30/11/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of Q1, the air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees.
Piastri won the Sprint earlier after his teammate pulled aside on the pit straight in a bid to payback the Australian's generosity in Brazil. Norris' subsequent claim that he doesn't need Sprint wins somewhat undermining the gesture.
Russell gave the McLaren a run for their money, proving that the Mercedes does have pace, while Hamilton put up a determined effort, the seven-time world champion's race pace far better than his qualifying single lap efforts.
Once again Sainz led Leclerc home while Hulkenberg scored two valuable points for Haas, finishing seventh, ahead of Verstappen.
Sadly, the race will forever be remembered by the fact that Colapinto, who was starting from the pitlane along with Perez, overtook the Mexican before they'd reached the track, a move that left Christian Horner unusually lost for words... at least words that wouldn't see him doing community service.
The lights go green and Russell leads the way, followed by Magnussen, Zhou, Bottas and Perez. As more drivers emerge softs are the order of the day, though Russell is on mediums which he is scrubbing for tomorrow.
"Nobody is moving, it's crazy," opines Leclerc as he waits in the pitlane.
Magnussen posts a benchmark 23.505 but this is deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 1.
As a result, of the first wave Stroll goes top (22.384), ahead of Alonso and Bottas.
Leclerc goes second with a 22.420, but Norris responds with a 22.029 and Verstappen a 21.713.
Both Williams drivers have their times deleted as Piastri goes third and Perez seventh.
Hamilton goes fourth with a 22.220 but is demoted when his teammate goes top with a 21.519.
Sainz goes fourth with a 22.075 as Perez improves to seventh.
Norris improves with a 21.578 but remains second ahead of Alonso (21.608).
Gasly goes fifth with teammate Ocon failing to improve his time and remaining last.
A vicious snap sees Magnussen run wide and over the kerbs in Turn 4 and fail to improve on 17th. Teammate Hulkenberg is currently sixteenth.
Hulkenberg improves but only just, he goes fifteenth. Moments later he is demoted when his teammate goes twelfth with a 22.294.
Leclerc goes fifth and Piastri seventh, the Australian demoted when Hamilton, courtesy of a tow from Russell, posts a 21.637 to go sixth.
Despite a poor second sector Verstappen goes fourth, while Zhou goes eleventh.
Russell consolidates his top spot with a 21.335.
Sainz goes second with a 21.568, 0.233s off Russell's pace.
A 21.437 sees Norris go second, however his time is subsequently deleted.
Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Albon, Colapinto and Ocon comprise the drop zone.
Magnussen improves to ninth, while Colapinto remains nineteenth.
Albon goes fifteenth while Leclerc goes top with a 21.278 as Perez improves to eighth.
Tsunoda goes fifteenth while Piastri, despite being quickest in S2, fails to improve.
Quickest is Russell, ahead of Leclerc, Sainz, Norris, Verstappen, Alonso, Hamilton, Perez, Piastri and Gasly.
We lose Albon, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Colapinto and Ocon.
"We are still lacking a bit of speed," admits Laurent Mekies, "and we picked up some damage on Yuki's car in Q1 that we are trying to repair."
Again, Russell is first out for Q2, followed by Sainz, Piastri, Leclerc and Hamilton.
Russell posts a benchmark 21.161, while Piastri responds with a 21.353 and Sainz a 21.503.
Leclerc goes third (21.446) and Hamilton fifth, but both a demoted when Verstappen crosses the line at 21.085.
Norris goes fourth and Perez fifth, while Magnussen can only manage eleventh.
Magnussen improves to ninth as the Stake pair go tenth (Bottas) and eleventh.
Having run wide, and therefore exceeded the track limits at Turn 10, Alonso aborts his first flyer.
Gasly goes sixth with a 21.437.
Quickest in the two final sectors, Piastri improves to second with a 21.121.
Sainz has been noted for an unsafe release which almost saw him collide with Hamilton.
Russell goes top with a 21.084, just 0.001s quicker than Verstappen, meanwhile, Hamilton is just 0.001s off Sainz' time.
Verstappen retakes the top spot with a 21.049, however, moments later, Norris stops the clock at 20.983.
Alonso can only manage fifteenth.
Tsunoda goes tenth with a 21.71, as Magnussen goes quickest in S2.
Magnussen goes sixth while Zhou improves to eleventh.
Stroll fails to improve and remains fourteenth, while a 21.208 sees Alonso go seventh.
Hamilton, who momentarily dropped into the danger zone, improves to fifth while Verstappen bangs in a 20.687.
Quickest is Verstappen, ahead of Norris, Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Piastri, Sainz, Alonso, Magnussen and Perez.
We lose Gasly, Zhou, Bottas, Tsunoda and Stroll.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Qatar here.
Magnussen gets Q3 underway, the Dane followed by Russell, Piastri, Hamilton and Sainz.
"Keen an eye on Piastri's radio as I don't want to give him a tow," says Russell.
Of the first wave Leclerc goes quickest (20.885), ahead of Sainz, Magnussen and Perez.
Alonso goes third with a 21.320 but has his time deleted.
Russell goes fifth, ahead of Piastri and Hamilton.
Russell subsequently improves with a 20.575 to go top, as Hamilton goes third and Piastri fifth.
Norris runs wide in Turn 5 as Verstappen begins his first flyer.
As Verstappen goes second with a 20.620, Alonso insists that he didn't gain anything by running wide.
Norris, who is yet to post a time, backs off in S2.
For the final assault, a number of drivers are grouped with rivals though it unclear if this is by design. The only driver in clear air is Sainz.
Russell goes quickest in S1, but Verstappen goes quicker.
Sainz goes fifth but is demoted when Piastri goes third. The Australian is in turn demoted by his McLaren teammate.
Verstappen crosses the line at 20.520 to take pole, while Perez can only manage ninth as Alonso goes eighth with a 21.251.
A brilliant and totally unexpected pole for the world champion.
"Super dangerous by Verstappen," complains Russell of Verstappen referring to the Dutchman's failure to maintain the maximum delta time. Indeed, the Red Bull start is to be investigated.
Despite that, not for the first time Verstappen reminds us that you should never write him off... which is exactly how he wrapped up his fourth title last week. Despite the obvious issues with the RB20, the Dutchman is always ready to dig that little bit deeper.
A great effort by Russell, while McLaren will take comfort from its Sprint pace and Ferrari will be wondering 'what happened?'
All in all an interesting session that has left us with an equally interesting grid as Verstappen starts ahead of Russell, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Sainz, Alonso, Perez and Magnussen.
While Gasly starts from eleventh, ahead of Zhou, Bottas, Tsunoda, Stroll, Albon, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Colapinto and Ocon.
"Not the position we were hoping for," admits Norris, "but the maximum we could do for sure.
"Happy with the lap, but not happy with the result," he adds. "There's not a lot in it between all of us, so we hope we can go forward."
"It's been a great run," adds Russell, "the last four qualifying's we've been on the front row for everyone, which is more than we could have dreamt of.
"My first lap was one of the best I've ever done, then on the last lap Max just pipped me.
"I ended up going through the gravel," he adds, referring to the incident with Verstappen, "maybe that's the reason we didn't improve. It was a hairy one, two corners before we started our lap."
Crazy, honestly I didn't expect that," grins Verstappen. "Well done to the team for giving me a car that feels more connected, so I could push a bit harder.
"We did change a bit on the car, but I never thought it would make such a swing in performance. Very happy to be on pole... it's been awhile."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Qatar here.