F1 Qatar GP live commentary and updates - Sprint Qualifying

Welcome

Hello and welcome to our coverage of sprint qualifying at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix.

It's the sixth and final sprint weekend of this seemingly never-ending 2025 season. But fortunately, there is still a drivers' championship on the line to keep us hooked.

Will it go all the way to Abu Dhabi? That feels very much in leader Lando Norris' hands, as he leads Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri by 24 points. A pole for tomorrow morning's sprint would be a good start if he wants to wrap it up this weekend.

If you sat out the first and only practice session of the weekend, then get up to speed here.

F1 Qatar GP: Piastri fastest in sole practice from Norris, Verstappen sixth

It very much looks like McLaren is on the front foot on the twisty Losail circuit, as anticipated. But you never know with that man Max Verstappen, do you?

The drivers are making the usual scurried hop from their driver rooms, inside the hospitality units, to the garage.

If this was a race in....most other places, that would be a stressful event involving all sorts of bodyguards to fend off VIPs. But it's rather quiet here in Doha.

I'm sure you know the drill by now, but just in case.

Three knockout sessions: SQ1 (12 mins), SQ2 (10 mins), and SQ3 (8 mins). Drivers must use medium tyres for SQ1 and SQ2, while nice and grippy soft tyres are on offer in SQ3.

Norris needs to gain two points on both Verstappen and Piastri to take the title this weekend.

With just one point separating each position in the top-8, the sprint won't be decisive, but it'll set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

Piastri looked back on song in FP1 after a run of more difficult weekends.

At 20:30 local Doha time, temperatures have dropped to 21 degrees air and 26 degrees track.

Certainly a far cry from the searing temperatures two years ago, when drivers were all but passing out left, right and centre.

But 5.419km Losail is still a very physical, demanding track with its barrage of high-speed, high-downforce corners.

A startling statistic, Verstappen has won 13 sprints. The next best driver is Norris...on three.

It obviously helps that sprints became a regular thing just as Red Bull hit its dominant peak, but it's still telling.

This year Verstappen and Norris have snared two sprint wins apiece. And then there was of course that magical pole-to-flag victory for Lewis Hamilton in China. Doesn't that feel like a long time ago...

We're on medium tyres for the first two segments. Max Verstappen is setting the tone with a 1m22.258s. But the McLarens still have to cross the line.

Norris goes top: 1m21.621s.

Piastri is second, 0.192s in arrears. 

Then Alonso, Hadjar, Albon, all dumping Verstappen to P6.

Four minutes to go and still no fast runs from Mercedes duo Russell and Antonelli. That is quite a risk to leave it so late.

Lawson, Hamilton, Colapinto, Antonelli and Russell are in the dropzone as it stands.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Eliminated in SQ1

16 Stroll
17 Lawson
18 Hamilton
19 Gasly
20 Colapinto

"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.

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.

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.

No further investigation against Verstappen-Norris. Good. 

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.

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.

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.

Verstappen improves to third, right behind the McLarens. 

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

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

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

SQ2: Norris leads from Piastri and Verstappen

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

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.

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

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.

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

"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.

Piastri takes first blood

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

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.