F1 glossary · Race weekends
Qualifying
The timed competition that creates the provisional starting order for a race or Sprint.
In plain English
This term belongs to the Race weekends side of Formula 1. Listen for it when commentators explain what a driver, car or team is doing and why the lap time or race situation is changing.
2026 context
Terminology on this site follows the current 2026 regulations. Older broadcasts and articles may use language that has since been replaced or narrowed.