Oliver Berman: For me, a perfect storm has formed.
For Haas, sprint qualifying in Qatar ended in the second session, in which Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon posted 12th and 15th fastest times. The drivers are not expecting points in the sprint and see the short Saturday race as preparation for qualifying.
Oliver Bearman (12th): "I think tyre wear plays a somewhat smaller role this weekend than in previous years. Over time the track surface has become rougher, and this year it's become easier to warm the tyres up.
Unfortunately, on the decisive flying lap I ended up behind a driver who went off, and there was a lot of gravel on the track in front of me, which is the main problem at this circuit. Many of us have said that the gravel trap at that corner is not the best solution to the problem, because it ends up everywhere, damages the tyres and ruins laps.
For Haas, sprint qualifying in Qatar ended in the second session, in which Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon posted 12th and 15th fastest times. The drivers are not expecting points in the sprint and see the short Saturday race as preparation for qualifying.
Oliver Bearman (12th): "I think tyre wear plays a somewhat smaller role this weekend than in previous years. Over time the track surface has become rougher, and this year it's become easier to warm the tyres up.
Unfortunately, on the decisive flying lap I ended up behind a driver who went off, and there was a lot of gravel on the track in front of me, which is the main problem at this circuit. Many of us have said that the gravel trap at that corner is not the best solution to the problem, because it ends up everywhere, damages the tyres and ruins laps.
Both Williams drivers made it to the sprint qualifying final in Qatar, Carlos Sainz once again ahead of Alex Albon…
Carlos Sainz (8th): “It was a very positive day for us. We expected to have problems on this track, so we chose experimental settings we hadn’t tried yet this year — and it worked.
It’s nice to see both cars in the qualifying final. As usual, our car proved more competitive on the harder tyres.
The difference between 4th and 8th is less than one tenth, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow in the sprint and in qualifying!”
Alex Albon (10th): “The weekend has started better than we expected. We don’t have the fastest car, but we took a decent position considering there was only one practice session this weekend.
We have a decent car for the sprint and qualifying; tomorrow I’ll try to maximise its potential.”
Carlos Sainz (8th): “It was a very positive day for us. We expected to have problems on this track, so we chose experimental settings we hadn’t tried yet this year — and it worked.
It’s nice to see both cars in the qualifying final. As usual, our car proved more competitive on the harder tyres.
The difference between 4th and 8th is less than one tenth, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow in the sprint and in qualifying!”
Alex Albon (10th): “The weekend has started better than we expected. We don’t have the fastest car, but we took a decent position considering there was only one practice session this weekend.
We have a decent car for the sprint and qualifying; tomorrow I’ll try to maximise its potential.”
Qatar Grand Prix: Piastri leads in practice
Clear. Dry. Air +26...25°C, track +34...33°C
The round in Qatar was the second in a series of three consecutive races and the penultimate event on the 2025 calendar. The fierce fight for the title continued — everyone wanted to improve their position at the end of the season, especially since a weekend with a Saturday sprint gives two opportunities to score points. There was only one Friday practice, so the track was not empty.
Teams had long since finished developing their cars, adjusting the configuration for the desert circuit, but the stiffest compounds C1, C2 and C3 were used rarely, especially C1 — everyone put it on at the start of the session.
The Qatar circuit is used rarely; at the start of the weekend the asphalt was covered in sand and the Hard tyres lacked grip — almost everyone ran off the track.
Clear. Dry. Air +26...25°C, track +34...33°C
The round in Qatar was the second in a series of three consecutive races and the penultimate event on the 2025 calendar. The fierce fight for the title continued — everyone wanted to improve their position at the end of the season, especially since a weekend with a Saturday sprint gives two opportunities to score points. There was only one Friday practice, so the track was not empty.
Teams had long since finished developing their cars, adjusting the configuration for the desert circuit, but the stiffest compounds C1, C2 and C3 were used rarely, especially C1 — everyone put it on at the start of the session.
The Qatar circuit is used rarely; at the start of the weekend the asphalt was covered in sand and the Hard tyres lacked grip — almost everyone ran off the track.
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Charles Leclerc advanced to the sprint qualifying final in Qatar, where he set the ninth-fastest time. For his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton the session was once again unsuccessful — the seven-time world champion was eliminated in the first session with the eighteenth-fastest time.
Charles Leclerc (9th): "Our qualifying could have been better. I think there was potential today to be in the top five. Before my last flying lap the car in front of me slowed down before Turn 15, so I couldn't build up enough of a gap and started the attempt too close to it. It's part of the game, but we were unlucky. In the sprint I'm going to attack and I hope for some interesting battles."
