McLaren Sets The Pace As Verstappen Battles Early Issues Before Sprint Qualifying
The 2025 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix weekend opened with a dramatic and highly competitive sole practice session at the Lusail International Circuit, where Oscar Piastri set the benchmark ahead of a tightly packed field. With the sprint-weekend format allowing only one hour of running before competitive sessions begin, teams faced intense pressure to extract performance quickly — and McLaren rose to the occasion.
Piastri Tops The Times With Norris Close Behind
Oscar Piastri delivered a standout performance, clocking a 1:20.924 to finish the session fastest. His McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris ended the session just 0.058 seconds adrift, giving the team a commanding one–two heading into sprint qualifying.
The result continues McLaren’s strong momentum in the 2025 season, with both drivers consistently at the sharp end and locked in a fierce internal championship fight.
Alonso Impresses As Ferrari And Red Bull Chase Pace
Fernando Alonso showed strong form for Aston Martin, finishing third and less than four-tenths off Piastri’s leading time. Carlos Sainz followed in fourth for Ferrari, while Isack Hadjar delivered one of the standout laps of the session to place fifth.
The midfield remained tightly bunched, with mere tenths separating several teams as they rushed through setup changes and tyre evaluations.
Verstappen Shows Speed But Reports Steering Problems
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen ended the session in sixth place, just over half a second off the top, but his run was far from smooth. Verstappen reported steering inconsistencies and an unsettled car balance, raising concerns within the Red Bull camp with sprint qualifying looming.
Despite the issues, his pace suggests he remains very much in contention — provided Red Bull can address the mechanical complaints in time.
High Stakes Ahead Of Sprint Qualifying
With practice complete, all focus now shifts to sprint qualifying, where drivers will fight for the grid positions for Saturday’s sprint race. The slim gaps between the top teams hint at a closely contested weekend, and the evolving track conditions under Qatar’s desert lights are expected to add further unpredictability.
McLaren enters the next session as the clear early favourite, but with Verstappen hungry, Ferrari competitive, and Alonso typically relentless, the battle for Qatar supremacy is only just beginning.
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