When the midfield compresses, qualifying grows sharper teeth. Tiny margins on Saturday can create outsized consequences on Sunday, especially at tracks where overtaking remains awkward or strategy windows are narrow.
That means teams may be forced into more aggressive setup compromises just to protect track position. A car that is only slightly better over a race distance can still lose heavily if it keeps starting behind traffic.
If the current picture holds, some of the most important moments of the season may happen in short, messy qualifying sessions rather than in the grander narrative of race day.
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