Japan’s premier single-seater championship has used a Formula 1-style three-stage knockout format since the 2008 season, and while it has undergone minor adjustments over the years, this marks the most significant change since the system was first introduced.
Under the new rules, the first segment of qualifying will see the expected field of 21 cars split into two groups, as been the case since the 2020 season, with the fastest six from each seven-minute session progressing to Q2.