Lewis Hamilton (18th): "A tough day. We tried several different setup options, but none of them worked. Tonight we'll carefully study the telemetry data and think about how to get back into the fight and perform better on Saturday."
Charles Leclerc (9th): "Our qualifying could have been better. I think there was potential today to be in the top five. Before my last flying lap the car in front of me slowed down before Turn 15, so I couldn't build up enough of a gap and started the attempt too close to it. It's part of the game, but we were unlucky. In the sprint I'm going to attack and I hope for some interesting battles."
Lewis Hamilton (18th): "A tough day. We tried several different setup options, but none of them worked. Tonight we'll carefully study the telemetry data and think about how to get back into the fight and perform better on Saturday."
Racing Bulls drivers did not make the final in qualifying for the sprint in Qatar…
Isaac Hadjar (11th): “I’m disappointed. I did a good lap, but I went off track at turn eight.
It will be difficult to recover in tomorrow’s sprint, but we will do everything we can, and we’ll take the positive moments from today into the main qualifying.”
Liam Lawson (17th): “Today we struggled with the balance all day. After practice we had to take quite a big step and sacrifice a lap. The results are close, I would have liked to do another lap, but that didn’t happen.
This is a useful experience ahead of tomorrow’s sprint race and qualifying; we’ll try to achieve the best possible results.”
Isaac Hadjar (11th): “I’m disappointed. I did a good lap, but I went off track at turn eight.
It will be difficult to recover in tomorrow’s sprint, but we will do everything we can, and we’ll take the positive moments from today into the main qualifying.”
Liam Lawson (17th): “Today we struggled with the balance all day. After practice we had to take quite a big step and sacrifice a lap. The results are close, I would have liked to do another lap, but that didn’t happen.
This is a useful experience ahead of tomorrow’s sprint race and qualifying; we’ll try to achieve the best possible results.”
The German publication Bild reported the arrest of former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil. There are no official details yet, but according to the paper Sutil was arrested during an international operation on charges of fraud and embezzlement. It is expected that, as the investigation progresses, more information will emerge about the circumstances of the arrest and the charges brought.
Adrian Sutil competed in Formula 1 from 2007 to 2014 for Spyker, Force India and Sauber. He scored 124 points in his career, and his best result was fourth place at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix.
This is not Sutil’s first run-in with the law. In 2011 he was involved in a brawl at a Shanghai nightclub, where he injured Lotus team manager Eric Lux with a champagne glass. Sutil was subsequently found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine.
Adrian Sutil competed in Formula 1 from 2007 to 2014 for Spyker, Force India and Sauber. He scored 124 points in his career, and his best result was fourth place at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix.
This is not Sutil’s first run-in with the law. In 2011 he was involved in a brawl at a Shanghai nightclub, where he injured Lotus team manager Eric Lux with a champagne glass. Sutil was subsequently found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine.
Nico Hülkenberg: The balance of power could still change
Sauber drivers put in a decent sprint qualifying and hope for further progress over the course of the weekend…
Gabriel Bortoleto (13th): “We did well, although there’s a feeling we could have got more out of the car. On the first run in the second session there wasn’t enough grip, but after a quick stop in the pits for fine-tuning the second attempt was better.
It’s a bit frustrating that I didn’t make the final — I was short by just one and a half tenths, but in this sport everything is decided by fractions of a second.
As for tomorrow’s sprint, we know that overtaking here isn’t easy. We’ll keep fighting, try to get through the sprint cleanly, and then the qualifying.
Sauber drivers put in a decent sprint qualifying and hope for further progress over the course of the weekend…
Gabriel Bortoleto (13th): “We did well, although there’s a feeling we could have got more out of the car. On the first run in the second session there wasn’t enough grip, but after a quick stop in the pits for fine-tuning the second attempt was better.
It’s a bit frustrating that I didn’t make the final — I was short by just one and a half tenths, but in this sport everything is decided by fractions of a second.
As for tomorrow’s sprint, we know that overtaking here isn’t easy. We’ll keep fighting, try to get through the sprint cleanly, and then the qualifying.
Gasly: The result is disappointing, but we're not fast enough.
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finished at the back of the sprint qualifying in Qatar. The team are unsurprisingly unhappy with the result, but admitted the car lacks pace on this circuit.
Pierre Gasly (19th): “Sprint qualifying wasn’t easy, and the result was disappointing.
