Oscar Piastri fired the first shot of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, topping the only practice session with a statement lap, while Max Verstappen spent the afternoon battling a gearbox so troublesome he labelled it “a disaster.”
The McLaren rookie made the perfect start in Lusail with a 1:20.924, edging teammate Lando Norris by just 0.058s, immediately setting the tone for a weekend that could define the championship.
Norris Can Seal the Title — But Starts on the Back Foot
Norris arrived in Qatar with the chance to clinch his first drivers’ crown, needing only to outscore both Verstappen and Piastri by two points.
But the Briton struggled early on the hard compound and only found rhythm once the soft tyres appeared, despite eventually going second-fastest.
Verstappen’s Session Unravels: Sixth Fastest and Furious With the Gearbox
While McLaren shined, Red Bull endured a troubled start.
Verstappen wound up only sixth fastest, almost six-tenths off Piastri, and his radio was filled with frustration:
- Early on: “The front left is already giving up.”
- Later: “*My gears have gone to ***.”
- Ultimately: “This clipping out of Turn 6 is a disaster.”
With Sprint qualifying looming, Red Bull has serious overnight work ahead.
Alonso Leads the Chase
Behind the McLarens, Fernando Alonso put Aston Martin third, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Isack Hadjar, Verstappen, Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and Lance Stroll.
Qatar FP1 Results (Top 3)
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:20.924 | — |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:20.982 | — |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:21.310 | — |
A Race Against the Sunset — and the Tyres
As the sun dropped over a warm Lusail International Circuit, teams scrambled onto the track for the only practice window of the weekend.
McLaren were especially on edge after their double disqualification in Las Vegas, needing immediate tyre data — and tyre wear was the story of the session.
A new rule, introduced specifically for Qatar, capped tyre life at 25 laps per set to prevent blowouts. That guarantees a minimum of two pit stops on Sunday.
Yet, within just ten minutes, Verstappen already complained that his front-left tyre was fading.
Heat added to the misery. George Russell radioed that his cockpit was hot after seven minutes.
Hard Tyres, Hard Complaints
The session opened with nearly the entire field on hard compounds, and the grumbling began instantly:
- Russell led early with a 1:22.962
- Leclerc battled steering issues Ferrari said they couldn’t fix
- Multiple wind gusts sent drivers, including both McLarens, off track
At the halfway point, Russell still topped the charts on a 1:22.165 while Piastri and Norris were only ninth and 11th. No medium or soft tyre had yet appeared.
Verstappen briefly rose to second before his gearbox issues exploded over team radio.
The Soft Tyres Change Everything
With 15 minutes to go, the field finally bolted on soft tyres — and the timing screens lit up.
- Isack Hadjar jumped to P1 on a 1:21.819
- Norris struck back with a 1:20.982
- Piastri then delivered the killer blow, reclaiming the top spot
Verstappen improved only on his first attempt and was later pushed down the order by Alonso, Sainz, and Hadjar.
Mercedes didn’t escape the struggle either: Hamilton and Russell finished 12th and 14th.









