Qatar Grand Prix Practice Report
Oscar Piastri Leads McLaren One-Two in Practice, Verstappen Struggles
In a striking display, Oscar Piastri outpaced championship-leading teammate Lando Norris to claim the fastest lap in the sole practice session ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. Piastri set a benchmark time of 1m20.924s, edging Norris by just 0.058 seconds, while Max Verstappen encountered multiple issues, finishing sixth.
Session Overview:
The early session saw all drivers on hard tires as they acclimated to the dusty Lusail track. Both McLaren drivers initially struggled to find their rhythm. However, as they transitioned to soft tires, their pace improved significantly. Norris initially set the fastest lap before Piastri rebounded with a quicker time. Norris later failed to improve due to a mistake at the final corner, which sent him into the gravel.
Key Performance Metrics:
- 1st: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1m20.924s
- 2nd: Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.058s
- 3rd: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.386s
- 4th: Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +0.480s
- 5th: Isack Hadjar (rookie, McLaren) – +0.579s
- 6th: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.580s
Verstappen, who won the previous race in Las Vegas and is 24 points behind Norris in the championship standings, experienced significant handling issues. He reported persistent problems with tire performance, including complaints about a “really weird” steering feel and poor damping, which impeded his ability to manage the car’s balance during the session.
“It feels like the damping is really bad on the car,” Verstappen noted, further commenting on his struggles with power delivery out of Turn 6, rounding off a difficult session.
Midfield Insights:
Alex Albon secured seventh place, with Charles Leclerc in eighth despite grappling with power steering issues. Lance Stroll and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top ten, both finding limited pace on soft tires. The Mercedes duo struggled, with Antonelli showcasing faster times on hard tires earlier in the session.
Full Results:
- Piastri (McLaren)
- Norris (McLaren)
- Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Sainz (Williams)
- Hadjar (McLaren)
- Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Albon (Williams)
- Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Hulkenberg (Haas)
- Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
- Russell (Mercedes)
- Bearman (Haas)
- Bortoleto (AlphaTauri)
- Ocon (Alpine)
- Gasly (Alpine)
- Lawson (AlphaTauri)
- Colapinto (Williams)
The first day of action in Qatar sets up an intriguing weekend as drivers continue to adapt to the challenging conditions at Lusail. As the teams refine their setups, further developments are anticipated in qualifying.
