Author: Barkha Roy
Max Verstappen, ready to secure his third consecutive world championship title, set the pace in the only practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix. However, the demanding conditions at the Losail International Circuit cast doubt on what was to come in the day’s qualifying session.
Driving for Red Bull, Verstappen recorded a time of 1:27.428, putting him 0.3 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz in second place, with Sainz’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc a further tenth of a second behind in third.
Formula 1’s return to Qatar, almost two years after its inaugural Grand Prix in 2021, has presented new challenges. The track had a new surface, relentless winds that deposited sand on the circuit and the setting sun, all contributing to a rigorous practice session.
Fernando Alonso secured fourth position, recording the fastest time among those who didn’t use soft tires during the session, preserving them for later use in the Sprint weekend format.
Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez, came fifth. Pérez has the task of overtaking Verstappen by six points in Saturday’s Sprint race to delay Verstappen’s seemingly inevitable championship win until Sunday.
At Mercedes, George Russell finished eighth, while his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was 13th, as the team opted to stick with the soft tires. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took ninth and tenth positions respectively, achieving their best lap times on the medium compound tires.
Three cars don’t go into one! 😱#QatarGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/zsjs6C7SkR
– Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2023
Despite Verstappen’s substantial lead over the Ferraris in practice, the imminent change in track conditions for qualifying, with cooler temperatures and night races, leaves the expected qualifying order in doubt.
To add to the uncertainty, McLaren, seen as one of Red Bull’s main competitors this weekend, opted not to use soft tires during practice.
Even Verstappen, on the verge of securing another championship, struggled at the start of the session, coming off the track several times. Many other riders faced the challenge of staying on the circuit amid strong gusts of wind.
Points&
Podium&
Pole&
P1&
Piastri.What a stunning rookie season from @OscarPiastri 😍#QatarGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/3TEM5nhYpY
– Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2023
Grip remained difficult even when the drivers switched to soft tires in the latter stages of practice. Williams’ Alex Albon had to abandon his impulse laps twice due to track excursions.
Given the conditions of the circuit, track position and weather are likely to play key roles in qualifying, with the surface expected to improve as the session unfolds. The opportunity to set a lap at the end of the stint could be decisive, provided any driver has the pace to challenge Verstappen in what looks set to be a weekend defined by the Dutch driver’s dominance.