After only one practice session it’s time to set the grid for tomorrow’s race with a Sprint Qualifying session for the Qatar GP. Who will start the final Sprint Race of 2024 from the best spot?
SQ1
The first qualifying segment saw Sauber drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas out on track first, followed by the Ferrari duo. Leclerc signs the best early lap in 1:23.259s, with Verstappen slotting in second and Bottas in third.
Alpine are using this session as testing time, with Gasly and Ocon sporting two different aero rear wing configurations. With six minutes to go Norris signs the first lap time in the 1:22s, with latest race winner in Las Vegas George Russell only 0.026s behind him.
With 5 minutes to go Ocon, Albon, Perez, Lawson and Colapinto would be out of SQ2. The VCARB driver ran slightly off track. The Ferrari driver duo improve the McLaren’s previous best effort, but it’s short lasted as he regains the provisional top spot in 1:22.021.
Russell matches his fellow British colleague’s time, meanwhile his teammate Lewis Hamilton sits in P8, having run wide on his previous attempt. Norris signs a lap in the 1:21s.
In the final heated moments of the session, track evolution plays a great role as Sainz signs the second best time, however almost half a second off.
Liam Lawson impressively outqualifies Sergio Perez, as the senior Red Bull driver is already out of qualifying. Perez had been engaging Leclerc for track position on his final attempt, whereas Zhou almost blocked Gasly on his flying lap.
Out in SQ1: Perez, Tsunoda, Ocon, Zhou, Colapinto
SQ2
Verstappen is the first driver to return on track, followed by the Haas drivers and the Ferrari driver duo.
Up next, Leclerc sets the best early timed lap of the first round of attempts in 1:22.130s, with Verstappen 0.058s off him and Hulkenberg third. His teammate Kevin Magnussen had been in the top 5 as well but his time was then disregarded for track limits.
In spite of missing out on media day yesterday due to a cold, the German driver set to move to Sauber in 2025 is back behind the wheel of his American challenger, and will attempt now to take a Sprint Qualifying pole in Qatar
Piastri shaves off a couple of tenths from Leclerc’s time, with championship winner Verstappen equalling his time. Consequently, Carlos Sainz is the first to sign a lap in the 1:21s in this segment, but Russell is quick to improve his performance with three minutes left on the clock.
The Australian driver’s time was cancelled, leaving him in provisional P14 with few minutes to spare. Other drivers out of SQ3 would be the Aston Martin drivers, Bottas and Magnussen.
He then immediately puts in a lap good enough for P3, relegating Albon provisionally. Alonso moves up to P9, letting Gasly in the knockout zone. Leclerc mentions his front tyre is already grained on the radio.
Lawson signs a very impressive final flying lap to kick out Alonso from the top ten, with Gasly moving up as well. The French driver probably hopes to replicate the good qualifying he had put in the past week in America, where he qualified third.
Out in SQ2: Alonso, Albon, Bottas, Stroll, Magnussen
SQ3
Lawson returns on track first, followed by the Mercedes duo. Leclerc n is the first to start setting a timed lap in 1:21.705s, as Norris goes fastest in the first sector. The McLaren takes provisional pole in 1:21.012s and is joined by teammate Piastri on the front row. Russell goes in third, Hamilton in fifth behind Verstappen as Sainz has aborted all his previous attempts and Leclerc finds Russell on his run.
Hulkenberg remains in the pits for the first series of attempts.
Everyone awaits for the final possible moments because of the importance f track evolution so far. Piastri lowers the best time of the first segment to 29.8s, while Hulkenberg slides in provisional P7.
Norris doesn’t end his next attempt, with Piastri reconfirming his P2. However, it’s short lasted as Russell gets P2 0.063s off Norris.
Lawson shocks with P7, right behind Sainz, Leclerc and Verstappen in P4, P5 and P6 respectively, but his lap time is then cancelled, with Hulkenberg moving up a spot as Gasly had already beaten it.
The Ferrari drivers both complained about excessive understeering on their SF-24s.
Norris takes his third ever Sprint Qualifying pole in Qatar, a second in 2024 following China. Tune in tomorrow to see who takes the Sprint win!
