1. Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:20.055
2. George Russell
Mercedes
1:20.087
+ 0.032
3. Lando Norris
McLaren
1:20.285
+ 0.230
4. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:20.450
+ 0.395
5. Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull
1:20.519
+ 0.464
6. Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:20.528
+ 0.473
7. Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:20.532
+ 0.477
8. Carlos Sainz
Williams
1:20.542
+ 0.487
9. Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:20.622
+ 0.567
10. Alex Albon
Williams
1:20.788
+ 0.733
11. Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
1:21.433
12. Oliver Bearman
Haas
1:21.494
13. Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
1:21.567
14. Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
1:21.631
15. Esteban Ocon
Haas
1:21.666
16. Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:21.851
Start from pit lane
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:21.807
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1:22.043
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:22.112
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Franco Colapinto
Alpine
1:22.364
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
McLaren
1:20.055
2. George Russell
Mercedes
1:20.087
+ 0.032
3. Lando Norris
McLaren
1:20.285
+ 0.230
4. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:20.450
+ 0.395
5. Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull
1:20.519
+ 0.464
6. Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:20.528
+ 0.473
7. Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:20.532
+ 0.477
8. Carlos Sainz
Williams
1:20.542
+ 0.487
9. Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:20.622
+ 0.567
10. Alex Albon
Williams
1:20.788
+ 0.733
11. Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
1:21.433
12. Oliver Bearman
Haas
1:21.494
13. Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
1:21.567
14. Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
1:21.631
15. Esteban Ocon
Haas
1:21.666
16. Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:21.851
Start from pit lane
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:21.807
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1:22.043
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:22.112
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Franco Colapinto
Alpine
1:22.364
penalized for violating the parc fermé rule
Vasser: We already switched to 2026 back in April.
In Qatar, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur spoke about the season’s results and plans for 2026...
Question: Frédéric, your drivers’ comments in the media in recent weeks have attracted a lot of attention. How difficult was it for you to deal with that situation?
Frédéric Vasseur: To be honest, I fully understand the drivers’ frustration after a crash, especially when they are not at fault, or after a bad performance. We feel the same frustration in the pit and on the pit wall. The most important thing is the reaction after the disappointment.
Honestly, I think frustration can sometimes be useful. The main thing is the ability on Monday morning to be fully focused on the next race, the next season, the future. I would be disappointed if the drivers were happy after a poor weekend.
In Qatar, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur spoke about the season’s results and plans for 2026...
Question: Frédéric, your drivers’ comments in the media in recent weeks have attracted a lot of attention. How difficult was it for you to deal with that situation?
Frédéric Vasseur: To be honest, I fully understand the drivers’ frustration after a crash, especially when they are not at fault, or after a bad performance. We feel the same frustration in the pit and on the pit wall. The most important thing is the reaction after the disappointment.
Honestly, I think frustration can sometimes be useful. The main thing is the ability on Monday morning to be fully focused on the next race, the next season, the future. I would be disappointed if the drivers were happy after a poor weekend.
Isola: We had to completely redesign the tires.
Pirelli's head of motorsport Mario Isola on the characteristics of the circuit in Qatar and the 2026 tyres…
Question: Mario, before the weekend you limited the distance for each set of tyres – no more than 25 laps. What is the reason?
Mario Isola: That decision was made last year. Back then there were several punctures during the race, and when we inspected the rubber after the finish it was worn to 100% and even beyond. Already on Saturday after the sprint it was clear that after 25–26 laps the tyres were very worn. Thus, during the race, after 34–35 laps the tyres were effectively running on a high-load circuit without tread. And when you run without tread, the risk of puncture increases. So we decided to limit the distance.
Question: We've been in this situation a couple of years ago.
Pirelli's head of motorsport Mario Isola on the characteristics of the circuit in Qatar and the 2026 tyres…
Question: Mario, before the weekend you limited the distance for each set of tyres – no more than 25 laps. What is the reason?
