Qatar Grand Prix: Live F1 qualifying coverage

Today, Max Verstappen can inch ever closer to his third-straight Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship.

The Red Bull driver just needs to bank three more points over the final six races of the season to put both hands on the trophy, and in all likelihood he accomplishes that feat this weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix. As this is an F1 Sprint weekend, things get cracking on Friday, as the drivers and teams have just one practice session before qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

And we will have all of it covered for you here at SB Nation.

Of course, Verstappen’s quest is not the only storyline facing F1 this week, and over the rest of the season. Teammate Sergio Pérez has his own quest, as he seeks to hold onto second place behind Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings. A two-way fight between Mercedes and Ferrari is underway for second — although Aston Martin and a resurgent McLaren are itching to crash that party — and Logan Sargeant, the lone American driver on the grid, is fighting to keep his seat for next season.

The lone practice session gets underway at 9:25 a.m. Eastern, with qualifying for the Grand Prix slated for 12:55 p.m. Eastern. So come back early and often!

All updates Eastern. Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Update 2:17: More heartbreak for McLaren. Piastri — who was in the middle of being interviewed trackside for what was thought to be a third-place finish — learns his lap time has been deleted as well, That drops him into P6.

Your top three for the Qatar Grand Prix?

Verstappen
Russell
Hamilton

In that fight for second between Mercedes and Ferrari, consider it advantage, Mercedes.

Update 2:06: The official word is in. Norris sees his lap time deleted. Verstappen and Russell will be on the front row.

Update 2:02: The Mercedes duo goes P3 and P5, with Russell in third and Hamilton in fifth.

Russell may find himself on the front row anyway, as Norris is facing a double whammy between track limits and potentially impeding Leclerc.

Update 2:01: Norris goes into P2, but there is speculation that time will be deleted for exceeding track limits.

Update 2:00: Verstappen’s final push lap will not be an improvement, as he slides off the track. The door is open for pole position.

Update 1:59: All ten drivers are on the track with just over a minute left in Q3. This will be pure chaos.

Update 1:57: Three minutes left in Q3, here is the top ten at the moment:

Verstappen
Hamilton
Russell
Piastri
Leclerc
Ocon
Alonso
Gasly
Bottas
Norris

Update 1:56: F1TV plays a clip of Norris perhaps impeding Leclerc, with the McLaren driver asking his team if the Ferrari driver was on a push lap.

This could be a three-place grid penalty for Norris if race stewards find he impeded Leclerc’s push lap.

Update 1:54: Hilarious. Immediately after pushing send on the previous update, Verstappen rockets across the start/finish line and jumps into P1.

The Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Russell sit in P2 and P3, respectively.

Update 1:53: Norris puts a great time on the board ... but it gets deleted for exceeding track limits.

Piastri follows that with a strong lap of his own, putting him atop the table for now.

Update 1:52: Leclerc slides off at Turn 4. Turns 4 and 5 are giving the drivers the most trouble during this session, as it was during FP1.

Update 1:48: Could Hamilton deliver a shock here in Q3?

Here are the results from Q2:

Update 1:44: A bunch of stunners in Q2 at the back of the field — with both Sainz and Pérez out — and at the front.

Where it is Hamilton who takes P1 during the second portion of qualifying.

Can the seven-time champion deliver a shock pole? We will know more in a few minutes.

Update 1:41: Tsunoda is the first driver eliminated in Q2.

Another shocker as Pérez has a lap time deleted, meaning he is out in Q2. So is Sainz. A pair of stunners at Qatar.

Update 1:39: Verstappen goes atop the table again, getting by the McLaren duo.

Sainz comes across in P9. Could get dicey for Ferrari here with under a minute to go. Also in trouble? Pérez.

Update 1:38: Know who is not nervous at the moment? Andrea Stella. The McLaren boss sees his drivers go P1 and P2, with Norris just ahead of Piastri.

Two minutes remain in Q2. Here is your current top three: Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen.

Update 1:37: So now some nervous times for the Scuderia. Sainz pulls out of his push lap — which was deleted anyway due to exceeding track limits — and Leclerc’s push lap only comes in at P6, behind the Mercedes duo.

Update 1:34: Again, another strong showing from Mercedes, at least early in Q2. Verstappen is atop the timing sheets, but he is followed by Russell and Hamilton in P2 and P3, respectively.

The Ferrari duo is on their initial push laps, so we will see if that holds.

Update 1:31: Side note: When did we agree to call Verstappen the “champion elect?” I must have missed the memo.

Anyway, initial times have been posted in Q2, and surprise, the “champion elect” is at the top. Gasly, Leclerc, Tsunoda, and Piastri round out the top five.

Update 1:27: With Q2 about to get underway, here are the results from Q1:

Update 1:21: Q1 comes to a close, with a thriller for the final spot. Stroll, Lawson, Magnussen, and Zhou were eliminated with one car left on the circuit: Albon. The driver at risk? Albon’s teammate, Sargeant.

Albon found the lap he needed to finish P15, eliminating the American rookie.

Update 1:20: Under a minute to go and Lawson, Hülkenberg, Stroll, Zhou, and Magnussen are the five drivers in the drop zone.

The Williams duo of Sargeant and Albon sit P14 and P15, respectively, and are at risk as well.

Update 1:18: Norris is no longer in P1, as Verstappen comes across the line and jumps his good friend at the top.

