The Qatar GP qualifying: Verstappen takes pole, and Checo in 13th place.
The Qatar GP qualifying sets the stage for Sunday’s race at the Losail circuit. The Qatar GP qualifying was a golden opportunity for the drivers to improve their performance, especially for Mexican driver Checo Pérez.
It was a session of alternating leaders, with Charles Leclerc leading in the early stages. However, Fernando Alonso briefly held the top spot in Q1 with a time of 1m25s685, followed by Ocon seven-tenths behind.
In the end, Max Verstappen improved his times and outperformed everyone on his final attempt. Verstappen secured the fastest time, followed by Norris, Alonso, Piastri, Russell, and Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz finished ninth, and Pérez ended up 11th in the first qualifying session of the Qatar GP. Logan Sargeant, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Kevin Magnussen, and Guanyu Zhou were eliminated and did not advance to the next round.
In the second qualifying session, Max Verstappen dominated again with the fastest time until Lewis Hamilton appeared. However, Checo Pérez was left out on the other side, as he couldn’t improve his numbers and finished in 13th position after his lap was not counted.
Checo was penalized on his last lap for exceeding track limits, which dropped him to 13th.
Another surprise was Carlos Sainz failing to advance, while Lewis Hamilton qualified with the fastest time on his final attempt.
It’s worth noting that this qualifying determines the starting positions for the Qatar GP, but on Saturday, October 7th, there will be qualifying and a sprint race for this event.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda, Albon, and Hulkenberg also did not advance to Q3.
In Q3, Max Verstappen improved his times and led the qualifying for the 2023 Qatar GP. Hamilton tried to set better numbers but could only secure the second position.
Everything is set for Verstappen, the virtual champion of this season, to claim another pole position.
The Qatar GP qualifying: Q3
Q3 of the Qatar GP qualifying made Verstappen’s dominance clear. Norris briefly jumped from tenth to first with a lap time of 1m24.074s, placing him 0.296s behind Verstappen for the front row on Sunday.
However, his lap was deleted minutes later when the stewards considered that he had exceeded track limits.
This decision moved Russell, Piastri, and Hamilton from second to fourth, with Alonso, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon, Bottas, and Norris rounding out the top 10.
Carlos Sainz will start in 12th place, and Checo Pérez in 13th, making for a challenging race for both Spanish-speaking drivers.
“The entire track has been repaved, and all curbs, run-off areas, guardrails, and barriers have been replaced since the previous grand prix. Given the extent of the changes made, it is considered a new circuit for all practical purposes,” stated the FIA prior to the tests.
Also read: Checo Pérez is not guaranteed at Red Bull for 2025.