Mario Isola: That decision was made last year. Back then there were several punctures during the race, and when we inspected the rubber after the finish it was worn to 100% and even beyond. Already on Saturday after the sprint it was clear that after 25–26 laps the tyres were very worn. Thus, during the race, after 34–35 laps the tyres were effectively running on a high-load circuit without tread. And when you run without tread, the risk of puncture increases. So we decided to limit the distance.
Question: We've been in this situation a couple of years ago.
Oscar Piastri won the sprint in Qatar and cut his deficit to Lando Norris in the drivers' standings to 22 points. After the finish, the Australian McLaren driver briefly summed up the session.
Oscar Piastri: "So far the weekend has been going well. The sprint went smoothly, and I'm pleased with how things are going. I need to keep doing the same.
The Qatar circuit is very different from the ones we've raced on recently. There are higher speeds here and more grip from the asphalt. I think that in recent weekends my problems were related to things not coming together, rather than a lack of pace.
In Qatar everything is running smoothly, and I have strong pace. I like this track, and I'm enjoying it again.
Ideally now we need to find a way to improve in qualifying. On sprint weekends everyone gradually finds more speed, so you have to get everything out of the car."
Oscar Piastri: "So far the weekend has been going well. The sprint went smoothly, and I'm pleased with how things are going. I need to keep doing the same.
The Qatar circuit is very different from the ones we've raced on recently. There are higher speeds here and more grip from the asphalt. I think that in recent weekends my problems were related to things not coming together, rather than a lack of pace.
In Qatar everything is running smoothly, and I have strong pace. I like this track, and I'm enjoying it again.
Ideally now we need to find a way to improve in qualifying. On sprint weekends everyone gradually finds more speed, so you have to get everything out of the car."
Lando Norris did the minimum in the sprint in Qatar, finishing third. In the opening laps Max Verstappen tried to attack him, but the McLaren driver held his position. After the finish Lando commented on the sprint.
Lando Norris: “To be honest, I didn’t see Max in the mirrors even once. I was just looking at George’s car ahead and trying to move up. We had a very tight fight at the start, and I didn’t see what was happening behind me.
The sprint turned into a long stint where you had to constantly attack. Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. It’s very difficult to overtake on this track, so everything will depend on qualifying.
The team once again gave me a great car, as they have all year. The car is quick; doing a perfect lap in qualifying will be incredibly difficult, but I’m ready for it.”
Lando Norris: “To be honest, I didn’t see Max in the mirrors even once. I was just looking at George’s car ahead and trying to move up. We had a very tight fight at the start, and I didn’t see what was happening behind me.
The sprint turned into a long stint where you had to constantly attack. Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. It’s very difficult to overtake on this track, so everything will depend on qualifying.
The team once again gave me a great car, as they have all year. The car is quick; doing a perfect lap in qualifying will be incredibly difficult, but I’m ready for it.”
Starting the Qatar sprint second, as he did a year ago, George Russell this time retained the position, although after the finish he admitted it wasn't easy...
George Russell: "Good race. It's nice to finish second. Of course, we know those McLaren guys are very quick, but the last two laps were a real test.
This track is very fast, one of the most enjoyable to drive, but it puts a lot of strain on the cars and the tyres. I'm glad I was able to finish."
George Russell: "Good race. It's nice to finish second. Of course, we know those McLaren guys are very quick, but the last two laps were a real test.
This track is very fast, one of the most enjoyable to drive, but it puts a lot of strain on the cars and the tyres. I'm glad I was able to finish."
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Max Verstappen finished fourth in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint, behind his title rivals — Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. After the sprint the Red Bull Racing driver spoke about the problems that prevented him from achieving a better result.
Max Verstappen: "So far the weekend has been difficult. The start was good and in the first three laps I attacked more aggressively than the guys ahead, as I was trying to seize the opportunity, knowing it would be difficult to overtake later. That's how it went — as the tyres wore, all the problems that had been there before returned. That prevented me from closely following my rivals, so there was nothing left to do but run my own race. We need to work on this and try to solve the porpoising, the car's bouncing and the lack of turn-in in long corners. This still remains a serious problem."
