Formula DRIFT is changing its qualifying format for the 2026 season following driver feedback and the introduction of a new telemetry-based scoring system, the series announced.

After two seasons using the all-tandem seeding bracket format to set the Top 32 grid, most PRO Championship drivers voted to eliminate it, while PROSPEC drivers voted to retain the format during two summits held with series drivers. As a result, PRO will return to a two-run qualifying format, while PROSPEC will continue using seeding bracket qualifying.

Series officials said reverting to two-run qualifying created scheduling challenges, particularly on combined weekends when both championships share track time. To address this, Formula DRIFT partnered with Australian company Race Data Labs to implement its Universal Drift Scoring Method (UDSM), a telemetry-driven judging system.

Under the new structure, approximately 80% of a PRO driver's qualifying score will be generated automatically. The UDSM system will fully score drift line and angle using vehicle data. The remaining 20%, covering style, will continue to be judged by Formula DRIFT's three-judge panel. Style scoring has been separated from the other categories to allow judges to weigh difficulty and driver errors independently.

The Race Data Labs system will be installed in all competition cars throughout each event weekend. In addition to qualifying, judges will be able to reference telemetry data during tandem battles, including proximity between cars, comparative angle and speed, deceleration patterns and off-course excursions. The system is also designed to clarify fault in contact incidents.

"We're finally able to give our judges the tools they've been asking for, empowering them to make the right decisions with greater certainty and in a shorter time," said Formula DRIFT President Ryan Sage. "In partnership with RDL, we're able to provide information about the incredibly complex dynamics of 1200hp PRO drift cars at high speed that's invisible to the naked eye and has been extremely difficult to analyze and interpret despite the help of our multiple camera angles."

Formula DRIFT plans to integrate portions of the telemetry data into its livestream broadcasts beginning with the season opener in Long Beach on April 10–11.

For more information, visit formulad.com.