On the final lap of the first session I had problems already at turn one due to cold tyres – at the start of the lap there simply wasn’t enough grip, and I lost a lot of time. The tyres gradually warmed up and the second and third sectors went much better, but too much was lost at the start of the lap.
We were probably not quick enough to make it into the second part, but at least we got information and hopefully we can improve in Saturday’s qualifying.
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finished at the back of the sprint qualifying in Qatar. The team are unsurprisingly unhappy with the result, but admitted the car lacks pace on this circuit.
Pierre Gasly (19th): “Sprint qualifying wasn’t easy, and the result was disappointing.
On the final lap of the first session I had problems already at turn one due to cold tyres – at the start of the lap there simply wasn’t enough grip, and I lost a lot of time. The tyres gradually warmed up and the second and third sectors went much better, but too much was lost at the start of the lap.
We were probably not quick enough to make it into the second part, but at least we got information and hopefully we can improve in Saturday’s qualifying.
Pirelli noticed cuts on the tires.
On Friday the drivers were unhappy with the asphalt in Qatar, but Pirelli believes the situation is still better than last year, although they did notice tyre damage by the end of the day…
Simone Berra, Pirelli’s chief engineer: “On Friday the track conditions were definitely better than a year ago, when the wind blew too much sand onto the asphalt. Now the level of grip, combined with the evolution of the cars, has led to lap times being not only better than in equivalent sessions last year, but also better than in the simulator.
In the only practice session teams got to grips with the track using Hard tyres, leaving one set for the race on Sunday, and then finished the session on Softs. The difference between Soft and Medium was clearly noticeable in sprint qualifying, where it amounted to six to seven tenths of a second.
On Friday the drivers were unhappy with the asphalt in Qatar, but Pirelli believes the situation is still better than last year, although they did notice tyre damage by the end of the day…
Simone Berra, Pirelli’s chief engineer: “On Friday the track conditions were definitely better than a year ago, when the wind blew too much sand onto the asphalt. Now the level of grip, combined with the evolution of the cars, has led to lap times being not only better than in equivalent sessions last year, but also better than in the simulator.
In the only practice session teams got to grips with the track using Hard tyres, leaving one set for the race on Sunday, and then finished the session on Softs. The difference between Soft and Medium was clearly noticeable in sprint qualifying, where it amounted to six to seven tenths of a second.
McLaren's Stella advocates for a review of the floor disqualification rule.
He has urged the FIA to contemplate proportionality.
McLaren has arrived in Qatar still grappling with the repercussions of its double disqualification in Las Vegas, with team principal Andrea Stella indicating that the FIA is already looking into whether the floor-wear regulation requires modification.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who faced an identical plank-wear disqualification in China, has openly supported McLaren’s stance that the regulation can penalize teams for minor, unpredictable variations.
"It's a tricky regulation," Leclerc remarked in Qatar. "I'm sure no team goes onto the track with the intention of having an illegal car. It takes very little—perhaps just a gust of wind—to alter everything, and it's incredibly hard to foresee all possible scenarios. These are points that will need discussion.
He has urged the FIA to contemplate proportionality.
McLaren has arrived in Qatar still grappling with the repercussions of its double disqualification in Las Vegas, with team principal Andrea Stella indicating that the FIA is already looking into whether the floor-wear regulation requires modification.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who faced an identical plank-wear disqualification in China, has openly supported McLaren’s stance that the regulation can penalize teams for minor, unpredictable variations.
"It's a tricky regulation," Leclerc remarked in Qatar. "I'm sure no team goes onto the track with the intention of having an illegal car. It takes very little—perhaps just a gust of wind—to alter everything, and it's incredibly hard to foresee all possible scenarios. These are points that will need discussion.
Marko questions Newey's ability to succeed as the Aston boss.
"That truly took me by surprise."
Dr. Helmut Marko has cast doubt on the unexpected decision to appoint Adrian Newey as Aston Martin's next team principal, while Fernando Alonso asserts that the renowned designer had already been acting as a de-facto leader behind the scenes. In an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Marko, a close former colleague of Newey at Red Bull, expressed his astonishment. "That truly took me by surprise," he remarked. "We'll have to see how that unfolds in practice."
Marko cautioned that the new position entails greater involvement in race weekend operations and management—an area he believes is not Newey's strongest attribute. "That is certainly not his strength," he stated. "His major strengths lie in design, car setup, and the quality of production and development.
"That truly took me by surprise."