Max Verstappen: "So far the weekend has been difficult. The start was good and in the first three laps I attacked more aggressively than the guys ahead, as I was trying to seize the opportunity, knowing it would be difficult to overtake later. That's how it went — as the tyres wore, all the problems that had been there before returned. That prevented me from closely following my rivals, so there was nothing left to do but run my own race. We need to work on this and try to solve the porpoising, the car's bouncing and the lack of turn-in in long corners. This still remains a serious problem."
Charles Leclerc lost four places at the start of the sprint in Qatar and finished thirteenth. After the sprint the Ferrari driver was deeply puzzled, as he did not understand why the car handled worse than the day before.
Charles Leclerc: "Definitely the car was worse today than it was yesterday. I have no idea what happened after qualifying, but the driving feel changed completely. And I don't know what that's related to.
We'll try to fix everything, but I fully agree with what Lewis said that today it was very difficult to drive the car, if not to say it was even worse than before.
On the first lap I had trouble just keeping the car on the track. I lost four or five places, and then kept making mistakes because it was very difficult to drive. I don't understand what's going on."
Charles Leclerc: "Definitely the car was worse today than it was yesterday. I have no idea what happened after qualifying, but the driving feel changed completely. And I don't know what that's related to.
We'll try to fix everything, but I fully agree with what Lewis said that today it was very difficult to drive the car, if not to say it was even worse than before.
On the first lap I had trouble just keeping the car on the track. I lost four or five places, and then kept making mistakes because it was very difficult to drive. I don't understand what's going on."
Ferrari's drivers failed to score points in Saturday's sprint in Qatar; Charles Leclerc started ninth and finished 13th, while Lewis Hamilton began the race from the pit lane and emotionally described how he felt on Sky Sport F1...
Lewis Hamilton: "I started from the pit lane because we wanted to try something and we made changes in parc fermé. Last night they saw something on the simulator — and decided to try it.
We made those adjustments, but the car's behaviour changed in a completely different direction, not the one we expected. For some reason it became very, very difficult to drive, obviously for both of us.
The car has absolutely no stability. The rear lacks grip, it is constantly sliding. In turn ten there is a wobble; at the apex you get severe understeer — when you turn the wheel it jerks, and you try to hold it.
The car's behaviour changes depending on which section you're on — slow, medium-speed or fast — it's just unbelievable."
Lewis Hamilton: "I started from the pit lane because we wanted to try something and we made changes in parc fermé. Last night they saw something on the simulator — and decided to try it.
We made those adjustments, but the car's behaviour changed in a completely different direction, not the one we expected. For some reason it became very, very difficult to drive, obviously for both of us.
The car has absolutely no stability. The rear lacks grip, it is constantly sliding. In turn ten there is a wobble; at the apex you get severe understeer — when you turn the wheel it jerks, and you try to hold it.
The car's behaviour changes depending on which section you're on — slow, medium-speed or fast — it's just unbelievable."
F2: Verschoor won the Saturday sprint in Qatar.
Richard Fershor won Saturday's Formula 2 sprint race in Qatar. Joining him on the podium were Joshua Duerksen and Rafael Villagomes. For the MP Motorsport driver the victory was his fourth of the season.
At the start the pole-sitter Fershor made a hesitant launch and on the run to the first corner relinquished the lead, allowing Duerksen through.
Nikolа Tsolov overtook Rafael Villagomes in the fight for third place. Viktor Marten lost two positions, dropping back to 10th. Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli rose from ninth to eighth. His closest rival in the standings, Jack Crawford, gained four places and moved up to 11th. Luke Browning remained eighteenth.
In the opening laps Duerksen could not break away from Fershor, and on the fourth of twenty-three laps Richard launched an attack and regained the lead he had lost at the start at the first corner.
Richard Fershor won Saturday's Formula 2 sprint race in Qatar. Joining him on the podium were Joshua Duerksen and Rafael Villagomes. For the MP Motorsport driver the victory was his fourth of the season.
