additionally, Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide session reports, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from trackside during the five-day event.