Dr. Helmut Marko has cast doubt on the unexpected decision to appoint Adrian Newey as Aston Martin's next team principal, while Fernando Alonso asserts that the renowned designer had already been acting as a de-facto leader behind the scenes. In an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Marko, a close former colleague of Newey at Red Bull, expressed his astonishment. "That truly took me by surprise," he remarked. "We'll have to see how that unfolds in practice."
Marko cautioned that the new position entails greater involvement in race weekend operations and management—an area he believes is not Newey's strongest attribute. "That is certainly not his strength," he stated. "His major strengths lie in design, car setup, and the quality of production and development.
Belgian GP director criticized for trip to Qatar.
"You must accept accountability"
A new controversy in Belgian politics has unexpectedly brought the future of the grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps back into the spotlight. Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the MR party and newly appointed vice-president of the Spa Grand Prix organization, skipped an important budget vote in the Federal Parliament on Thursday to attend the Formula 1 race in Qatar this weekend, as reported by RTBF. Bouchez stated he was in Doha "as vice-president of Spa Grand Prix to engage with F1 management and other promoters to secure future editions of the Grand Prix." MR parliamentary leader Benoit Piedboeuf supported him, saying, "He went to negotiate an important contract - we’ll see what the outcome is.
"You must accept accountability"
A new controversy in Belgian politics has unexpectedly brought the future of the grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps back into the spotlight. Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the MR party and newly appointed vice-president of the Spa Grand Prix organization, skipped an important budget vote in the Federal Parliament on Thursday to attend the Formula 1 race in Qatar this weekend, as reported by RTBF. Bouchez stated he was in Doha "as vice-president of Spa Grand Prix to engage with F1 management and other promoters to secure future editions of the Grand Prix." MR parliamentary leader Benoit Piedboeuf supported him, saying, "He went to negotiate an important contract - we’ll see what the outcome is.
After Formula 2 qualifying in Qatar the stewards penalized pole-sitter Oliver Goethe. The MP Motorsport driver impeded Martinius Stenshorne in turn six while he was on a flying lap. As a penalty Goethe will drop three places on the grid for Sunday's race. Thus, the Formula 2 pole for Sunday will be taken by the championship leader, Leonardo Fornaroli.
Verstappen believes it's time for McLaren's impressive title run to come to an end.
"It's a bit early to determine if there's an issue."
Max Verstappen's pursuit of the championship became even more challenging on Friday in Qatar, as the Red Bull driver finished P6 in sprint qualifying, even trailing Yuki Tsunoda for the first time. "Yeah, not good," Verstappen conceded, attributing his lack of speed to understeer and "bouncing." Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies informed Canal Plus that the team was looking into whether an earlier off-track incident caused damage to the floor. "It's a bit early to assess if there's a problem, but we didn’t perform at the level we would have preferred," he stated. "We were quite wide on the first run—very wide, indeed," he chuckled. "Did that damage the floor? That's what we're investigating.
"It's a bit early to determine if there's an issue."
Max Verstappen's pursuit of the championship became even more challenging on Friday in Qatar, as the Red Bull driver finished P6 in sprint qualifying, even trailing Yuki Tsunoda for the first time. "Yeah, not good," Verstappen conceded, attributing his lack of speed to understeer and "bouncing." Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies informed Canal Plus that the team was looking into whether an earlier off-track incident caused damage to the floor. "It's a bit early to assess if there's a problem, but we didn’t perform at the level we would have preferred," he stated. "We were quite wide on the first run—very wide, indeed," he chuckled. "Did that damage the floor? That's what we're investigating.
Hamilton bows out in Qatar as Ralf speculates on the future.
Lewis Hamilton has entered a phase of complete silence in Qatar, providing some of the briefest and coldest responses of his career following another challenging day. When asked to comment on his disappointing P18 finish in sprint qualifying, the seven-time world champion straightforwardly stated: "Same as always." In response to whether the trial with the higher-downforce wing was effective, Hamilton replied: "No, clearly not." When questioned about any positives from Qatar thus far, he remarked: "The weather’s nice."
His evasive stance comes shortly after Ferrari chairman John Elkann encouraged him to "talk less," amidst increasing speculation regarding his commitment following his remark in Las Vegas that he’s "not looking forward" to 2026.
Lewis Hamilton has entered a phase of complete silence in Qatar, providing some of the briefest and coldest responses of his career following another challenging day. When asked to comment on his disappointing P18 finish in sprint qualifying, the seven-time world champion straightforwardly stated: "Same as always." In response to whether the trial with the higher-downforce wing was effective, Hamilton replied: "No, clearly not." When questioned about any positives from Qatar thus far, he remarked: "The weather’s nice."
