FP1: Verstappen edges out Ferrari drivers to top the only practice in Qatar
Double world champion Max Verstappen set the benchmark time with a 1m in the sole practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc having taking second and third on a very sandy track surface in Lusail.
The session started in challenging conditions as the track was even dirtier than expected before the session. Unsurprisingly, drivers complained about the grip level and were forced to apply a different approach to the one-hour session than they usually do. The sandy track asphalt was particularly punishing as the sprint weekend format means that this session was the only practice for the entire Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
Drivers started to perform low-fuel runs in the dying seconds of the session, but not everyone used Pirelli's C3 compoud that serves as the soft tyre on this weekend. Double world champion Max Verstappen put on the red-walled tyres to set a 1m27.428s, edging out the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
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Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:27.428 | 26 | |
| 2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:27.762 | +0.334s | 27 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:27.909 | +0.481s | 27 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:27.919 | +0.491s | 28 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:28.016 | +0.588s | 24 |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Alphatauri Honda Rbpt | 1:28.027 | +0.599s | 28 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:28.171 | +0.743s | 22 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.336 | +0.908s | 28 |
| 9 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:28.380 | +0.952s | 20 |
| 10 | 4 | Lando Norris | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:28.441 | +1.013s | 24 |
| 11 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.550 | +1.122s | 25 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.590 | +1.162s | 26 |
| 13 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:28.679 | +1.251s | 26 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:28.690 | +1.262s | 28 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:28.732 | +1.304s | 25 |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:28.821 | +1.393s | 23 |
| 17 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:29.041 | +1.613s | 27 |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:29.106 | +1.678s | 29 |
| 19 | 40 | Liam Lawson | Alphatauri Honda Rbpt | 1:29.238 | +1.810s | 29 |
| 20 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:29.502 | +2.074s | 26 |
