F1's 2026 sprint qualifying will eliminate six cars in its first two sessions

Singapore’s sprint uses the 2026 knockout format: six cars are eliminated in each of the first two sprint-qualifying sessions, compared with five in 2025.

SQ1 lasts 12 minutes, SQ2 10 and SQ3 eight. The sessions set the grid for the sprint race, not the Grand Prix.

Only the top eight finishers score sprint points: eight for first place, down to one for eighth. Those points count toward the drivers’ championship.