F1 Qatar GP live commentary and updates - Qualifying

Report: Piastri gets first pole since Zandvoort, Norris second after error

You can recap what happened in our report, courtesy of Jake Boxall-Legge.

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

In fact it's only Piastri's first top three start in the last five races after his late season slump.

Norris has qualified second 12 times in his F1 career, and has never won from there.

Is it win or bust, asks interviewer and former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

"Pretty much!", Piastri replies.

If the Aussie converts his pole, he will take the title fight to Abu Dhabi next week. He basically has to finish in front of his team-mate no matter what.

It's only his first pole since Zandvoort and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Verstappen: "This qualifying was a little bit better even though we're still quite far off. I felt happier but still some limitations that didn't allow us to push harder around the lap. But it's hard to pass around here, so P3 creates some opportunities at least.

"This weekend is not what I wanted it to be, but we'll see what we can do tomorrow. It's still not amazing."

Norris: "I had oversteer and had to abort. Nothing to complain about, Oscar did a great job. In the first lap there's opportunities for everyone, but after that it will be pretty straightforward."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

"We left it pretty much the same, very minor tweaks," Piastri says. "It felt great all weekend. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

[The race will be] pretty tough, with the two pitstops we'll be running pretty hard. You're pulling an insane amount of G-forces around here."

What happened is that Norris drifted slightly wide in Turn 2 and couldn't quite make the apex. That was it really, no egregious error, but he knew his lap was ruined after losing momentum.

A wry smile from Norris as he gets out of the car and gets ready for the top-3 interview and congratulates Piastri: "What happened?", Piastri inquires.

Qatar GP starting grid

1 Piastri
2 Norris
3 Verstappen
4 Russell
5 Antonelli
6 Hadjar
7 Sainz
8 Alonso
9 Gasly
10 Leclerc

Verstappen third from Russell

Max Verstappen has jumped Russell for third, that's big for the Dutchman. But he still has his work cut out tomorrow to defeat the McLarens.

A slide for Norris and he abandons his lap. Can he go again?

Verstappen really needs to find something here to keep his title chances alive, with how processional the race will likely be.

Russell and Norris are first and second in the order out of the pitlane. Verstappen is leaving it late.

A marshal is sprinting onto the track to  pick up the debris. That's two birds with one stone. The track is clear and he has taken care of his cardio for today.

The red flag came between two runs, so no big disaster for anyone. The clock has been stopped with a generous 5m27 left.

The session will resume at the top of the hour.

There's a good reason why Leclerc didn't complete his lap. He's had an absolutely wild spin.

An excellent fifth for Hadjar, ahead of Antonelli, Alonso, Sainz and Gasly.

Leclerc has not completed his flying lap and is 10th.

Norris on provisional pole

Phwoar! That's a 1m19.495s for Lando Norris, a big marker! Piastri can't quite match it with a 1m19.530s.

Russell takes third from Verstappen, but both are conceding over three tenths. They haven't got enough for the Woking brigade.

Verstappen abandons his first flyer and will likely go again on this set.

Is it going to be an eighth season pole for Norris or a sixth for Piastri? Based on what we've seen so far, the Australian seems to have a small edge.

And what can Verstappen and Russell do to prevent an all-McLaren front row?

The McLarens, Verstappen and Russell all have two brand-new sets of softs available.

Start Q3

It's go-time. In about 12 minutes we'll know who's on the all-important pole in Qatar.

It's a Q3 appearance for Gasly in the Alpine, another strong effort from the Frenchman. Alonso also looks rapid again, while Hadjar made the cut by a mere 0.003s.

Eliminated:

11 Hulkenberg
12 Lawson
13 Bearman
14 Bortoleto
15 Albon

Q2 - Piastri leads, Leclerc through

All eyes are on the scarlet Ferrari. And Leclerc improves to ninth with several cars yet to come behind him.

Is it enough? Just. The Monegasque stays ninth, 0.010s ahead of Hulkenberg in 11th!

Antonelli, Lawson, Albon, Bortoleto and Leclerc all need to find something here to survive.

Job done for Norris, P2 with a 1m19.861s. It's two tenths behind Piastri, but he won't care one bit.

Piastri also went again but doesn't improve in the end.

Norris starts his next flyer with some three minutes to go, which means he could go again if something happens on this effort.

Verstappen improves to a 1m19.985s, but remains second. Barring some Max magic in Q3, it does feel like pole is beyond his reach today as McLaren looks rapid.

It's Piastri from Verstappen and Russell, with Sainz and Hadjar also in the top five.

Lawson, Albon, Bortoleto, Leclerc and Norris are in the dropzone with five minutes to go.

Piastri goes top with a 1m19.650s. Scrubbed soft tyres for both McLarens too, rather ominously.

It's not a good first lap from Norris again, but it's deleted anyway for track limits.

Triple purple sectors are flashing on the screen for Max Verstappen, who sets a 1m20.142s.

Ollie Bearman gets the honours of leading early doors with a 1m20.438s, as we await the big hitters.

It is gravel, at Turn 15, the FIA confirms. Gravel has been quite an issue here, with Pirelli observing some "deep cuts' to the tyre treads.

"We had several cuts on the treads, all the corners [of the cars] affected," said Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra.

"This is mainly due to the gravel traps we have here. The circuit added also three or four strips compared with last year and obviously the drivers, when they are pushing to the limit, they are bringing some gravel onto the race line and we have seen some quite deep gravel cuts.

"Some of them were very deep."