At the start the pole-sitter Fershor made a hesitant launch and on the run to the first corner relinquished the lead, allowing Duerksen through.
Nikolа Tsolov overtook Rafael Villagomes in the fight for third place. Viktor Marten lost two positions, dropping back to 10th. Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli rose from ninth to eighth. His closest rival in the standings, Jack Crawford, gained four places and moved up to 11th. Luke Browning remained eighteenth.
In the opening laps Duerksen could not break away from Fershor, and on the fourth of twenty-three laps Richard launched an attack and regained the lead he had lost at the start at the first corner.
In 2026 a factory Audi team will enter Formula 1 and is gradually announcing its partners and sponsors.
It was fitting that, during the Qatar Grand Prix, a deal with a local sponsor was announced — Visit Qatar has become the Audi team's new sponsor.
Jonathan Wheatley, team principal: "The Qatar Grand Prix has become a significant event on the Formula 1 calendar. The arrival of Visit Qatar as a partner and the opportunity to present to Formula 1 fans around the world the country's unique blend of culture, warmth and innovation is a logical step to showcase its best qualities.
We are pleased to work with Visit Qatar to organise unique fan events, cultural activities and digital initiatives to strengthen global cultural ties on the Formula 1 platform."
It was fitting that, during the Qatar Grand Prix, a deal with a local sponsor was announced — Visit Qatar has become the Audi team's new sponsor.
Jonathan Wheatley, team principal: "The Qatar Grand Prix has become a significant event on the Formula 1 calendar. The arrival of Visit Qatar as a partner and the opportunity to present to Formula 1 fans around the world the country's unique blend of culture, warmth and innovation is a logical step to showcase its best qualities.
We are pleased to work with Visit Qatar to organise unique fan events, cultural activities and digital initiatives to strengthen global cultural ties on the Formula 1 platform."
At the press conference after the sprint Max Verstappen said that he would have easily won the title this year if he had been driving for McLaren. Lando Norris replied that the Red Bull driver is talking nonsense...
Lando Norris: "You know, Max can say whatever he wants. He's earned that right. He's won four championship titles. I have a lot of respect for him; he's achieved an incredible amount, more than anyone can imagine. He's well versed in many things, but there are no fewer questions about which he hasn't the slightest idea.
At Red Bull they behave the same way too — they act aggressively, people say all sorts of rubbish. It depends on whether you want to listen to it and discuss how the media operate, or not. We as a team don't pay attention to such statements, we stay focused and think only about the work. Maybe he would have easily won this year, I don't know, but he hasn't managed to do it so far, and he keeps trying."
Lando Norris: "You know, Max can say whatever he wants. He's earned that right. He's won four championship titles. I have a lot of respect for him; he's achieved an incredible amount, more than anyone can imagine. He's well versed in many things, but there are no fewer questions about which he hasn't the slightest idea.
At Red Bull they behave the same way too — they act aggressively, people say all sorts of rubbish. It depends on whether you want to listen to it and discuss how the media operate, or not. We as a team don't pay attention to such statements, we stay focused and think only about the work. Maybe he would have easily won this year, I don't know, but he hasn't managed to do it so far, and he keeps trying."
Piastri: The race will be challenging, but incredibly interesting.
Oscar Piastri won qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix and will start on pole for the main race of the weekend for the sixth time this season.
His teammate Lando Norris made a mistake on the final flying lap and aborted the attempt. Nevertheless, his previous time was enough for Lando to secure second on the grid. For McLaren this is the team's fifth full front row of the season and the 71st in its history.
Oscar Piastri (1st): “We practically didn't change anything on the car because it had been great all weekend. If something works, you shouldn't fix it!
The team did a fantastic job. We still had the question of which tyres to run, because in the second session I did a quick lap on used tyres. But the final attempt was very good on new tyres, so I'm very happy.
Oscar Piastri won qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix and will start on pole for the main race of the weekend for the sixth time this season.
