F1 Qatar GP live commentary and updates - Sprint Qualifying

Here's our report from that sprint qualifying session courtesy of Jake Boxall-Legge.

F1 Qatar GP: Piastri bolts to sprint race pole from Russell and Norris

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

A good day for Yuki Tsunoda then in fifth. You feel it's too little too late to save his job, but good to see Yuki fight until the end.

And Alonso is just inevitable, isn't he?

More from Oscar.

"Obviously, it's only only sprint pole and and for a few points. But I'll take whatever I can get and looking forward to tomorrow.

"A sprint weekend is always really tough to know if you're fully on top of things from from when you roll onto the track, but I think the car has felt really good all day.
We made some some good adjustments into qualifying which was nice and I think the the pace was there all day. Hopefully we can keep that running."

Piastri gets the Pirelli fastest lap trophy from Pirelli chief Mario Isola. No disrespect to the Italian, brilliant man, but that often means the VIP that was jetted in for the occasion has not showed up.

Piastri: "It's been a good day which is nice for a change."

"It's been a good day which is nice for a change. Things have clicked from the start.  A pretty big moment on my lap but it was just enough in the end."

You don't suppose Tsunoda will make Verstappen's life difficult tomorrow, but the Dutchman will have his work cut out if he is to limit the damage to polesitter Piastri.

Just 19 laps to do so in tomorrow's sprint race.

Norris went off the track in the final corner, although it looked like sprint pole had already eluded him by then.

"Nice to be back," says Piastri.

Alonso takes fourth, and Verstappen gets beaten by Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda for fifth!

Antonelli, Sainz, Leclerc and Albon complete the top-10.

Piastri takes sprint pole

Oscar Piastri does it! He improves to a 1m20.055s and takes sprint pole.

Crucially, George Russell splits the McLarens as Norris looks to have made a mistake on his second lap.

Verstappen loses out

Verstappen keeps his understeering RB21 on the black stuff, but it's not quick. He only manages fourth!

One minute to go and Verstappen is on his way for his only chance to qualify near the front.

Russell is third from Leclerc and Albon.

The replay shows why Verstappen was so irate. He falls off the track and has to abandon his lap. There seems to be no bite from the front-end.

Piastri takes first blood

Piastri is ahead of Norris by half a tenths with his 1m20.241s.

"This car is bouncing like an idiot," yells a frustrated Verstappen.

He is missing grip and stability through Losail's high-speed corners as he switches to the soft tyres.

Mercedes is out first. Russell's offering is a 1m20.528s, that's quite a step from the medium tyres.

Norris can't win the title right here, but Verstappen and Piastri can certainly lose it if they don't qualify in position.

Form indicates all three should be on the front two rows.

If Ferrari isn't on the ball in 2026 there are going to be some very, very upset Italians.

Any positives from today, Lewis?

"The weather is nice," he says with a wry smile. 2026 can't come soon enough.

Earlier today team principal Fred Vasseur explained the call to abandon 2025 aero development as early as April, and switch focus to 2026.

It was a "psychologically difficult" call, but one both drivers are behind, he says.

SQ2: Norris leads from Piastri and Verstappen

Alonso did make it through, then, despite catching traffic. Both Williams drivers have also advanced to SQ3.

What did we say about Hadjar looking impressive? He is out!

The Frenchman has had his second laptime deleted for track limits in Turn 8 and that leaves him 11th instead of 10th. That has gotten Antonelli out of jail, who is now 10th instead of 11th.

Eliminated:

11 Hadjar
12 Bearman
13 Bortoleto
14 Hulkenberg
15 Ocon

P4 for Yuki Tsunoda. Too little too late? In any case, it's a good lap from him.

Surely Alonso will get himself out of this given his pace earlier. I'm less optimistic about the Saubers.

Verstappen improves to third, right behind the McLarens. 

Four minutes to go and this is the situation at the bottom.

11 Bearman
12 Ocon
13 Albon
14 Bortoleto
15 Alonso

Tsunoda and Hulkenberg are on the cusp.

Red Bull driver-elect Isack Hadjar is looking impressive once more, he's fifth. But only two tenths clear of the dropzone, such are the fine margins of F1 2025.

Everyone bar the McLarens will have to go again, surely.

Norris ahead of Piastri on the first SQ2 run, it's a 1m20.956s for the Briton versus a 1m21.005s for the Aussie.

Russell is third from Verstappen, the pair another quarter of a second behind.

No further investigation against Verstappen-Norris. Good. 

Fun and games, eh? The incident has been noted by the stewards. 

It would seem harsh to hand out any punishment either way, but we'll see if anything comes of it.

Verstappen was complaining about Norris impeding him on his flying lap. It looks like the Dutchman then returned the favour as Norris opened his.

"It's so obvious mate," Norris remarks.

"Ah man, the car won't go any quicker" - Hamilton

The Ferrari really looked a handful there. Charles Leclerc only squeezed through in 13th as well, but he did find four tenths on his team-mate.

SQ1 - Verstappen leads Alonso and Piastri, Hamilton out in P18

Eliminated in SQ1

16 Stroll
17 Lawson
18 Hamilton
19 Gasly
20 Colapinto

P15 for Hamilton, that won't be good enough.

As we write it, Antonelli jumps to seventh to dump his Mercedes predecessor out. No sign of improvement from Hamilton after qualifying last in Las Vegas.

Alonso has gone quickest for Aston Martin, but is then demoted by Verstappen. This track is gripping up by the second.

Antonelli and Hamilton get to start one more lap. The Alpines are also on the outside looking in.

Russell is safe but it's not quick from Antonelli, he stays in the dropzone. And Hamilton is also under massive pressure now.

The second flyers from the papaya cars bring them back to the top.

This time it is Piastri who is quickest from Norris, with a 1m21.286s lap for the Aussie. One tenth quicker than Norris and two better than Verstappen.