Written by Juan Arroyo, Edited by Sean McKean
Formula 2 made changes to its usual qualifying structure ahead of the 2021 Monaco race to address traffic issues and potential incidents.
Due to the tight and narrow nature of the Principality's circuit, it becomes challenging for drivers to provide space for faster cars behind them, resulting in hazardous situations during practice and qualifying sessions.
To mitigate these concerns, the qualifying sessions will be divided into two groups. Drivers with even numbers will participate in Group A, the first 16-minute session, while those with odd numbers will qualify in Group B, the subsequent session.
Each group starts on different sides of the grid. The driver who records the fastest time between both groups secures the pole position, while the fastest driver from the other group starts second. The remaining grid positions follow this alternating pattern.
For context, here is an overview of last year's grid configuration:
2022 Formula 2 Monaco Qualifying | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
Position | Driver | Time | Group |
1 | Liam Lawson | 1m21.229s | A |
2 | Theo Pourchaire | 1m21.535s | B |
3 | Ayumu Iwasa | 1m21.288s | A |
4 | Juri Vips | 1m21.618s | B |
5 | Felipe Drugovich | 1m21.348s | A |
6 | Enzo Fittipaldi | 1m21.719s | B |
7 | Jack Doohan | 1m21.432s | A |
8 | Jehan Daruvala | 1m21.928s | B |
9 | Marcus Armstrong | 1m21.734s | A |
10 | Jake Hughes | 1m22.011s | B |
11 | Dennis Hauger | 1m21.817s | A |
12 | Roy Nissany | 1m22.017s | B |
13 | Ralph Boschung | 1m21.859s | A |
14 | Logan Sargeant | 1m22.072s | B |
15 | Calan Williams | 1m21.985s | A |
16 | Clement Novalak | 1m23.180s | B |
17 | Frederik Vesti | 1m22.703s | A |
18 | Marino Sato | 1m23.241s | B |
19 | Amaury Cordeel | 1m22.762s | A |
20 | Olli Caldwell | 1m23.498s | B |
21 | Cem Bolukbasi | 1m24.150s | A |
22 | Richard Verschoor | 1m29.993s | B |
This upcoming race marks Formula 3's first visit to Monaco, a "return" since its predecessor GP3 last competed on the iconic circuit.