Update 1:16: Norris finally posts a lap, given he had one deleted for exceeding track limits and he then pulled out of a second.

He rockets to the top of the table. For now.

Update 1:14: Albon has a lap deleted for exceeding track limits. As the commentary team for F1TV notes, it is a lap from the start of the session.

Meaning there is a delay in the decision.

Meaning if you are keeping track of results by hand, use pencil, not pen.

Update 1:12: Welcome to the party Mercedes.

The duo of Russell and Hamilton post their first laps of Q1, and they’re rather strong. Hamilton goes into P3, and Russell into P2.

That puts them both ahead of Ferrari, with about five minutes left in Q1.

Update 1:09: Solid lap from Sargeant who jumps into P8. The American driver is still fighting for his spot next season, despite being given the vote of confidence from Team Principal James Vowles in recent days.

Update 1:07: Norris goes to the top of the table ... for a moment. But he sees his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.

Yes, this is going to be a thing during this session.

Update 1:05: We have our first lap time deleted for exceeding track limits, as Lance Stroll slides off the circuit at Turn 5 and his lap time is taken off the board.

Update 1:04: Verstappen, Bottas, and Pérez post the first three lap times. The Alfa Romeo driver splits the Red Bull duo, as Verstappen takes P1 early in Q1.

Update 1:01: Q1 is underway.

Update 12:59: David Coulthard notes on F1TV that the wind has died down, which gives drivers one less thing to worry about.

Update 12:57: Q1 set to get going. A reminder: This is to set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Tomorrow is an F1 Sprint Saturday, where there will be a separate qualifying session for the Sprint race, with the race following thereafter.

Another reminder. Verstappen can clinch his third-straight Drivers’ Championship with just three points in the F1 Sprint race tomorrow.

Update 12:44: Qualifying will get underway shortly from Lusail International Circuit.

Given the struggles drivers have endured at Turn 4 — with a number of them sliding off the circuit — track limits could be an issue here in a few minutes. For a primer on track limits, and potential penalties, we have you covered here.

Update 10:33: If one were to write a story about this practice session, relating to the battle for second place in the Constructors’, the headline might read: “Advantage: Ferrari.”

The duo of Sainz and Leclerc finished in P2 and P3, respectively. As for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton? They placed P8 and P13, respectively.

If — hypothetically — that would be the result in Sunday’s Grand Prix, Ferrari would bank 33 points, while Mercedes would bring home just four.

That would see Ferrari gain 29 points on Mercedes, and leave Qatar behind with a nine-point lead. Ferrari currently trails Mercedes by just 20 points in the Constructors’ standings.

Of course, there is a long way to go before that happens. There is a Sprint Race on Saturday as well, and qualifying for the Grand Prix gets underway in just a few hours.

Still, one has to believe you would rather be Ferrari, than Mercedes, at the moment.

Update 10:32: The checkered flag flies, bringing FP1 — and the only practice session of the weekend — to a close.

Update 10:28: The Red Bulls remind everyone that this is still their season. Verstappen rockets to the top of the table with a 1:27.428 lap, almost a half second ahead of Alonso in second. Teammate Sergio Pérez slides into third as well.

Update 10:24: Someone who was able to dial it in on the softs? Nico Hülkenberg at Haas. On a set of the softs he rockets up the timing sheet, into P2 just 0.067 behind Leclerc.

Leclerc posted that time on the mediums, but still a good lap for Hülkenberg.

Another good lap from a driver who really needs one? Logan Sargeant. He jumps into P8 on a set of softs as qualifying simulations get underway.

Update 10:21: Albon is really struggling on the softs, as he slides off the track again and radios in his frustration. Could this foreshadow a very tricky — and chaotic — qualifying session in a few hours?

Update 10:19: Albon is forced to abort that simulated qualifying lap, as he slides off the track at Turn 4.

Update 10:17: Qualifying simulations seem to be underway, as Alexander Albon takes to the track with a set of softs.

Update 10:15: Only a few cars are on the track as the bulk of the drivers are in the garage. Leclerc takes advantage of the free air and jumps to the top on a set of mediums.

The top five with 15 minutes left in FP1:

Leclerc
Piastri
Norris
Alonso
Sainz

The two Ferrari drivers posted those times on mediums, the other three on the hard compound.

Update 10:12: Lando Norris puts together a strong lap of his own, jumping into second behind his teammate.

Update 10:10: Oscar Piastri puts together a tremendous lap, putting himself at the top of the timing sheets with just 20 minutes left in practice.

Update 10:06: Leclerc is back on the track, so things must be okay with his SF23.

As he returns to the track, teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. jumps to P2 behind Fernando Alonso. That leaves Ferrari sitting P2 and P3 right now, although Sainz posted his time on the medium compound, while Alonso and Leclerc posted their times on the hards.

Update 9:55: Concern for Charles Leclerc? Despite the Ferrari driver pushing to the top of the timing sheets around midway through the practice session, he was pulling into the pits when his SF23 made a noise, and the driver asked over the radio “ ... that didn’t sound good. What happened to the engine.”

The team told him they would get back to him.

Update 9:53: The early story from the single practice session?

Dust.

Windy conditions at Lusail International Circuit laid down a layer of dust on the track, which made for a slippery surface as the single practice session began. Slowly, drivers began circling the track and brushing the dust away, and times started to tick down.