Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 in Qatar FP1 as Verstappen struggles

Oscar Piastri has fired the first shot of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, topping the only practice session at Lusail International Circuit with a 1:20.924 — just 0.058s clear of McLaren teammate and championship leader Lando Norris. Fernando Alonso impressed in third, while Max Verstappen endured a scrappy hour that left him sixth and searching for answers.

McLaren Seize the Early Advantage

For much of FP1, McLaren looked ordinary on the hard compound, with both drivers outside the top ten during the long-run phase. But once the soft tyres came out in the final 15 minutes, the papaya cars lit up the timing screens. Norris briefly went fastest with a 1:20.982 before Piastri edged him out, the Australian finding time in the first and final sectors to snatch P1.

The lap was only four tenths shy of last year’s pole, underlining how quickly the track evolved despite the session being held in warmer, daylight conditions — quite different from the cooler night-time environment expected for Sprint Qualifying later.

Alonso and Williams Surprise

Alonso’s third place on the hards was a standout, the Aston Martin driver showing strong pace in sector one and keeping the car tidy while others ran wide. Williams also impressed, with Carlos Sainz (driving for the Grove outfit this weekend) in fourth and Alex Albon seventh, both benefitting from a car that seemed more compliant than expected on Lusail’s fast, flowing layout.

Verstappen’s Troubles

Verstappen’s session was peppered with frustration. He complained about steering feel, gear shifts, and front-left tyre performance, and was twice caught out by traffic — notably by Pierre Gasly. His best effort on the softs was only good enough for sixth, 0.580s off Piastri, and Red Bull will need to dig into the data before Sprint Qualifying.

Hadjar Shines for Racing Bulls

Isack Hadjar continued his impressive adaptation to F1 machinery, going fifth overall. He extracted two push laps from his soft tyres and looked confident in the high-speed sections, suggesting Racing Bulls could be a dark horse in the midfield fight.

Ferrari Off the Pace

Ferrari’s struggles were evident. Lewis Hamilton could only manage 12th, Charles Leclerc 13th, both complaining about steering feel and lacking grip in the final sector. The team will be hoping cooler conditions later help bring the SF-25 into the competitive window.

Tyre Strategy Notes

Pirelli’s 25-lap limit per compound is shaping strategy for the weekend. Teams spent most of FP1 on the C1 hard tyre to save mediums for Sprint Qualifying and the race. Expect medium-medium-soft or medium-soft-soft to be the favoured Grand Prix strategies.

Final Classification – FP1

1. Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 1:20.924 (Soft)
2. Lando Norris – McLaren – +0.058 (Soft)
3. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – +0.386 (Hard)
4. Carlos Sainz – Williams – +0.480 (Soft)
5. Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls – +0.579 (Soft)
6. Max Verstappen – Red Bull – +0.580 (Soft)
7. Alex Albon – Williams – +0.685 (Hard)
8. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +0.744 (Soft)
9. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – +0.745 (Soft)
10. Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – +0.774 (Soft)

What to Watch Next

Sprint Qualifying at 20:30 local time will be the first real test under representative night-time conditions. Medium tyres are mandatory for SQ1 and SQ2, meaning teams will be heading into the session with no prior running on that compound. McLaren’s late-session pace makes them favourites, but Verstappen’s history at Lusail means he can’t be discounted — provided Red Bull solve their balance issues.

The championship permutations are tantalising: Norris can’t seal the title in the Sprint, but a strong result could set up a Sunday coronation. Piastri, level on points with Verstappen, knows a pole tonight could be the launchpad for a decisive weekend.