We take to the track on the scorching Losail track, scorching not so much for the temperatures but because it could bring about a real turning point for the world championship. F1. In fact, the fight is still wide open, with three drivers vying for the championship title: Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri. How can you win? Don't make any more mistakes. And that's why these... Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying They are a clear indicator of what we can expect for the weekend. In fact, meanwhile Pole goes to Piastri ahead of Russell and Norris. Verstappen and the Ferraris are strugglingBut everything is still open because the points will start being scored tomorrow.
Plot twist: Lewis is out again in SQ1
The Sprint qualifying session of the Qatar GP starts as we left off after thesingle free practice session: with 1-2 Papaya. Despite this, however, the track is continuing to improve and in fact all the drivers are progressively lowering their times. However, the fastest are still Norris and Piastri who are marking one fuchsia sector after another. What's different compared to what we've been accustomed to in these last few races is that between the two the first is the Australian. Is Oscar finding himself again? Only the rest of the weekend will tell.
The two Ferrari drivers, however, struggled and remained at the back for the entire session.. In the end Leclerc manages to finish 13th while Hamilton finishes only 18th, 4 tenths of a second behind his teammate, and then he's sensationally out again in SQ1 after the elimination in Las Vegas. We can hear the disappointment in his voice when he learns this, as he says on team radio: "The car wasn't going any better." It's a dark night for the Maranello team, and especially for the seven-time world champion. The other drivers eliminated from this session are: Stroll, Lawson, Gasly and Colapinto.
Verstappen faces problems in Q2 of the Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying.
SQ2 of the Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying session begins, and it looks set to be another very tight session. However, the situation remains the same: 1-2 Papaya. But this time the first is Norris, which has already set a time faster than last season's pole position. On the other hand, we have Max who currently has the 4th fastest time but is complaining a lot about the bouncing and because the car is too much forward-pointed. Arriving at the end of the session, there are excluding Hadjar, which has its time eliminated due to track limits (thanks to which Antonelli is saved), Bearman, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg and Ocon. In reverse the first three are Norris, Piastri and Verstappen, that is, the three fighting for the championship.
Piastri is reborn: he takes pole in the Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying!
It's time to put on the soft tyres and go to chasing pole position in Sprint qualifying at the Qatar GP. E after the first attempt the best time is Piastri's in 1:20.241 ahead of Norris, Russell and Leclerc. Still strugglingInstead, for Verstappen who is unable to complete the lap due to a long, which probably also caused damage to the bottom. This means he will only have one attempt to set the time: it's a heart-pounding session!
In the end it is Piastri to find an excellent performance and obtain the first position, right here where he had scored his first pole in 2023. In in second place we find Russell which creates an obstacle for Norris, that it's “only” 3rd. Behind them a splendid Fernando Alonso. Bad, Verstappen who cannot go beyond the sixth position and is behind Tsunoda for the first time, who finished 5th. Still struggling, even for Charles and he is forced to settle for 9th place.
Here are the final standings of the Qatar GP Sprint qualifying:
