After a McLaren 1-2 at today’s sprint race, all eyes are on the team as they fight to secure the Constructors’ title against Ferrari as qualifying got underway at the F1 Qatar GP.
Q1
George Russell is first to line up in the pit lane exit, with medium compound tyres on his Mercedes.
Green light and go!
After a lap, Russell returns to the pits for a fresh set of softs, whilst the Haas of Kevin Magnussen grabs the fastest lap so far, but it’s promptly deleted due to track limits.
Stroll takes the new fastest lap with a 1.22.384. This is then smashed by Norris and then Verstappen, as the world champion goes fastest.
Russell knocks Verstappen from P1 with his first flying lap, an impressive 1.21.519, whilst teammate Hamilton moves into 5th, and Norris into P2.
Albon, Stroll, and Colapinto have times deleted for track limits.
Alonso takes a provisional P3 after going fastest in sector 1.
6 minutes to go and both Haas find themselves in the elimination zone, struggling to improve their timings and find pace.
Leclerc has a rapid sector 2 and moves up into 4th. With 4 and a half minutes to go, P1-P10 stands: Russell, Sainz, Norris, Alonso, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Piastri, Gasly, Stroll.
With 2 minutes to go, fighting to get out of the bottom 5 are: Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Albon, Colopinto, and Ocon.
Perez is far from safe in P12, currently recharging his battery, he’ll need to put in a rapid lap to get to Q2. And a rapid lap he gets! Perez moves up to P8.
The chequered flag is out and Ocon, Colapinto, Lawson, Albon, and Hulkenberg are out in Q1!
Q2
Q2 is underway and Russell is the first to take to the track, again!
5 drivers have set times and Russell maintains provisional pole with a fast lap of 1.21.161, this is quickly stolen by Verstappen with a 1.21.085.
10 minutes to go and Alonso, Stroll, and Tsunoda are yet to set a time. The current top 5 reads: Verstappen, Russell, Piastri, Norris, Perez.
Perez seems to be picking up pace after poor performances earlier in the weekend.
Piastri slides into P2 behind Verstappen, whilst Norris sits in P4.
Sainz is noted for an unsafe release in the pit lane which will be investigated after the session.
Russell and Verstappen steal the fastest lap from each other with 4 minutes to go, with the Red Bull currently on top.
Norris goes fastest of all! A 1.20.983, as the times only get faster.
2 minutes to go and Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, Zhou, and Bottas are at risk of elimination.
Magnussen goes 6th fastest, pushing Hamilton to P10, at risk of elimination. The Mercedes driver moves up into P5.
The Sauber’s, Stroll, Tsunoda, and Gasly don’t make it to Q3.
Perez barely makes it through to Q3, just 0.012s ahead of Gasly’s Alpine.
Q3
Part 3 of qualifying is underway, and you guessed it, Russell is first on track, again!
Magnussen, Alonso, and Perez only have one set of soft tyres remaining. Let’s see how their session pans out. Alonso is stung by track limits and has his time deleted.
Norris lost time at turn 5 and took to the pits following his venture off the track, whilst his teammate can’t move faster than P5.
5 minutes to go and Verstappen sets a fastest sector 1 and moves into P2 behind Russell.
Time is ticking for the McLarens, with both currently out of the top 5, which is not what we were expecting for the team this weekend.
2 minutes to go and Alonso is yet to set a time – let’s see what he does with his set of new tyres.
The chequered flag is waved, and the Ferraris fail to improve, whilst Piastri moves up into P3, quickly stolen by his teammate.
Verstappen takes pole in qualifying at the F1 Qatar GP! His teammate finishes P9.
The drivers finished as follows: Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Sainz, Alonso, Perez, and Magnussen.
Verstappen is to be investigated after the race for going too slowly during Q3, as reported by Russell behind him.
