107% Grid Rule Explained

"During qualifying, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest time set will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race. Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards." – The 107% rule as expressed in Article 36.3 of the 2011 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.

The governing body of F1, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), introduced the 107% rule at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in June 1995. The 107% rule was thus introduced at the 1996 season opening race at the Australian Grand Prix.

Between the 1996 season until the end of the 2002 season, 37 instances of drivers who did not qualify to race and 13 of them were allowed to participate under discretion of the stewards.

So in 2011, when qualifying comes, what the FIA has imposed to all teams through the stewards, is the right to disqualify drivers if they are too 'slow'.

2010 Belgian Grand Prix as point of reference.

With a 1:45.778, Webber held the fastest qualifying time on Saturday for P1. So that would mean any times below 1.55:982 (107% longer a lap time) will be DSQ from the race start, (will not run the GP on Sunday).

So looking at the times of the other drivers during all qualifiers, Jarno Trulli (2:01.491), Kamui Kobayashi (2:02.284), Bruno Senna (2:03.612), Sakon Yamamoto< (2:03.941), Pedro de la Rosa (2:05.294), Lucas di Grassi (2:18.754), Vitaly Petrov (no time set) would not have been given the opportunity to run the race.

So you take the P1 time and add on 107% of the fastest time to it's self and anyone with a longer time essentially gets kicked out of the race.....

Yet do not despair.  The FIA has put a small stipulation into the rules as well.  By updating and modifying the 107% Grid Rule, it is up to the race stewards to allow or deny teams / drivers to race.  Looking through the history of Formula One timings, 2002 Australian Grand Prix, 1:25.843 was the qualifying time set by Rubens Barrichello, leaving a precedence of 1:31.852 as the 'slowest' time allowed.  Takuma Sato set a qualifying time of 1:53.351 (+27.508). leaving him at 132% outside the 'allowed' time.  We went on to see Sato at the starting grid of the race.