We have finally reached the first match point of the Formula 1 World Championship. Follow our full LIVE commentary for the Qatar GP race as the most decisive moment of the weekend begins. Ferrari endured another difficult qualifying session: Lewis Hamilton will once again start from P18, trying to limit the damage as much as possible. Charles Leclerc also faced a complicated session, coming close to putting his car into the wall after a frightening spin.
Oscar Piastri confirmed everything we had already seen in the Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint Race. This track suits him perfectly, and he is not stepping away from the fight for the World Championship. He set the new track record and placed himself ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. Lando appeared tense during the post-qualifying interviews. Is all the pressure of the World Championship suddenly catching up with him in this penultimate round? Max Verstappen, meanwhile, has no intention of giving up on the title either. A fifth consecutive crown would be historic for him. The Red Bull driver delivered a phenomenal lap that allowed him to stay right behind the two papaya-colored McLarens.
Follow our live commentary of the Formula 1 Qatar GP race from 17:00. Will Norris seal the World Championship today?
Discover how qualifying went
Qualifying at the Lusail International Circuit took place in mild conditions, allowing an entirely smooth session. Oscar Piastri claimed pole position with a 1:19.387, also setting the new track record, previously held by his teammate Norris. Lando made a mistake in his second push lap, which prevented him from taking pole. Immediately behind the two McLarens is the other World Championship contender, Max Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc will start from tenth position after an extremely tough qualifying session for Ferrari. The Monegasque driver spent the entire weekend complaining about how unstable and imprecise his car felt. These issues fully emerged in Q3 when, in an attempt to save the Maranello team from an incredible disaster, he pushed far beyond the limits of his SF-25. A violent spin nearly ended his qualifying early. Unfortunately, after that moment, Charles Leclerc‘s confidence dropped even further, preventing him from improving his grid position.
It was an excellent session for Mercedes, with both drivers making it into the top ten. George Russell once again proved to be in outstanding form, closely followed by Kimi Antonelli, who seems to have finally found his rhythm in Formula 1.
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