His evasive stance comes shortly after Ferrari chairman John Elkann encouraged him to "talk less," amidst increasing speculation regarding his commitment following his remark in Las Vegas that he’s "not looking forward" to 2026.
FIA dismisses request for immediate alterations following the meeting.
The ongoing conflict regarding Formula 1’s controversial driving standards guidelines has entered a new stage in Qatar, with the FIA releasing an official statement after a significant GPDA meeting, but confirming that no alterations will be made for Qatar or Abu Dhabi.
GPDA leaders George Russell and Carlos Sainz have spearheaded the opposition against the Driving Standards Guidelines (DSGs), claiming these rules have turned competitive racing into a bureaucratic formality. Russell stated clearly, "A global sport such as Formula 1, which generates billions in revenue, must invest in permanent stewards." Sainz expressed even stronger sentiments before the meeting, saying, "There’s been a considerable amount of division among drivers, the FIA, and stewards. There is a lot of confusion.
The ongoing conflict regarding Formula 1’s controversial driving standards guidelines has entered a new stage in Qatar, with the FIA releasing an official statement after a significant GPDA meeting, but confirming that no alterations will be made for Qatar or Abu Dhabi.
GPDA leaders George Russell and Carlos Sainz have spearheaded the opposition against the Driving Standards Guidelines (DSGs), claiming these rules have turned competitive racing into a bureaucratic formality. Russell stated clearly, "A global sport such as Formula 1, which generates billions in revenue, must invest in permanent stewards." Sainz expressed even stronger sentiments before the meeting, saying, "There’s been a considerable amount of division among drivers, the FIA, and stewards. There is a lot of confusion.
Tsunoda dismisses reserve concept following Qatar advantage.
Yuki Tsunoda has expressed that he does not plan to spend 2026 on the sidelines, particularly after achieving one of the most significant qualifying results of his Formula 1 career. The Japanese driver impressed by securing P5 in Qatar's sprint qualifying, marking the first time he has outqualified Max Verstappen, during a weekend when Red Bull is close to finalizing its delayed 2026 lineups.
As Red Bull and Racing Bulls manage four candidates for three seats—Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and up-and-coming talent Arvid Lindblad—the timing is favorable for the 25-year-old. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane acknowledged that the internal situation is not completely resolved: "I have an idea, but it’s not really finalized yet.
Yuki Tsunoda has expressed that he does not plan to spend 2026 on the sidelines, particularly after achieving one of the most significant qualifying results of his Formula 1 career. The Japanese driver impressed by securing P5 in Qatar's sprint qualifying, marking the first time he has outqualified Max Verstappen, during a weekend when Red Bull is close to finalizing its delayed 2026 lineups.
As Red Bull and Racing Bulls manage four candidates for three seats—Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and up-and-coming talent Arvid Lindblad—the timing is favorable for the 25-year-old. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane acknowledged that the internal situation is not completely resolved: "I have an idea, but it’s not really finalized yet.
Arnoux: Norris faces greater pressure than Verstappen.
"Max will do everything to win"
Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux contends that Max Verstappen is still a formidable contender in the 2025 championship battle, maintaining that the Dutch driver approaches the Qatar-Abu Dhabi finale with "nothing to lose," while Lando Norris bears the burden of expectations. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Arnoux mentioned that only Verstappen is capable of overcoming a 24-point gap with two races and a sprint still to go. "If anyone can do it, it’s him," Arnoux stated.
"In Formula 1, the margin is just a few tenths, and that's where he excels. He displays remarkable consistency and the ability to enhance his performance throughout the weekend, even if things start poorly. In wet conditions, he’s the only one who can achieve victory from the last position," he noted.
"Max will do everything to win"
Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux contends that Max Verstappen is still a formidable contender in the 2025 championship battle, maintaining that the Dutch driver approaches the Qatar-Abu Dhabi finale with "nothing to lose," while Lando Norris bears the burden of expectations. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Arnoux mentioned that only Verstappen is capable of overcoming a 24-point gap with two races and a sprint still to go. "If anyone can do it, it’s him," Arnoux stated.
"In Formula 1, the margin is just a few tenths, and that's where he excels. He displays remarkable consistency and the ability to enhance his performance throughout the weekend, even if things start poorly. In wet conditions, he’s the only one who can achieve victory from the last position," he noted.