Max Verstappen will start the Qatar Grand Prix from pole position following a superb display from the reigning champion under the lights.
Verstappen set a pole time of 1:23.778 and will be joined on the front row by George Russell as both McLaren drivers saw their lap-times deleted in a frantic Q3 session.
Read More: F1 2023 Qatar GP – Qualifying Results
Qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix presented a unique challenge for drivers in that the sole hour of practice earlier in the day took place in vastly different conditions.
Max Verstappen had topped the unrepresentative session in the daylight which saw the majority of drivers hampered by dust and wind. Regardless, once the field took to the circuit for the first time in qualifying, the cars entered parc fermé conditions for the remainder of the weekend.
Charles Leclerc held the initial advantage over Verstappen in Q1 however track limits, track evolution and differing tyre strategies would come into play in the opening 18-minute session.
Fernando Alonso’s early lap-times looked to be a statement of intent from the Aston Martin driver who lowered the benchmark to a 1:25.685 on the Softs. The 2021 Qatar Grand Prix podium sitter held a comfortable 0.7s advantage over the field momentarily as others fell foul to track limit violations.
After an unfruitful first run on the Medium tyre, Mercedes abandoned the alternative run plan as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton jumped into the top three.
As temperatures dropped and the track continued to rubber in, times would drop drastically. Verstappen improved to a 1:25.007 to reclaim the top spot ahead of Lando Norris and Alonso.
Hamilton would tumble down the order to 14th, only just managing to advance to Q2. Logan Sargeant was pushed into the drop zone by Williams team-mate Alex Albon. Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Kevin Magnussen and Guanyu Zhou were also eliminated.
Soft tyres were favoured by all for Q2 although several took to the track on used tyres for a banker run.
The fresh softs gave Alpine’s Pierre Gasly a short stay atop the timing boards until he was usurped by champion-elect Verstappen. The Dutchman became the first driver to dip into the 1:24s, improving four-tenths on Gasly’s time.
Ahead of the final runs, Mercedes occupied the second and third positions, but it was again Russell who was the stronger of the two Silver Arrows.
However, both Ferraris and McLarens were yet to set truly competitive lap-times on fresh rubber, resulting in a reshuffling of the order.
Seperated by just 0.039s, Norris and Piastri went fastest and second fastest respectively. That was until another improvement from Verstappen who clocked a 1:24.483 to regain to top spot.
There was drama yet as Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez were both dumped from Q2. Perez saw his final attempt deleted after exceeding track limits at Turn 5. If allowed, the lap would have seen him advance to the next session in 10th.
Those eliminated in Q2 will line up as follows: Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg.
Fresh softs were in use for all but Valtteri Bottas in Q3 as Verstappen again was well-placed at the head of the field after the first run. A 1:23.778 saw him sit half-a-second ahead of Hamilton and Russell.
However, the initial order saw the likes of Leclerc and Norris out of position following moments on their opening laps.
There was no answer to Verstappen’s lap as Norris could only climb to second, three-tenths adrift of the Dutchman. Replays showed that Norris had left the track in the process, and his lap-time was deleted after the chequered flag.
The incident promotes George Russell to the front-row after he was able to maintain his advantage over Hamilton at the Lusail International Circuit.
Following the penalty for his team-mate, Oscar Piastri was met by a similar fate. He too saw his final lap-time invalidated and will drop from third to sixth on the grid.
Deleted lap-times moves Hamilton into third – the seven-time champion will share the second row of the grid with his former McLaren team-mate, Fernando Alonso. Leclerc also benefits from the McLaren’s misfortune to claim fifth.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon form an all-Alpine row four as Valtteri Bottas and Norris complete the top ten.
With the grid set for Sunday’s Grand Prix, attention now turns to Saturday and the Sprint proceedings. The Sprint Shootout gets underway at 16:00 local time.