His teammate Lando Norris made a mistake on the final flying lap and aborted the attempt. Nevertheless, his previous time was enough for Lando to secure second on the grid. For McLaren this is the team's fifth full front row of the season and the 71st in its history.
Oscar Piastri (1st): “We practically didn't change anything on the car because it had been great all weekend. If something works, you shouldn't fix it!
The team did a fantastic job. We still had the question of which tyres to run, because in the second session I did a quick lap on used tyres. But the final attempt was very good on new tyres, so I'm very happy.
Max Verstappen was beaten by the McLaren drivers both in the Saturday sprint and in qualifying…
Max Verstappen (3rd): "Qualifying went a bit better than the other sessions, but we were still quite far from our target.
I was slightly more satisfied with the car, but some of its limitations still don't allow us to achieve more. But at least I'm third, which gives decent chances in the race. We know how difficult it is to overtake here.
To be honest, this whole weekend has been difficult for us. So far things aren't going the way I'd like, but we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Yuki Tsunoda (16th): "A mixed day. The sprint went well, but qualifying didn't. In the sprint I had a good start; I could have taken more risk, but I wanted to preserve the car. Max also had a good start – and I was able to help him a bit [by giving up a position]. I received a five-second penalty, but otherwise it went well.
I don't understand what happened later in qualifying. We didn't change the setup, we didn't do anything to the car, but I had no grip on the track – I unexpectedly lost my previous pace. I did my fast lap cautiously, even more carefully than yesterday, and I can't explain why the result was completely different. Tomorrow I'll do everything to make up for it. I'll try to get my previous speed back and overtake as many rivals as possible."
Max Verstappen (3rd): "Qualifying went a bit better than the other sessions, but we were still quite far from our target.
I was slightly more satisfied with the car, but some of its limitations still don't allow us to achieve more. But at least I'm third, which gives decent chances in the race. We know how difficult it is to overtake here.
To be honest, this whole weekend has been difficult for us. So far things aren't going the way I'd like, but we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Yuki Tsunoda (16th): "A mixed day. The sprint went well, but qualifying didn't. In the sprint I had a good start; I could have taken more risk, but I wanted to preserve the car. Max also had a good start – and I was able to help him a bit [by giving up a position]. I received a five-second penalty, but otherwise it went well.
I don't understand what happened later in qualifying. We didn't change the setup, we didn't do anything to the car, but I had no grip on the track – I unexpectedly lost my previous pace. I did my fast lap cautiously, even more carefully than yesterday, and I can't explain why the result was completely different. Tomorrow I'll do everything to make up for it. I'll try to get my previous speed back and overtake as many rivals as possible."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, in an interview with Sky Sports F1, summed up qualifying and explained why Lando Norris did not finish his last fast lap…
Andrea Stella: "After yesterday's sprint qualifying and the sprint we saw an opportunity to make the car better – it lacked stability under braking, and I'm grateful to our drivers and engineers for helping to make it better. Today in qualifying that helped Oscar and Lando go faster.
As has been the case all season, the fight between them was close, with tenths and hundredths of a second deciding everything – Oscar managed to improve on his second attempt, while Lando interrupted his by running off the track.
Oscar deserved that pole. I hope we achieve a good result in the race tomorrow. Lando didn't run off the track, but he was close to it at turn two, so he had to lift and brake. The time loss was too great; he wouldn't have been able to make it up, so he didn't finish the lap and came into the pits."
Andrea Stella: "After yesterday's sprint qualifying and the sprint we saw an opportunity to make the car better – it lacked stability under braking, and I'm grateful to our drivers and engineers for helping to make it better. Today in qualifying that helped Oscar and Lando go faster.
As has been the case all season, the fight between them was close, with tenths and hundredths of a second deciding everything – Oscar managed to improve on his second attempt, while Lando interrupted his by running off the track.
Oscar deserved that pole. I hope we achieve a good result in the race tomorrow. Lando didn't run off the track, but he was close to it at turn two, so he had to lift and brake. The time loss was too great; he wouldn't have been able to make it up, so he didn't finish the lap and came into the pits."
After reviewing the circumstances of the incident that occurred in Saturday's qualifying, when Carlos Sainz went out onto the track with a large piece of plastic film on his wheel, the stewards of the Qatar Grand Prix imposed a monetary fine on the team. Williams was fined €5,000 for an unsafe release of the car onto the track.
Charles Leclerc: You can't get any more out of the car.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton posted the tenth and eighteenth fastest times in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Both Ferrari drivers agreed that the result reflects a lack of pace from the SF-25.
Charles Leclerc (10th): "Unfortunately, a bit of everything was working against us. There was insufficient turn-in in the middle of the corner, and too much on entry and exit. The race weekend has been incredibly difficult for us because it's not easy to keep the car on the track. It's frustrating that after taking maximum risks and putting in a really good lap I'm only tenth with no chance to achieve more.
I agree with Lewis that the car is fairly normal, but it doesn't seem possible to squeeze much more speed out of it. We're not in the positions we want to be. Compared to Friday I've already changed a lot on the car, but I couldn't get more out of it.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton posted the tenth and eighteenth fastest times in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Both Ferrari drivers agreed that the result reflects a lack of pace from the SF-25.
Charles Leclerc (10th): "Unfortunately, a bit of everything was working against us. There was insufficient turn-in in the middle of the corner, and too much on entry and exit. The race weekend has been incredibly difficult for us because it's not easy to keep the car on the track. It's frustrating that after taking maximum risks and putting in a really good lap I'm only tenth with no chance to achieve more.
I agree with Lewis that the car is fairly normal, but it doesn't seem possible to squeeze much more speed out of it. We're not in the positions we want to be. Compared to Friday I've already changed a lot on the car, but I couldn't get more out of it.
In qualifying in Qatar, Haas F1 rookie Oliver Bearman once again outqualified Esteban Ocon, but was left unhappy with the result…
Oliver Bearman (13th): "The sprint was difficult due to an unhappy balance and went by without much incident. It got worse with every lap, so in the final laps I was just trying to keep the car on the track. We learned a lot and will be able to fix the situation for tomorrow's race. On Friday we were also lacking on the high-speed sections – that's exactly where we need to improve now.
In qualifying the car improved. I felt a clear step forward compared to yesterday. Unfortunately, in the second session we, in my view, chose the wrong approach. I did two quick laps, and it's clear now that the tyres reached their peak already on the first one, when I still had fuel in the tanks for a second lap. Overall, we've made progress compared to Friday, and I'm now looking forward to tomorrow."
Esteban Ocon (17th): "The sprint was tough. I had a good start, but the tyres quickly lost performance and I couldn't keep pace with the nearest rivals.
In qualifying we tried to change the situation through the setup, but the main problem remained – we can't run a front wing with more downforce on the car; it's still very unstable on turn-in and under braking. I hope the high tyre wear in the race will help us fight through the pack – right now that's our only hope."
Oliver Bearman (13th): "The sprint was difficult due to an unhappy balance and went by without much incident. It got worse with every lap, so in the final laps I was just trying to keep the car on the track. We learned a lot and will be able to fix the situation for tomorrow's race. On Friday we were also lacking on the high-speed sections – that's exactly where we need to improve now.
In qualifying the car improved. I felt a clear step forward compared to yesterday. Unfortunately, in the second session we, in my view, chose the wrong approach. I did two quick laps, and it's clear now that the tyres reached their peak already on the first one, when I still had fuel in the tanks for a second lap. Overall, we've made progress compared to Friday, and I'm now looking forward to tomorrow."
Esteban Ocon (17th): "The sprint was tough. I had a good start, but the tyres quickly lost performance and I couldn't keep pace with the nearest rivals.
In qualifying we tried to change the situation through the setup, but the main problem remained – we can't run a front wing with more downforce on the car; it's still very unstable on turn-in and under braking. I hope the high tyre wear in the race will help us fight through the pack – right now that's our only hope."